Bruins Capture Their 2nd Presidents' Trophy

By virtue of their 4-1 win over the hapless Sabres on Saturday afternoon at TD Garden, the Bruins (54-18-9) earned the Presidents' Trophy (best record in the NHL) for only the second time in team history. Neither the game against Buffalo (21-51-9) nor tomorrow's regular season finale in New Jersey (likely Martin Brodeur's last game) are relevant since the B's won't see either in the postseason.

Their focus shifts to Detroit (38-28-15) who they will meet in the first round of the playoffs, probably starting on Thursday in Boston. They couldn't have picked a tougher eighth seed since the Red Wings were 3-1 against the B's in the regular season and outscored them 15-7.

The only real news to come out of Saturday's game for the B's is that it appeared Daniel Paille suffered his third concussion of the season. Ugh, poor guy. That would be a sneaky big loss since everyone knows how valuable Boston's fourth line can be especially come playoff time when few teams can match their abilities. Plus, it also means that worthless Jordan Caron would be in the lineup and nobody wants that.

Boston will be not only the favorite in the Eastern Conference but in the NHL as a whole heading into the postseason. Anything can happen but they are in very good shape to get back to the Stanley Cup Final for the second year in a row and third time in the last five years. Cross our fingers that they get through the game with the Devils unscathed. There is no reason to test their depth any further when it matters most.

UPDATE 4/13: Game 1 is Friday at TD Garden (7:30), Game 2 is Sunday afternoon (3, yes Easter Sunday) in Boston then Game 3 is Tuesday (7:30) in Detroit and Game 4 is Thursday (8) in the Motor City.

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Bruins Win Their 10th Straight Game, 4-2 at Devils

It is official, the Bruins are on a bigger roll (in the regular season) than I can ever recall in my lifetime and yes I know this is the third time they've won 10 in a row under Claude Julien. Tonight, Boston (47-17-5) picked up the 10th straight win, 4-2 at Prudential Arena vs. New Jersey (29-27-13). Thanks to their longest win streak since November 2011, the B's are five points ahead of Pittsburgh for first place in the Eastern Conference.

Boston has outscored opponents 41-15 during this particularly dominant run and they are tied with St. Louis for the best goal-differential (+74) in the NHL and they've allowed the second fewest goals (149) in the league with the second most points overall (2 behind the Blues). Their next win will put them over 100 points on the season.

Playing in the second night of a back-to-back, Boston looked fine as they outshot the Devils 15-5 in the first period. The Panthers had something tangible to show for it as well when Patrice Bergeron slipped a backhander past Grandpa Martin Brodeur at 14:33. Bergeron's 20th goal of the season was assisted by Reilly Smith and Andrej Meszaros.

Sensing his team needed any type of spark, Ryane Clowe chose to drop the gloves with Milan Lucic which isn't something you see every day. The Devils responded with the tying goal by Patrick Elias 29 seconds into the second period. That was on a 5-on-3 man advantage for the hosts. Boston responded with a shorthanded goal (his NHL best 5th) by Brad Marchand 54 seconds after Elias, from Bergeron and Zdeno Chara. Just 59 seconds after Boston celebrated that, they were going crazy again as Jarome Iginla beat Brodeur for his team-leading 26th goal of the season from David Krejci and Torey Krug.

As usual, Boston put it away when Chris Kelly finished a pretty one-timer from Carl Soderberg at 7:11 in the third. Kelly's eighth goal of the season was also assisted by Loui Eriksson. The Bruins have done an excellent job of stepping on teams' throats and making their leads virtually insurmountable.

The Bruins defense let Travis Zajac have too much time and space so naturally he fired one past Chad Johnson (22 saves; 15-3-1 overall) at 9:13 that cut it to 4-2 but that's all she wrote.

With this insanely packed March (17 games) and coming off an emotional win, it has to be a good thing that Boston gets the next two days off before they travel to Colorado (44-20-5) to play the Avalanche on Friday (9, NESN) in an ultra rare Friday Night Ice matchup (I just made that up myself!).

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Bruins Run Out of Gas, Fall 4-3 to Devils in Role Reversal from Thursday

The way it played out, Boston choking away a game tonight vs. New Jersey seemed like some sort of cosmic retribution for them stealing two points from San Jose on Thursday. Make no mistake, the Sharks are excellent and the Devils suck but both teams are still in the NHL so on any given night yada yada. The Bruins (7-3-0) should have hung on but the Devils (2-5-4) were able to score two power play goals 23 seconds apart in the third period en route to a gut punch of a 4-3 win at dejected TD Garden.

Two factors: it is October and 2) the way they won with 0.8 seconds left vs. San Jose made this a little easier to take than the normal anal probe. Boston actually came out in the first period like a refreshed team that wasn't playing its third game in four nights (for the first time this season). They pumped three goals behind Martin Brodeur (25 saves) who is just a shell of what he used to be even a few years ago let alone a decade. It's tough to pin this on Tuukka Rask (28 saves) since all four of New Jersey's goals came on the power play including the tying goal which was a 6-on-3.

Power play specialist Torey Krug fluttered a wrist shot past Brodeur 7:52 into the contest, his fourth of the season from Jarome Iginla and David Krejci. The fun times continued as Iginla scored his second in as many games 1:27 later off a Devils skate. Dougie Hamilton and Rask both assisted on that fluky goal. Adam Henrique answered at 11:24 after Rask kicked a rebound right to him. Granted, his defensemen didn't do their job to clear the puck out of the zone. It was all good though (or at least we thought) as Lucic barreled down the left wing and snapped one past Brodeur for his sixth point (3 goals, 3 assists) in his last four games. It was also his team-leading sixth goal of the season from Krejci and Iginla.

Rask is human so you can't expect him to only give up one or two goals every night. The backhander that Damian Brunner snuck by him had to be the softest that the animated Finn has allowed in his nine starts. Not only was it weak but the timing was rough since New Jersey climbed back in at 3-2 with 28 seconds left in the second period.

Boston's meltdown started when Krug was rightfully called for a four-minute penalty (high sticking that drew blood). Before that was halfway through, Patrice Bergeron of all people accidentally flung the puck in the crowd in Boston's own end. Yikes, Zdeno Chara had done that earlier which led to Brunner's goal. New Jersey pulled Brodeur and quickly cashed in. Marek Zidlicky's shot from the point got by Rask who was completely screened by Steve Bernier at 18:52. Before the Bruins had a chance to recover, they were out of position and Rask was fishing the puck out of the net after Andy Greene's one-timer at 19:15. Goodnight everyone and drive home safely!

The B's are nice enough to let us really focus on the Patriots and Red Sox tomorrow then Red Sox on Monday before they return on Wednesday (8, NBCSN) in Pittsburgh (7-3-0). That'll be the first meeting of the Bruins and Penguins since Boston swept them in the Eastern Conference Finals last season. Gee, that'll be an entertaining game. NBCSN must be drooling for their rivalry night, it's a little better than Bruins-Sabres from last week.

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I Guess You Could Say He Has The Moves Like Jagr (Shows Self Out)

Other than the goal being about as ugly as they get, I don't think you could script a better debut for Jaromir Jagr in a Bruins uniform. His "goal" which was really a pass that mistakenly went off his skate was the difference as Boston beat New Jersey 1-0 tonight at TD Garden. Good bounces like that seem to happen when you have 680 career goals in the NHL.

The third straight win for the Bruins (24-8-4) kept them within one point of Montreal, who beat Winnipeg 4-1 this evening, and it was all thanks to Jagr and Tuukka Rask (40 saves; 16-5-4) who notched his third shutout of the season and 14th of his career. Not bad for a guy that was the backup the last two games as Anton Khudobin earned back-to-back wins.

The Devils (15-13-9) are falling apart down the stretch (0-3-2 in their last 5 games) and scoring is clearly an issue for them without Ilya Kovalchuk in the lineup. Martin Brodeur (25 saves) did enough to win but his fellow product of the 1990 NHL draft class (Jagr) made sure to get off on the right foot with Bruins fans who were ready to love him from the start.

Zdeno Chara started the play by finding Brad Marchand who drove down the left wing before throwing it to Jagr who had driven to the net. His stick didn't get down in time but it still went in at 1:20 of the second period and most importantly, withstood a review since it wasn't a kicking motion. Jagr's first goal as a Bruin gave him the lead on his new team (15th of the season) while Marchand picked up his 16th assist and Chara reached double-digits with his 10th assist.

Jagr skated on the second line with Marchand and Tyler Seguin at center since Patrice Bergeron missed his first game with a concussion. Kaspars Daugavins also played his first game as a Bruin but I'm guessing that people won't be looking for his jersey in the Pro Shop quite as much as Jagr's. He was on the third line with Rich Peverley and Jay Pandolfo.

Montreal has beaten Boston the last two times they've met, both at the Garden, to take a 2-1 series lead. The Bruins have one more chance before the playoffs start to get them back and regain control of the Northeast Divison. Saturday night's (7 p.m., NESN) game at the Bell Centre should be a great atmosphere with two of the best teams not only in the Eastern Conference but the NHL as a whole (not that we'd know though since they have played teams from the other conference).

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Krejci's Hat Trick Including Overtime Winner Propels Bruins Over Devils

If tonight was indeed a playoff preview-which it would be if the postseason started today-the Boston Bruins are in for another special journey.

The B's (38-21-3) got out to an instantaneous 2-0 lead on the New Jersey Devils (35-25-3) at TD Garden but had to rally to tie it at three in the third period. After months of underachieving, David Krejci notched his second career hat trick including the overtime game winner as Boston escaped with a scintillating 4-3 win.

With that, Boston swept the season series (4-0) against New Jersey but don't be surprised if these two teams see each other again in April.

In desperate need of some offense and a fast start, Bruins head coach Claude Julien shook up the forward lines and it paid immediate dividends. Krejci scored 1:13 into the game on a one-timer after a great feed from new linemate Tyler Seguin.

Shawn Thornton and Eric Boulton fought less than a minute later in one of the longest bouts that you'll see all season. NESN's Jack Edwards gleefully compared it to Rock'Em Sock'Em Robots and that wasn't too far off.

At 8:10, that line produced another goal as this time Milan Lucic (2 assists) fought through a check along the boards and was able to center it to Seguin (21st goal of the season) who did the rest. Tim Thomas also assisted on Seguin's goal (his first in 11 games) which was followed by a New Jersey timeout.

Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur (21 saves) actually kept his team in it during the first as he made three grade A stops which kept it at a two-goal deficit. Krejci was sprung on a short-handed breakaway but Brodeur rolled over and deflected it away blindly with his glove.

New Jersey blitzed Tim Thomas (28 saves; 27-13-0) with three goals in the second period. After the now customary Joe Corvo giveaway (somewhere Dennis Wideman and Tomas Kaberle smile), Ilya Kovalchuk and Zach Parise skated in on a 2-on-1. Kovalchuk fed Parise for his 24th of the season at 6:27. Now that the Bruins have Mike Mottau (scratched tonight) and Greg Zanon (who made his Bruins debut), it's time to make Corvo a healthy scratch. He seems to get worse by the game.

Patrik Elias (20th of the season) tied it up less than eight minutes later as Petr Sykora's shot bounced off Dennis Seidenberg's skate in front of the net and right to Elias. Amazingly, it is Elias' tenth season of 20+ goals. Impressive stuff.

David Clarkson (25th of the season) put the Devils up 3-2 at 17:46 thanks to a nice individual effort. He wheeled around from behind the Bruins' net and was able to stuff it past Thomas. In that case, Thomas needs to hug the post and make that save.

Krejci tied it at three with a crazy goal at 5:30 into the third. It deflected off a Devils player in the air to Lucic's stick. He passed it to Krejci but it was in the air as well so it hit him in the chest. Showing off his incredible hands, he was able to settle it down and slide it in. Amazing. Zdeno Chara had the other assist.

Krejci's deciding tally (16th of the season) was a one-timer 2:59 into overtime. Chara had the main assist with Patrice Bergeron recording the other one. Brodeur got a piece of it but the puck still managed to trickle over the line. Good enough for me.

This was a very nice win but it won't mean much if the B's fail to capitalize on the momentum the next time out: Saturday afternoon against the Islanders. It was back in November when Boston met New York twice in less than two weeks and they rolled (6-2, 6-0) both times. The Islanders have been playing a little better lately but they're still one of the most miserable franchises in the NHL. After Saturday afternoon's tilt, they also close out March with another matinee on March 31 in Long Island. That should be an easy four points.

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Bruins pull out improbable win in OT

What did I say about the Bruins yesterday? They always defy expectations.

It's not often that I'm a profit like that but I'll take full credit as the B's (35-29-12) won 1-0 in overtime last night against the New Jersey Devils (44-26-6) at the Prudential Center in beautiful Newark, NJ.

With just 19 seconds left in overtime before it would have gone to a shootout, which the Bruins are horrible at, Patrice Bergeron swooped in on a rebound and stuffed it home before Devils all-world goalie Martin Brodeur (33 saves) could react. Mark Recchi and Mark Stuart assisted on Bergeron's 18th goal of the season.

Tuukka Rask was rightfully back in goal for the Bruins and he made 21 saves for his fifth shutout of the season. The young star improved to 19-11-4 with a 2.02 goals against average and .929 save percentage.

Needless to say it was a meaningful win for many reasons. These teams could meet in the first round of the playoffs so it was good to see the Bruins prove they can beat New Jersey at their own low-scoring game. Also, the two points kept Boston two points ahead of Atlanta and four points ahead of the Rangers for the last spot in the Eastern Conference. And finally, it tied the Bruins with Philadelphia and Montreal, the two teams they're trying to jump over to avoid the buzzsaw that is the Capitals.

Boston is back home tomorrow night, hosting the playing-for-pride Florida Panthers.

What's the point of watching the Bruins?

Honestly, why do I still watch the Bruins this season? After Marc Savard went down with a concussion, this team that wasn't getting out of the first round of the playoffs, now seems destined not to even make it.

It's a hard choice: do you want to see the Bruins qualify for the playoffs, only to be swept by the Capitals, Devils or Penguins or just not make it at all?

It seems obvious that any true fan would want them to make the playoffs simply because you never know what'll happen but this edition of the Bruins is one of the most predictable teams I can ever remember.

They're limping home from their season-high seven game road trip after a 3-2 loss in New Jersey last night.

The Devils (41-24-3) took any intrigue out of it by scoring all three goals in the first period. Rob Niedermayer, David Clarkson and Olympic hero Zach Parise all scored for New Jersey.

Boston (30-26-12) made a half-hearted comeback as Blake Wheeler cut it to 3-1 in the second period with his 17th goal (assists to Mark Stuart and David Krejci) and then Patrice Bergeron (his 15th of the season) made it 3-2 with an extra skater on and 1:03 left in the game. He tipped Dennis Seidenberg's shot from the point, Wheeler also assisted.

The poster boy for this lost season for the B's has to be goaltender Tim Thomas. He won the Vezina Trophy last season after a career year and was rewarded with a big deal. This season, he has been awful, never getting on a hot streak forcing Boston to constantly flip-flop him with Tuukka Rask.

Thomas (15-17-8) gave up all three goals and was yanked after the first period. Rask (15-9-4) stopped all 16 of the shots he faced in the last two periods.

The ageless Martin Brodeur (38-22-3) stopped 34 shots for the win.

This torturous road trip wraps up tonight in Carolina where the Bruins will no doubt struggle to score goals and lose to an equally terrible Hurricanes team (who have been playing well lately).

Bruins clinch Northeast Division and playoff spot

A majority of sports fans were transfixed by the NCAA men's basketball tournament yesterday (finding out the last Sweet 16 teams), myself included, but I managed to change channels during CBS' repetitive ads and see much of the Bruins' 4-1 win over the New Jersey Devils at the Garden.

I've been especially busy the last few weeks so I haven't blogged at all and I picked a good time since the Celtics and Bruins in particular have been how you say, shitting the bed?

Of course, it's not all doom and gloom since both will be heavyweights in the playoffs, but it's a sign of these teams' championship potential that we expect deep runs, not just simply making it.

The Bruins clinched a playoff spot (the eighth seed) in the second to last regular season game last spring. Yesterday, they secured their first division title in five seasons while also locking up a playoff spot.

The win was especially satisfying for the B's (46-17-10) and its worrisome fans, since the Devils (47-22-3) are the No. 2 team in the Eastern Conference and one of the NHL's hottest teams.

Boston won by playing like it did for much of the season (save for the last month and change): balanced scoring, strong goaltending and physical, smart hockey.

They're not splitting atoms over at the Garden, playoff hockey tends to be pretty meat and potatoes compared to the more wide-open, run and gun regular season. The great unknown is how this largely young, inexperienced team will handle being one of the favorites to win the Stanley Cup once the calendar turns to April.

Michael Ryder staked Boston to a 1-0 lead with a power-play goal (his 25th of the season) late in the first period. Marc Savard passed to Mark Recchi who relayed it to Ryder. He didn't get anything on the shot but it deflected off a New Jersey player's skates, past Martin Brodeur (26 saves).

The B's put it away with three more goals in the second period. Chuck Kobasew put a clever backhander (18th of the season) past Brodeur with assists to Patrice Bergeron and Recchi.

Savard made it 3-0 with a power-play goal (his 23rd) from Matt Hunwick and Ryder.

Andy Greene got the Devils on the board later in the second period but that's as close as New Jersey would get.

Milan Lucic ended a long goal-scoring drought and potted his 14th of the year from Phil Kessel and Mark Stuart to wrap up the scoring for the game in second period.

Bruins goalie Tim Thomas improved to 31-11-7 with an impressive 41 saves on the afternoon.

Only nine games remain on the regular season schedule for Boston and they won't play again until Saturday in Toronto.