Farewell To Former B's Captain/Future Hall of Famer Zdeno Chara & Thanks For All The Memories

 

    At age 45 (what up Tom Brady?) Zdeno Chara officially retired today after signing one of those goofy one-day contracts as a Bruin and as you would expect, that caused many wonderful moments from his 14 seasons in Boston to come flooding back. In many ways, the man that they call Big Zee is a singular figure not only in Bruins history but also in the NHL as well. He started off as a sideshow since he was the tallest player in league history (6-foot-9!) but through a relentless work effort and desire to be the best, he transformed himself into one of the top defensemen in the NHL (he won the Norris Trophy in 2009) and as great of a leader as you will ever find in sports. You can trace the Black and Gold's return to relevance with him signing here as a free agent: Boston made the playoffs in 11 of his 14 seasons (including 3 Stanley Cup Finals) and they won their lone Cup in the past 50 years in 2011 with him as the captain. 

    In a game built around playing through constant pain and nagging injuries, Chara's toughness and will to win are legendary. Not just because of his enormous size but Zdeno was one of the most fearsome fighters in the league. Additionally, he further cemented his place in Boston sports history by playing in the 2019 Stanley Cup Finals vs. St. Louis with a broken jaw that was wired shut. Other than a hockey player, who else does that? The crazy part too is that as intense as he was on the ice, he is a super nice guy if you are not lining up against him. His charity work in this area was incredible while he also did his best to help his wife raise three kids (including twin boys) despite his incredibly demanding schedule. 

    He started his NHL career with the Islanders then he continued to progress in Ottawa before becoming a worldwide star and household name with the Bruins. In the last two seasons, he played for the Capitals and fittingly he closed out his brilliant run with one final campaign as an Islander. He is a no doubt first ballot Hockey Hall of Famer and it will be interesting to see where his post-playing days take him. Chara speaks seven (!) languages and after spending so much time and energy in hockey, it's hard to see him totally walking away from the game. You feel like he could become a great GM or part of a winning front office for an NHL club. Coaching also seems like a good fit although the time commitment for that is exhausting for somebody just coming off a 24-year career in the NHL and with a young family.

    You know that his number 33 will soon be raised to the rafters at TD Garden as well. He played the sixth most games in franchise history (1023) and finished third all-time in points (481) by a B's defenseman behind Hall of Famers Ray Bourque (1506) and Bobby Orr (888). In addition to the Norris Trophy, he also won the Mark Messier Leadership Award in 2011. He was named to NHL First All-Star Team three times along with four times on the NHL Second All-Star Team. He also competed in the NHL All-Star Game six times. In 200 career NHL playoff games, he had 18 goals and 52 assists with an NHL-best 14 Game Seven appearances. In his 14 seasons as a Bruin, he was first in games played (1023), plus-minus rating (+240), penalty minutes (1055) and time on ice per game (24:29). He finished with 148 goals and 333 assists in Boston. 

    We often say this when a great athlete retires but there truly will never be another Zdeno Chara for no matter how much longer we all live. His combination of a booming shot (for years the fastest slap shot in the NHL), ridiculous reach and shutdown defensive skills made him impossible to play against even for many of the game's top players. He is a winner and someone to admire even if you don't follow hockey or sports in general. Chara was always a true professional who did everything the right way and got the most out of his abilities. He also never made excuses and was classy in defeat. We wish him well in retirement and know that we will see him soon, possibly riding his bike around the city. 

As One Bruins Defenseman Retires (Kevan Miller), Another Gets Paid Handsomely (Brandon Carlo)

 

    This week is truly the dog days of the sports calendar with barely anything going on but thankfully, the Bruins gave us not one but two notable pieces of news this morning and this afternoon. First, the sad news: defenseman Kevan Miller is predictably retiring after an NHL career that was riddled with injuries. Next, the much happier news: defenseman Brandon Carlo signed a six-year contract extension with an annual cap hit of $4.1 million. Miller finally hanging up his skates at the age of 33 after seven seasons with the black and gold was not a surprise but you have to appreciate a guy who gave everything he had to Boston. Like Miller, Carlo has only ever played for the B's but he is only 24 years old so hopefully he will be here for many more productive years to come. 

When you think about it, these two players have more in common than you might think: they are both big, right-shot defensive-minded defensemen that are tough, dependable and great teammates from all indications. Unfortunately, the other trait that they both share is that they have suffered numerous serious injuries in their time with the Bruins. Miller's career-high for regular season games was 71 in 2015-16 and he only ever came close to that number one other time (68 two seasons later). Carlo has only played five seasons in the NHL but three of them have ended with injuries that forced him to miss the entire postseason (twice) or cut his playoffs short. For Miller, it was his legs and knees that suffered the brunt of such a rough-and-tumble career that started at the Berkshire School in Western MA, then he starred at the University of Vermont before signing with the Providence Bruins in 2011 as an undrafted free agent. For Carlo, it was leg and knee issues that plagued him (he's twice been hurt in regular season finales) before he suffered yet another concussion this past postseason against the Islanders. 

    Ironically, not having either of these guys available against New York was a major reason why the Bruins fell short in six games in their second-round series. If one or both of them were healthy, you have to feel like at least the series would have gone to seven games or perhaps the B's might have squeaked by the Isles. We'll never know but we can only wish that Carlo has better injury luck for the rest of his NHL career. Concussions are so scary because they affect everyone differently and you never know when one can end your career. On a more positive note, Carlo need to look no further than Boston's captain Patrice Bergeron who had a horrifying stretch of concussions very early in his Bruins career but he has overcome that and put together a Hall of Fame career since then. Obviously, I'm not saying that Carlo is headed for the Hall of Fame but when he is on top of his game, he is one of Boston's best defensemen. He is not Charlie McAvoy who is going to get a boatload of money in his first significant pro deal but Carlo should be a big part of their future as the team eventually turns over to younger guys like him.

Never Had A Chance: The Isles Blew Out The B's 6-2 In Game 6 To Send Them Home For The Summer

 

    One of the million aspects of hockey that makes it a fantastic sport is that it takes a team to win anything of value, unlike say the NBA where you typically just assemble the most talent and let the victories pile up. Coming into this second round playoff series between the Bruins and Islanders, you figured that it would be close but Boston's playoff experience and better goaltending among other things gave them a slight edge. As it turns out, we could not have been much more wrong as the Bruins led 2-1 in the series then proceeded to fall apart in spectacular fashion by losing the last three game culminating with tonight's pathetic 6-2 defeat at the Nassau Coliseum. The Isles move on to face the Lightning (for the second year in a row) in the NHL semifinals while the Bruins head home wondering what the hell just happened?

    I get that having a rookie goaltender-Jeremy Swayman-make his first NHL playoff start in an elimination game on the road is far from ideal but would he have been worse than an injured Tuukka Rask (23 saves) who admitted after the loss that he'd need surgery soon to repair some unknown issue? Granted, it hardly mattered who was in net for the B's since their defense was in shambles since Brandon Carlo's concussion but Rask definitely did not help matters. New York is not a great team and I'd be shocked if they win the Stanley Cup this postseason but you have to respect their consistency, toughness and ability to share the workload. Islanders head coach Barry Trotz also owned his matchup with Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy all series long as well. It was 1-1 after the first period before defensive miscues and the lack of a bailout save(s) by Rask doomed the black and gold in a nightmare second period where they were outscored 3-0. Boston cut it to 4-2 early in the third period but their offense disappeared with only five total shots on goal in their final frame of the season along with a pedestrian 25 for the entire contest. Woof. 

    Center Travis Zajac gave the home team a 1-0 lead at 8:52 of the first period as he put in a juicy rebound that Rask handed to him while Boston's bumbling defense couldn't locate the puck in time before Zajac smashed it into the net. The veteran's first playoff goal for the Islanders was assisted by defenseman Noah Dobson and center Jean-Gabriel Pageau. Left wing Brad Marchand (who was one of the only Bruins that bothered to show up this evening) tied it with a power play goal at 17:36 of the first period. Right wing David Pastrnak faked Isles goaltender Semyon Varlamov (27 saves) out of his skates before sliding the puck over to Marchand for the one-timer. Center David Krejci had the second assist on Marchand's team-leading seventh goal of the postseason (Brad also produced at least one point in every game this series). 

    Center Brock Nelson had quite a second period for the Islanders as he gave them a 3-1 lead with a pair of goals 7:19 apart. First, he made B's defenseman Matt Grzelcyk look silly by stealing the puck from him and blowing by before finishing a breakaway past Rask. Nelson's fifth goal of the playoffs was assisted by right wing Josh Bailey and defenseman Nick Leddy at 5:20. Rask did himself no favors by playing a puck right to Mike Reilly's skates that Bailey was able to take away and feed to Nelson who this time finished with a backhander at 12:39. If those weren't bad enough, Rask gave up an even worse goal at 16:07 as right wing Kyle Palmieri knocked the puck from Grzelcyk in front of Rask and it went towards the net where somehow Tuukka couldn't stop it. Palmieri's seventh goal of the playoffs was unassisted. 

    Down 4-1 heading into the third period, you wondered if Cassidy would pull Rask for the second game in a row and put in Swayman to I don't know, maybe get a spark or something but nope, he stubbornly kept Rask in until the end of regulation when he needed an extra skater. Marchand bagged another power play goal at 5:38 that was straight out of the Islanders playbook-outworking his opponents and refusing to let up until the puck went into the net. Krejci and defenseman Charlie McAvoy (who took an elbow earlier in the game from Palmieri that was not called) had the helpers on what turned out to be Boston's last goal of the 2021 season. The Islanders added a pair of empty-net goals in garbage time to make the final score feel fittingly even more embarrassing. 

    Where do the Bruins go from here? Good question my friend. It's now been 10 long years and counting since they last won the Stanley Cup. Aside from the one that they choked away two years ago against St. Louis, they have failed to reach the conference finals in seven of the last eight seasons. No matter how much you love Rask (and that percentage of Bruins fans dwindles by the day), I think his biggest supporters have to admit that he'll likely never win a Cup here (or probably anywhere else for that matter). He's a great regular season goalie and generally fine in the playoffs but he doesn't have that other gear or next level to reach in these most important moments. With Swayman waiting in the wings, it feels like the right time to finally move on from Rask-who has been a Bruin his entire NHL career-and pair Swayman with a cheap veteran backup goaltender plus Dan Vladar showed enough this season in a limited capacity to fight for that No. 2 role.

    Rask, Krejci and left wing Taylor Hall (who went completely missing in the last 3 games with zero combined points) are all unrestricted free agents (along with some less notable players) so those will be the key decisions for B's GM Don Sweeney to make over the next few weeks. I'd say that this group isn't that far away from title contention but I feel like we have overrated them for much of the past decade. Yes, they are usually a playoff team but they do not tend to make much noise once they get here. It took the easiest path imaginable to reach the Stanley Cup Final two years ago and of course, they failed in the most Bruins way possible: losing Game 7 at the TD Garden against yet another inferior opponent. Regardless of what happens with those three guys that are listed above, there are still plenty of quality players (both young and old) remaining on this team; Cassidy is a good coach and Sweeney knows what he's doing so in all likelihood, they will be right back in a similar spot like this next season. The real question is if they can put it all together and get past the second round to be considered a true contender once again or if they are simply cursed to live in this Groundhog's Day like existence year after year. 

Not To Alarm You But The Bruins Are In Big Trouble As They Now Trail The Islanders 3-2

 

    Don't look now but the Bruins are one loss away from another second-round exit in the playoffs for consecutive years. In the pivotal Game 5 tonight at the TD Garden, Boston outshot New York 44-19 and yet they still found a way to lose 5-4. How is that even possible? Well, the Islanders were 3-for-4 on the power play, they chased B's goaltender Tuukka Rask (12 saves, 4 goals allowed) after two frustrating periods and they held on as the Bruins tried to rally in the third period from a three-goal deficit (5-2). New York leads this series 3-2 and has won the last two games because they aren't making nearly as many mental and physical mistakes as Boston. It's almost like a rope-a-dope strategy as the Isles wait for the Bruins to shoot themselves in the foot and then they take advantage of it and unlike they B's, they don't waste nearly all of the great chances that fall into their laps. 

      Rookie goaltender Jeremy Swayman (2 saves, 1 goal allowed) did not get to do much in his NHL playoff debut. I'm assuming that Rask will start in Game 6 on Wednesday (7:30) as the B's try to save their season and force a Game 7 on Friday back in Boston. After their worst game of the postseason in Saturday's 4-1 no-show on Long Island, the black and gold responded by coming out flying as right wing David Pastrnak blasted in a one-timer (his 6th goal of the season) from BU's Charlie McAvoy and left wing Brad Marchand at 1:25. I'm convinced that you can't rattle New York as they scored five of the next six goals to take a commanding 5-2 lead. After a terrible slashing penalty on Bruins center Sean Kuraly, the Islanders made them pay right away as center Mathew Barazal scored for the third game in a row. Remember when he was ice cold at the start of this series? That was fun. Defenseman Noah Dobson and right wing Jordan Eberle notched the helpers on the suddenly red hot Barzal's third goal of the postseason. 

    It was 1-1 heading into the second period and that's when the visitors took control with three goals in the frame including two more on the power play. B's killer and right wing Kyle Palmieri made it 2-1 in favor of New York at 4:49 of the second period and on the power play. Right wing Josh Bailey and defenseman Nick Leddy picked up the assists on Palmieri's team-high sixth goal of the season. Marchand tied it at one with a beautiful power move that showed off most of his immense skills. Islanders goaltender Semyon Varlamov (40 saves) didn't stand a chance as he stayed anchored in his crease while Marchand went by him and ended with a forehand shot for his sixth game of the season. Pasta and McAoy were credited with the assists on Marchand's sixth goal of the playoffs. This is when the roof started to collapse on the Bruins. A pretty little passing sequence around Rask worked wonders as the Isles took their first lead (3-2) on Bailey's momentum-stopping tally. Center Jean-Gabriel Pageau and left wing Anthony Beauvillier had the helpers on Bailey's fifth goal of the postseason at 14:30. New York's last power play goal came from a snipe by Eberle that went over Rask's shoulder. Barzal and Dobson had the assists on Eberle's third goal of the playoffs at 16:38. 

    What's worse than a 4-2 deficit in Game 5 on your home ice? How about going down by three goals early in the third period of said game? The Bruins faced that nightmare scenario as center Brock Nelson fired in a pass from Beauvillier at 1:59. The whole play started when defenseman Adam Pelech jumped up in the air to grab the puck and keep it in the offensive zone. In the regular season, Boston had a bunch of fake comebacks where they would be down by a couple goals and they would begin to rally but fall just short. That's basically what happened for the rest of the third period as Pastrnak scored on another one-timer, this one was from McAvoy and captain Patrice Bergeron. Pasta's one-timer came at 3:48 to cut it to 5-3 New York. It felt like the Bruins had a chance to rally when Varlamov couldn't handle a simple flip shot by center David Krejci (his 2nd goal of the playoffs). Right wing Craig Smith and defenseman Mike Reilly rounded out the scoring with the assists on Boston's final tally at 14:43. 

    As Bruins fans, where do we go from here? The Bruins typically respond well to adversity, therefore I truly believe that they will throw everything they have left into Game 6. Fourth-line center Curtis Lazar left with a lower-body injury and never returned after a nasty collision near center ice. I assume that if he's out, Jake DeBrusk would be back in the lineup after he was a healthy scratch this evening. I want to believe that there's an outside chance that defensemen Kevan Miller and/or Brandon Carlo could also return to action but let's be real, that probably won't happen and for good reason (they both have serious injuries that have already caused them to miss multiple contests). You know that all the Strong Island bros will be out in full force on Wednesday shouting their silly chants so the B's have to be ready to go from the start once again. The Islanders are good but they should not be able to eliminate the Bruins in six games, that would be unacceptable from my perspective.

The Bruins Wasted A Great Opportunity To Take Control Of The Series As They Fell 4-1 To The Isles

 

    Whenever the Bruins have a frustrating loss, particularly in the playoffs, I like to say "the Bruins never making anything easy on themselves." It's not exactly ground-breaking stuff but I think that it applies all too often for the B's. Tonight was the latest example as they lost 4-1 to the Islanders in Game 4 of their second round playoff series. Another win at the Nassau Coliseum would have given them a commanding 3-1 lead in the series and that might have meant that they wouldn't have to go back to Long Island. Instead, thanks to their uneven effort, the series is now tied 2-2 and it comes down to a best-of-3 series against the Isles who are the definition of gritty and tough to play against.

    The final score is very misleading, especially if you weren't watching the whole game since New York scored two empty-net goals. There were no goals scored in the first period but it was still pretty crazy since there were two fights (Taylor Hall vs. Scott Mayfield and Jarred Tinordi vs. Matt Martin) and B's star David Pastrnak hit the post on the most wide open look that he'll ever see with a goalie in net. Boston actually led 1-0 when center David Krejci put in a rebound for a power play goal at 3:57 of the second period. His first goal of the playoffs was assisted by left wing Brad Marchand and Pasta. Boston's lead lasted for less than three minutes as Islanders left wing Kyle Palmieri put in a close-range one-timer from center Mathew Barzal. Right wing Jordan Eberle had the other assist on Palmieri's team-leading fifth goal of the postseason.

    Barzal is by far New York's best and most talented offensive player so it was surprising that he did not have a goal in their first eight playoff games this year. He is starting to heat up though at just the wrong time for the Bruins as he scored the lone Islanders goal in Game 3 and this evening he had the game-winner as he batted a loose puck out of the air to make it 2-1 at 13:03 of the third period. Mayfield and fellow defenseman Noah Dobson had the assists on Barzal's second goal of the playoffs. Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask made 30 saves so he was one of the few bright spots in the loss for Boston. His counterpart Semyon Varlamov (who improved to 7-2 against the B's this season) had 28 saves but you have to say that the black and gold did not test him nearly enough. Centers Casey Cizikas and Jean-Gabriel Pageau potted the empty-netters for the Isles as the Coliseum exploded at the end of this victory for their beloved home team. 

    Game 5 is on Monday (6:30, NBCSN) at the TD Garden and Game 6 (time TBA) will be back in Uniondale on Wednesday. Needless to say that Monday is the biggest tilt of the season for both clubs. To go up 3-2 thus giving yourself two chances to eliminate the other team is a huge advantage versus being down 3-2 in the series and having to win twice in a row at each venue no less. Don't be surprised if Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy tinkers with his lineup a little bit on Monday. Nick Ritchie has been useless for much of this postseason so why not throw rookie Trent Frederic in there and see if he can provide some type of spark? If nothing else, he would bring energy and fresh legs to a group that looked understandably tired in Game 4 after taking so many tough hits from the Islanders all series long.

Marchand Scores In OT As The Bruins Beat The Islanders 2-1 In Game 3 To Take A 2-1 Series Lead

 

       The Bruins regained their home ice advantage as they won Game 3 tonight 2-1 at the Nassau Coliseum thanks to left wing Brad Marchand's no angle snipe 3:36 into overtime. Boston now leads the series 2-1 and they improved to 3-2 in OT this postseason (1-1 vs. NY). As you can guess from such a low-scoring affair, both goaltenders were fantastic: Isles goalie Semyon Varlamov made 39 saves before he made his only real mistake of the night while B's goalie Tuukka Rask (28 saves) wasn't quite as busy but he still had a bunch of huge stops. The only real lowlight of Game 3 for Boston was that defenseman Brandon Carlo took a huge hit to his head from Islanders hack Cal Clutterbuck in the third period and he never returned. For a guy with a history of concussions, it was horrifying to see him clearly struggling to get off the ice after his head slammed into the glass.

    After missing Game 2 with a lower-body injury, right wing Craig Smith was back in the lineup for the B's and that paid immediate dividends. He took a sweet pass from left wing Taylor Hall and snapped a high shot over Varlamov's glove hand at 5:52 of the first period. BU's Matt Grzelcyk had the second assist on Smith's second goal of the postseason. Just when it looked like the black and gold might escape with a 1-0 road win, Islanders center Mathew Barzal used a quick wraparound move to tie it at one. Right wing Kyle Palmieri and defenseman Ryan Pulock had the assists on Barzal's first goal of the playoffs at 14:34 in the third period. From that point on, New York dominated and it continued into the extra session as they outshot Boston 5-2 in that. No matter though as it only takes one shot to end it and credit to Marchand for taking that chance. Long Island's own Charlie McAvoy and captain Patrice Bergeron assisted on Marchand's fifth goal of the postseason overall and his second overtime tally (joining Game 2 vs. Washington).

    The B's have an optional practice on Friday and then these teams will meet again on Saturday night (7:15, NBC) where the stakes will be pretty high: Boston can take a 3-1 series lead or New York will tie it up at two games apiece. In his postgame press conference this evening, Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy noted how Carlo said that he was feeling "pretty good" while he caught up with his teammates in the locker room. With that said, I'd be really surprised if he is cleared to play in Game 4. If Carlo is out, defensemen Jakub Zboril or Jarred Tinordi seem like the most logical replacement for him although they are both left-handed shots meaning that somebody would have to play on their weak side for a whole entire game which is never preferred. It's also a little quicker turnaround after they had an extra day off between Games 2 and 3, so we'll have to see who recovers best from another intense and physical matchup. 

B's Rallied From A 3-1 Deficit In The 3rd Period, Only To Lose In Overtime To Even The Series 1-1

 

    After battling for nearly four full periods at the TD Garden tonight in Game 2 of their second-round playoff series, the Islanders took advantage of a brutal turnover by Bruins defenseman Jeremy Lauzon which led to a breakaway and game-winning goal by their fourth line center Casey Cizikas. New York won the game 4-3 at 14:48 in overtime to even the series at 1-1. It was truly a contest that could have gone either way since Boston scored first, then the Isles tallied three unanswered goals in a disastrous second period for the home team (their worst frame of the postseason) before getting the two goals that they needed in a hectic third period to force the extra session. Now the series shifts to the dump known as the Nassau Coliseum that nevertheless should be rocking for Game 3 on Thursday (7:30, NBCSN) and Game 4 on Saturday night (7:15, NBC). 

    The clutch victory by the Islanders snapped Boston's five-game playoff win streak while it also ended New York's four-game losing streak against the B's dating back to the regular season. It ensures that the Bruins will not sweep the Isles (honestly, who thought that would happen?) and they will get at least one more home game at the Garden next Monday (time TBA) for Game 5. BU's Charlie Coyle staked his club to a very early 1-0 lead as he dangled around an Islander and then did the same thing to New York's goaltender Semyon Varlamov (39 saves) for a beautiful goal at 2:38. Coyle's second goal of the playoffs was assisted by left wing Nick Ritchie and right wing Karson Kuhlman (making his playoff debut in 2021). 

    The second period turned into a complete mess for the black and gold as they allowed a pair of power play goals that bookended a rough 20 minutes. Right wing Josh Bailey tied it at one as his attempted centering pass deflected off Bruins defenseman Jeremy Lauzon and through goaltender Tuukka Rask's (35 saves) five-hole. Right wing Kyle Palmieri and center Brock Nelson recorded the assists on the power play strike, Bailey's fourth goal of the postseason. New York's next goal I'm sure is the one out of the four in Game 2 that Rask allowed which he would want back the most. He couldn't grab a loose puck in his crease next to a post and Palmieri made him pay by knocking it in for a 2-1 Islanders lead at 11:00. Palmieri has been a Bruins killer for years, going back to when he played on the Devils. Defenseman Nick Leddy and center Jean-Gabriel Pageau had the assists on his fourth goal of the playoffs. Boston's defense let Rask and the rest of the team down on the third goal as they fell asleep in coverage which allowed JGP to drive to the net and one-time in a nifty little pass by left wing Anthony Beauvillier at 17:21. Center Mathew Barzal was credited with the second assist on Pageau's second goal of the playoffs. 

    Many lesser teams would have been unable to put that previous period behind them so quickly but not our Bruins. Nope, they kept grinding and were handsomely rewarded as two of their top players and trusted leaders-center Patrice Bergeron and left wing Brad Marchand-had the honors of bagging the goal that flipped the momentum and then the tying goal on the power play. The captain went to the bumper position where Marchand was able to connect with his best friend for a sweet one-timer through some traffic. Right wing David Pastrnak picked up the second assist on Bergeron's fourth goal of the postseason at 10:34. Boston's tying goal was all about Marchand who ripped a low, hard shot at 15:06 of the third period. BU's Charlie McAvoy notched the lone assist on Marchand's fourth goal of the playoffs. True to most playoff overtimes, each team had plenty of scoring chances with New York outshooting Boston 9-6. The fatal mistake by Lauzon was trying to shuttle the puck away from the wall and over to his fellow defenseman Connor Clifton. The problem was that the pass went off another Bruin's skate and thus Cizikas was able to swoop in and use his speed to stay away from Lauzon and everybody else. His first goal of the playoffs (his 1st postseason goal in 6 years) is no doubt one that he'll never forget for the rest of his life.

    With an extra day in between Games 2 and 3-NBA style-B's head coach Bruce Cassidy has chosen to not hold a practice tomorrow. Instead, his team will take an extra breath after their latest overtime work. Before this series began, I felt pretty confident that it would be a long set of games either way. The Islanders got a split in Boston so now they are no doubt all thrilled to get back to their home arena which is one of the loudest and craziest atmospheres in the NHL. The Bruins will have to play much more like the team that rolled in Game 1 vs. the plucky one in Game 2 that ultimately lost despite that awesome comeback in the third period.

Bruins Beat Islanders 3-2 In Overtime, Lock In Third Seed & First Round Matchup With Capitals

 

    Coming into tonight's regular season home finale vs. the Islanders (32-17-7 overall, 11-13-4 away), all that the Bruins (33-15-7 overall, 18-7-3 home) needed to clinch the third seed in the East Division was a single point. Boston got the job done by winning 3-2 in overtime thanks to a brilliant backhander by left wing Taylor Hall. The Capitals (35-15-5 overall, 16-8-3 home) are the No. 2 seed from the East Division so that's who the B's will face in the first round of the playoffs, starting on Saturday night (7:15, NBC). I don't think that the black and gold could have picked a more difficult opponent to see right off the bat than Washington but here we are. 

    The Bruins completed the regular season series with the Islanders sporting a .500 record of 3-3-2. This evening was another reminder what a complete steal Hall was from the Sabres (15-34-7). He opened the scoring with a sweet one-timer from center David Krejci and left wing Brad Marchand at 19:21 of the first period. Hall's ninth goal of the season was on the power play and it was from a tough angle since he received the pass basically parallel to the goal line. Maine native and BC's Oliver Wahlstrom tied it with a one-timer and power play tally of his own at 1:38 of the second period. His 12th goal of the season was assisted by center Mathew Barzal and defenseman Nick Leddy.

    Boston took a 2-1 lead later in the frame as Marchand re-directed a pass from Krejci at 6:15. His team-leading 29th goal of the season was also assisted by right wing David Pastrnak. Barzal is a great offensive talent that often gets overlooked on a team that generally struggles to put the puck in the net. He tied it with a sweet top shelf wrist shot over Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask's (16 saves, 15-5-2) shoulder at 8:31. His 17th goal of the season was assisted by defenseman Ryan Pulock and left wing Anthony Beauvillier.

    Isles head coach Barry Trotz pulled their starting goaltender Semyon Varlamov (25 saves) after the second period supposedly with a minor injury. Hall's overtime goal was another one of those instances where it has to be a very short list of Bruins teammates that could have successfully made a similar type play. He took a nothing drop pass from Krejci at center ice, zoomed by center Casey Cizikas, put the puck through Leddy's legs (!!!) then fired a powerful backhander past backup goalie Ilya Sorokin (10 saves). Defenseman Mike Reilly had the second assist on one of the best goals of the year in the NHL. Holy smokes, if I was B's GM Don Sweeney I would have had a contract extension written up for Hall and placed in his locker by the time he got done with his postgame interviews.

    Just by luck (and of course the pandemic), the last game of the regular season takes Boston to DC tomorrow night (7, NESNplus) where they will take on Washington in a completely meaningless dress rehearsal. The better question is will the Bruins remain there for Games 1 and 2 or return home only to go back again in a few days? We'll have to wait and see about that travel plan which is surely more interesting than what should amount to a preseason game in May with all the healthy scratch and taxi squad guys in the lineups for both clubs. It is also rookie goaltender Jeremy Swayman's last chance to impress Boston's head coach Bruce Cassidy, granted I'm pretty certain that he's already won the No. 2 goaltender position for the playoffs.

The Bruins Have Finally Figured Out The Islanders As They Beat Them For The Second Night In A Row

 

    It's amazing what the infusion of a three new quality players can do for a hockey team. Suddenly, the Bruins (24-12-6) have new life and are playing great, blanking the Islanders (27-13-4) 3-0 tonight at the TD Garden for their second win against New York in 24 hours. The B's were 0-3-2 against the Isles this season before Thursday and they totally flipped the script the last few nights by outscoring them 7-1. Rookie goaltender Jeremy Swayman (25 saves, 4-1-0) recorded the first shutout of his NHL career and I'm going to venture an educated guess that it won't be his last. Boston scored a goal in each period: including another from left wing Taylor Hall, right wing David Pastrnak snapped his goal drought and center Curtis Lazar's notched his first as a Bruin. 

    Boston's opening goal was a backbreaker as weird as that sounds on the surface because there was 2.4 seconds left in the first period when defenseman Mike Reilly threw a pass in front of the net, on the money to Pasta who roofed it over Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin (11-4-1, 25 saves). Pastrnak's 17th goal of the season was also assisted by center Patrice Bergeron. That late momentum shift for the home team clearly carried over to the second period as Hall made it 2-0 47 seconds into that frame. He worked a give-and-go with center David Krejci, ending with Hall going to the net and blowing past New York defenseman Scott Mayfield before redirecting Krejci's pass through Sorokin's five-hole for his fourth goal of the season. Defenseman Steven Kampfer earned the secondary assist on Hall's second goal in black and gold. 

    Boston's penalty kill was outstanding as New York's power play went 0-for-5. Like any good goalie, Swayman was their top penalty killer as he made a bunch of quality stops. Tuukka Rask got the night off after beating the Islanders on Thursday so fellow rookie Dan Vladar served as Swayman's backup instead. It's not hard to picture that duo being Boston's goaltenders of the (near) future if they both keep this up. All three of the newcomers got on the score sheet so an empty-net goal for Lazar seemed like the perfect way to end this impressive performance. His sixth goal of the season was unassisted at 18:48 of the third period. 

    The B's have won their last three games-all since the trade deadline-and they are 6-3-1 in their last 10 games. I'm not saying that they are going to catch the three teams in front of them in the East Division-Pittsburgh (57 points), NYI and Washington (60 points)-but at least now that is more than a pipe dream. After getting humbled 8-1 by the Caps (28-12-4) last Sunday on their home ice, Boston gets another crack at them on Sunday afternoon (12, NBC) back at the Garden. Anything can happen but I'll guarantee that the Capitals won't beat them by seven goals this time around.

It Only Took Them Six Tries But Thanks To Taylor Hall, The B's Finally Beat The Isles This Season

 

    Thanks to the return of goaltender Tuukka Rask (22 saves, 9-4-2) who missed the past 11 games, two goals from left wing Brad Marchand and a highlight reel first goal as a Bruin for left wing Taylor Hall, Boston (23-12-6) was finally able to beat the Islanders (27-12-4) this evening at the TD Garden. Far more than any other club in the East Division, the Islanders had given the Bruins fits this season before tonight: beating them three times in regulation, once in overtime and once in a shootout. The B's were determined to change that narrative as they had an awesome first period by outshooting New York 23-7 (their most shots on goal in a frame this season) and building a 2-0 lead then never looking back. 

    The importance of getting their No. 1 goalie on the ice can't be overlooked as Rask happened to pick up his 300th career NHL win in the process. Rookie Jeremy Swayman (3-1-0) has been a great story but if the Black and Gold are going anywhere this season, their best chance is with a healthy and motivated Rask in net. This is the 10th time in Marchand's NHL career (and 8th in a row) where he has scored 20+ goals. He made it 1-0 just 1:49 into the contest when center Patrice Bergeron's wild shot deflected off his linemate's back and past Islanders goaltender Semyon Varlamov (41 saves, 16-9-3). Another one of the three newest Bruins-defenseman Mike Reilly picked up his first point with Boston by grabbing the secondary assist there. Right wing Craig Smith doubled Boston's lead with a power play goal at 17:55. He was in Bergy's famous bumper position and was able to one-time a shot through traffic for the tally. Center David Krejci and defenseman Charlie McAvoy had the assists on that key strike.

    Center Travis Zajac scored his first goal as an Islander to cut it to 2-1 early in the second period at 2:56. New York's star left winger Mathew Barzal and right wing Jordan Eberle had the assists on the eighth goal of the season for the former Devil who was acquired at the trade deadline. Barzal changed directions behind the net and used a nifty pass to find Zajac in front for the one-timer that he got all of. Hall's goal was definitely a wow moment and a refresher for why he was once the No. 1 pick (in 2010) and the NHL MVP (in 2017). Right wing David Pastrnak sprung him for a partial breakaway and he sealed off his defender before firing a perfect low shot by Varlamov for his third goal of the season at 1:52 of the third period. I don't think it's hyperbole to say that there are only a few guys on the Bruins that could have pulled that move off and most importantly, had it result in a goal. Marchand wrapped up the huge two points with an empty-netter at 18:24 from Pastrnak. 

    In a true 2021 scheduling quirk, these same clubs meet again tomorrow night (7, NESN) at the Garden. The only thing about the game that I can say with any certainty right now is that I'm sure Swayman will face the Islanders backup goalie Ilya Sorokin (11-3-1). New York still has a nice cushion of six points separating themselves from Boston but if the Bruins can win on Friday, they would make it especially interesting because they still have two games in hand over the Isles with one final meeting left to go. It should be a grind and both teams don't shy away from fighting so don't be surprised if you see a few guys drop the gloves. 

The Bruins Welcome Back Fans By Blowing A 2-0 Lead & Losing 4-3 In Overtime To The Islanders

 

    Tonight was a big moment for the Bruins (16-8-5) and Boston sports as they welcomed back fans (12% capacity) at the TD Garden for the first time in over a year. Naturally, this being the B's they treated them to a gut-wrenching loss as they built an early 2-0 lead only to blow it and eventually lose 4-3 in overtime to the Islanders (22-8-4) on left wing Anthony Beauvillier's easy tap-in goal. Yes, even with some fans cheering for them in the stands, the Bruins still can't figure out how to beat the Isles, they are 0-3-2 against them this season with three regular season meetings left to go. 

    After a week off because of a Covid-19 outbreak on the team, the Bruins returned to the ice with center Sean Kuraly and left wing Jake DeBrusk remaining on the NHL's Covid list. They couldn't have dreamed of a better first period as they scored twice with both goals coming from the unlikeliest of players. Right wing Karson Kuhlman fired the puck on net from almost against the side wall and it worked as Isles goaltender Semyon Varlamov (29 saves, 14-6-3) couldn't find it through a bunch of traffic. Kuhlman's first goal of the season was assisted by defenseman Charlie McAvoy and left wing Anders Bjork at 11:42. Boston doubled their lead as defenseman Steven Kampfer blasted in a one-timer for a power play goal at 17:35. McAvoy and center David Krejci provided the helpers on Kampfer's first goal of the season. 

    Playing in his first game since March 7, Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask (6 saves) lasted for one whole frame before we suspect that his back injury that took him out of action earlier flared up again. Boston only termed it an "upper-body injury" which is always so helpful in figuring out what's actually going on. New York took advantage of Rask being out and backup goaltender Jaroslav Halak (17 saves, 7-4-3) being pressed into duty on short notice. Bruins killer Jean-Gabriel Pageau got his team on the board at 7:21 of the second period by finishing a pretty passing play with defenseman Scott Mayfield and right wing Leo Komarov who I believe currently lives on waivers every single day. That was the 11th goal of the season for the Islanders center and former Senator. 

    Boston led 2-1 going into the third period but that didn't last for too long as right wing Josh Bailey skated down the slot and fired a shot past Halak at 4:33 to tie it at two. Nelson and defenseman Nick Leddy had the assists on Bailey's fifth goal of the season. Things looked grim for the Black and Gold when Maine native and BC's Oliver Wahlstrom flipped in a backhander at 17:04 for the 3-2 advantage. Pageau and Beauvillier got the assists on the rookie right wing's ninth goal of the season. 54 seconds after that, it was tied again as Bjork knocked in a pretty pass from center Charlie Coyle. Right wing Chris Wagner had the other assist on Bjork's second goal of the season. 

    Overtime only took a grand total of 21 seconds (I hope that you didn't get up to get a drink or food before it started) and the B's never really touched the puck as the Isles won the opening face-off, skated behind their own net then blew past the retreating Bruins. Leddy's initial shot was stopped by Halak but he left the puck right on the goal-line where Beauvillier used his speed to get to it first and knock in the juicy rebound. Leddy and Pageau notched the assists on Beauvillier's fifth goal of the season. 

    Boston missed its rematch with Buffalo last Saturday but never fear since they face the awful Sabres (losers of their last 16 games!) on Saturday afternoon (1, NESN) at the Garden. You can't make up all the stuff that has happened to Buffalo this season but tonight's latest chapter in their misery was the new head coach Don Granato and his assistant Matt Ellis were both ruled out from tonight's game against Pittsburgh due to Covid so the GM Kevyn Adams was in the strange position of being the head coach for a night. Eventually, Buffalo is going to win another game (maybe?) this season and you desperately don't want to be on the wrong end of that NHL equivalent of a solar eclipse. Nothing less than two points against the Sabres is ever acceptable at this juncture.

UPDATE 3/26/21: Rask is out for at least both games this weekend. 

The Bruins Fall To 0-3-1 (All In NY) This Season Against The Islanders After A 2-1 Shootout Loss

   The Bruins (13-6-4), their coaching staff not to mention the front office has to be completely fed up with their struggles against the Islanders (16-6-4) in 2021. Tonight in their final regular season meeting ever at the Nassau Coliseum, the Isles won 2-1 in a shootout for their sixth straight victory. New York improved to a perfect 4-0-0 vs. Boston during this campaign as they found another way to beat the Bruins following a one-goal game, a two-goal game, a blowout and now this. What are the chances that in their next encounter, the B's lose in overtime? These are also clubs that are going in opposite directions since the Isles have won six straight games and they are 8-1-1 in their last 10 games which has enabled them to take over first-place in the East Division. The B's are in a bit of a tailspin going 3-5-2 in their last 10 games dropping them to fourth-place in the East Division. 

    These matchups with New York are difficult enough to begin with but I feel like Boston's struggles vs. them have seeped into their collective heads as well. Make no mistake, the Islanders are a good team but the Bruins seem to become fragile mentally when they face New York. Case in point, this evening the B's were clinging to a 1-0 lead late in the second period when left wing Brad Marchand took matters into his own hands and went after Islanders rookie right wing Oliver Wahlstrom who had hit B's defenseman Connor Clifton from behind. Marchand's heart was in the right place-trying to defend a teammate-but it cost the Bruins dearly as the Isles tied it with a goal by center Brock Nelson on the ensuing power play. His 10th goal of the season came at 16:18 and it was assisted by center Jean-Gabriel Pageau and center Mathew Barzal. It was a textbook passing play that resulted in a one-timer that Bruins goaltender Jaroslav Halak (26 saves, 5-2-3) had no chance to stop.  

    Up until that tying goal for the Isles, Boston had done most everything right. They led 1-0 on David Pastrnak's power play goal at 19:32 of the first period. Pasta's team-leading 11th goal of the season (and his 400th career point in the NHL) was assisted by Marchand and defenseman Matt Grzelcyk. It was a rare long range tally for Pastrnak who was near the blue line when he fired a low shot that seemed to take a slight deflection off an Islander skate. Scoring has been a major issue lately for Boston as they've notched one goal or less in three of their last four games, is that bad? Isles goaltender Semyon Varlamov (32 saves, 12-4-3) stopped everything else including a remarkable save on struggling Bruins center David Krejci (0 goals this season) who basically had an open net but couldn't find it as Varlamov made a brilliant diving stop on his rebound attempt. 

    These tilts with head coach Barry Trotz and the Islanders are always a grind and that showed again as Boston outshot New York 12-8 in each of the first two frames before the Isles took over late (9-4 in the 3rd period). The B's outshot the home team 5-2 in overtime but they couldn't end it there. They only needed a standard three-round shootout as New York scored twice (Jordan Eberle and Anthony Beauvillier) while Pasta had the lone goal for the Bruins. The good news is that the Black and Gold return home for a two-game set against the Rangers (10-11-3 overall, 5-5-1 on the road) starting on Thursday (7, NESN) and ending on Saturday afternoon (1, NESN). Boston is 3-1 against that New York club this season. Goalie Tuukka Rask didn't make the trip to Long Island (lucky him) since he looked like he tweaked something in his back in Sunday's ugly shutout loss vs. the Devils (8-11-3) so hopefully he'll return to the ice for the Bruins who could really use a win or two, something to feel good about during this slide.

Tied Going Into The 3rd Period, The Bruins Epically Collapse Vs. Isles & Fall To 0-3 Against NY In 2021

 

    What is it about the Islanders (10-6-3) that has caused so many problems for the Bruins (11-4-2) early this season? For the third time in 2021, Boston visited Nassau Coliseum and they left with an ugly 7-2 loss that dropped them to 0-3 against New York during this campaign. Things looked promising as Boston scored first and then tied it at two in the second period before falling apart in Celtics-like fashion in a trainwreck of a final frame. The B's have only lost four times in regulation so far this season and three of those have come against the Isles. Boston will get five more chances (including four at TD Garden) to beat New York but regardless of how those turn out, this is not a club that they want to see in the playoffs. 

    Left wing Nick Ritchie staked Boston to a 1-0 lead just 1:02 into regulation. Like most of his goals, this one came by sitting next to the net and simply re-directing a pass. Defenseman Jakub Zboril and center Charlie Coyle had the assists on Ritchie's seventh goal of the season. 1-0 was the only lead of the night for the Bruins and it fittingly didn't last long as New York defenseman Adam Pelech put in a rebound at 3:16 to tie it (his 1st goal of the season was unassisted) and center Mathew Barzal sniped a shot past Bruins goaltender Jaroslav Halak (30 saves, 4-2-1) at 12:39. Defenseman Nick Leddy and goaltender Semyon Varlamov (34 saves, 9-4-2) had the assists on Barzal's seventh goal of the season. 

    Boston had the lone goal in the second period as right wing Craig Smith worked his way into New York's defensive zone and tried to feed it in front to rookie center Jack Studnicka but the puck instead deflected off an Islanders defenseman's stick and past Varlamov. Smith's fourth goal of the season came at 11:36 and it was assisted by right wing Jake DeBrusk and rookie Urho Vaakanainen. The Isles aren't known for an explosive offense but you could have fooled me with their absurd third period barrage of five unanswered goals. It all started when left wing Anthony Beauvillier stole the puck from rookie left wing Trent Frederic close to Halak and used a backhander to put in the go-ahead goal at 5:41. Another odd-man rush led to an insurance tally for the home team as right wing Jordan Eberle beat Halak up high at 10:45. His eighth goal of the season was assisted by Barzal and left wing Anders Lee. The wheels officially fell off for the Black and Gold at 12:24 as center Jean-Gabriel Pageau got a shorthanded breakaway and put the puck through Halak's five-hole. His eighth goal of the season was assisted by Pelech and it gave the Isles a 5-2 lead as Halak understandably smashed his stick (and broke the blade off) against one of the helpless goal posts. 

    Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy had no choice but to leave Halak out to dry since Boston has a game tomorrow (7, NESN) against the Rangers (6-8-3) at Madison Square Garden and he already confirmed before tonight's game that Tuukka Rask would start in NYC. Lee and BC's Oliver Wahlstrom-the rare Maine native in the NHL-rounded out the scoring for the Isles. The Bruins have dropped three of their last four games overall so the Rangers feel like the perfect antidote to help them get back untracked. The B's also take on the Rangers in a rare Sunday afternoon matinee (12, NBC) so hopefully they can win both installments just like they did two weeks ago in the Big Apple. The Rangers are 3-5-2 at home while the Bruins are 6-3-2 on the road after tonight's defeat in Long Island.

For Some Reason, The Islanders Have Been Kryptonite For The B's In Their Two Games In '21

 

    Sports are weird in the sense that every season there are certain opposing players and teams that always give you fits, even if they're not that good (like the Pistons with the Celtics). The Islanders (6-4-3) have proven to be a major thorn in the Bruins' (10-2-2) side thus far in 2021. Tonight at Nassau Coliseum, New York beat Boston 4-2 which prevented the Bruins from sweeping their three games in New York this week (after winning twice in NYC vs. the Rangers). The loss snapped the Bruins' five-game win streak and also handed them just their second regulation loss of the season. Ironically enough, the Isles were the team to beat Boston that other time too. This looked like the last game of a road trip for the B's since they were outshot 42-30, they allowed a power play goal and a shorthanded goal plus goaltender Tuukka Rask (38 saves, 6-2-1) gave up a weak goal that shouldn't have gone in.

    The good news for the Black and Gold is that they will have six more cracks at the Isles, including four matchups at TD Garden before the playoffs start this spring. This evening began on a high note for the Bruins as left wing Brad Marchand fired a shot past Islanders goaltender Semyon Varlamov (28 saves, 6-2-2) at 8:41 of the first period. Center Patrice Bergeron found him with a sweet backhand pass while right wing David Pastrnak had the second assist on Marchand's team-high ninth goal of the season. New York only trailed for less than three minutes as center Jean-Gabriel Pageau went to the net and was able to put in a rebound at 11:36. Defenseman Ryan Pulock and right wing Leo Komarov (fresh off not being clamed on waivers) provided the assists on JGP's third goal of the season. The Islanders took a 2-1 lead at 15:16 as right wing Jordan Eberle's shot from distance leaked through Rask's five-hole. Eberle's sixth goal of the season was assisted by center Brock Nelson and defenseman Scott Mayfield but he really should have been thanking Boston's goalie for letting that innocent shot go in. 

    The first line for the Bruins provided all of their offense (which is hardly ever a good thing against a decent opponent) because Bergeron tied it up with assists from Marchand and Pastrnak at 16:51 of the second period. Bergy's goal-scoring tends to come and go at times which is why it's nice to see him get off to such a good start this season in that department. Boston played the last two periods with five defensemen after Jakub Zboril left in the first period with an upper-body injury and he never returned to action. Not to throw out all the possible excuses at once but keep in mind that the B's were also playing in the second game of a back-to-back after a rare Friday contest last night at MSG. The Isles sure looked like the more rested club in what crazy NESN Bruins announcer Jack Edwards likes to call "winning time." Center Mathew Barzal absolutely destroyed a one-timer from the slot at 5:30 of the third period for what turned out to be the game-winning goal-his sixth tally of the season. Left wing Anders Lee and Eberle notched the assists on Barzal's cannon that went top shelf giving Rask no chance to stop it. Pageau clinched it with a shorthanded goal at 14:32 after Boston fumbled with the puck trying to get their power play set up. New York briefly had a 2-on-1 and Komarov led JGP with a sweet saucer pass that he was able to corral and put in the net. 

    Thanks to another team's Covid-19 outbreak, the Bruins will hopefully reap the reward of a mini-break since they were scheduled to meet New Jersey (4-3-2) on Monday at the Garden but the Devils haven't played since January 31. They are hoping to get back to work on Thursday (7, NESN) against the B's in Boston, fingers crossed that it happens. The B's get tomorrow (Valentine's Day) off and then they will practice on Monday at Warrior Ice Arena in preparation for NJ. Head coach Bruce Cassidy and his coaching staff used their unexpected time off last week (when Buffalo couldn't play) wisely since the Bruins won the next two games against the Rangers.

Without Pasta, B's Are Boring & More Importantly Not Good As They Got Blanked 1-0 By The Isles

 

    In sports, there aren't many worse combinations than being dull to watch and also not very successful overall as a team or player. We just suffered through such a season this past fall with the Patriots (7-9) who stunk and made it tough to view all of their torturous games. We are only three outings into the season for the Bruins (1-1-1), so I'm going to try my best not to overreact-especially when their most gifted goal-scorer (David Pastrnak) by far is still out and recovering from off-season hip surgery-but man, this has already been a slog in less than a week of action. After a shootout win in their opener at the Devils (1-0-1) followed by an overtime loss to New Jersey, they concluded their road trip tonight at Nassau Coliseum with a brutal 1-0 loss to the Islanders (2-1). 

    You've probably heard this a couple times but I'll keep harping on it until it changes: Boston still has not scored an even-strength goal in nine periods plus nearly two full overtime sessions. It's the first time since March 2007 (the brief Dave Lewis era!) that they have gone three games in a row without a 5-on-5 marker. After two power play goals in the first contest followed by a shorthanded tally in the rematch, they bottomed out on Martin Luther King Day as Islanders goalie Semyon Varlamov (27 saves) set a new franchise record with back-to-back shutouts to start his 2021 campaign. The shots on goal total doesn't look that bad, after all they had 10 more than the Isles, but only a few of them even tested Varlamov at all. Boston had entered this tilt 18-2-1 in their last 21 road games against New York and with the win, the Islanders snapped a 10-game home losing streak to their temporary divisional foe.

    The only Bruin that deserved a little better fate from this forgettable matchup was goaltender Tuukka Rask (16 saves) who lost his first game of this pressure-packed contract year. Boston seems to give up a breakaway every game these days and while he was equal to that, he couldn't stop a stellar individual piece of skill by center Jean-Gabriel Pageau. This had all the excitement of a scoreless soccer game (Liverpool-Manchester United yesterday?) until the former Senator batted the puck out of mid-air after defenseman Adam Pelech's shot deflected off Bruins center Patrice Bergeron's stick. Fellow defenseman Ryan Pulock had the other assist on Pageau's first goal of the season at 15:51 of the third period.

A one-goal deficit for the Bruins with that little time left in regulation feels like a three-goal or four-goal lead with the way that they are finding it impossible to find the back of the net. They pulled Rask at the end for an extra skater but you knew that it would not matter one bit. Their power play went 0-for-3 but their penalty kill was 5-for-5 (a flawless 13-for-13 this season) so it was a mixed bag for Boston's typically solid special teams. Wasting over two hours of our collective lives watching this terrible product was annoying enough but the loss felt like a punch to the gut coupled with the fact that the B's potentially face a serious injury to another key player. Defenseman Matt Grzelcyk (who was called for interference) got tangled up with winger Jordan Eberle (who was called for tripping) early in the third period and he fell down awkwardly to the ice. It was impossible to tell what he hurt (hand, arm, wrist, ribs, oblique, groin?) but it was clearly serious since he never returned to play and head coach Bruce Cassidy didn't have any update after the game which tends to be a sign that it's more than a usual bump or bruise. Ugh. 

       The best thing for this team is that they return home and get a day off tomorrow to recharge their batteries and figure out how they can produce more offensively. Boston's next four games are all at TD Garden: two against Philadelphia (2-1-0) begin on Thursday (7, NESN) followed by two vs. Pittsburgh (1-2-0) starting next Tuesday. The Bruins' next road game is not until January 30 when they travel to DC to face the Capitals (2-0-1) and their first reunion with former B's captain Zdeno Chara. I have no idea when Pasta is returning but it's not soon enough. Jake DeBrusk was the latest black hole that got a one-game audition on the top line with Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron and while he was better than rookie Jack Studnicka and Anders Bjork, that is not saying much. Regardless, the Flyers and Penguins are both known to play a more exciting brand of hockey than the Devils and Islanders so maybe that will inject some energy into Boston's currently lifeless skates.

Karma Has Caught Up to the Bruins Over the Last Few Weeks As They Drop Another Winnable Game

When the Bruins (21-7-8) got off to such an unexpectedly great start to this season, one of the main reasons was that they kept finding ways to pull out wins and points from games that they probably should have lost. The exact opposite has happened lately as they have lost seven of their last eight games, including a 3-2 setback to the Islanders (23-8-2) in a shootout tonight at TD Garden. By the way, can the B's just refuse to play in overtime (where they are 2-3 this season) or especially in shootouts (where they fell to an unfathomable 0-5 in 2019-20)? Anything past regulation for them seems like a waste of their time.

Like their 4-3 overtime loss to the Kings (15-18-4) on Tuesday that kicked off this four-game homestand before Christmas, the Bruins dominated the Islanders in terms of shot attempts (62-45) but putting them on net was another story as they had 19 blocked and 14 missed the net so they only registered eight more shots on goal (29-21) than New York. Furthermore, Boston scored first as Anders Bjork had a wrist shot that went top shelf on Semyon Varlamov (27 saves, 12-3-2) at 1:58 of the first period. Charlie Coyle (his first point in 8 games) had the lone assist on Bjork's fifth goal of the season. The B's nearly doubled their lead as Danton Heinen's redirect on a power play went off the post. The teams combined for a sleepy seven shots on goal (4-3 Isles) in the first 20 minutes, yawn.

The low-scoring, tight-checking style favored the Islanders and they grabbed a lead with a pair of goals in the second period. Old friend Johnny Boychuk tied it with a blast from the point (I'm assuming that NESN's maniac announcer Jack Edwards called it a Johnny Rocket for old time's sake) that beat former teammate Tuukka Rask (19 saves, 13-4-5) at 3:26. Jordan Eberle and Anders Lee had the assists on Boychuk's second goal of the season. Varlamov made two huge stops in that frame, including a spectacular diving glove save on Bjork's one-timer followed by a save on Jake DeBrusk's breakaway. As those things seem to often go in hockey, New York took advantage on the other end as Mathew Barzal ripped in a sweet cross-ice feed from Boychuk (his first multi-point game of the season, because of course) at 18:26. It was Barzal's team-leading 14th goal of the season.

Boston has been a great third period team so far this season and this evening was no exception. Boston's power play had been 0-for-3 but when they got a two-man advantage, they came through with a pretty goal by Torey Krug. David Krejci and David Pastrnak (3 goals, 4 assists in his last 6 games) provided the helpers on his fifth goal of the season. There was a scary moment for everybody involved when Patrice Bergeron's errant skate (he was falling to the ice) appeared to graze Cal Clutterbuck's wrist. The rugged Islanders fourth line winger quickly skated off the ice and went down the tunnel to their dressing room. After the game, New York's excellent head coach Barry Trotz reported that Clutterbuck went to the hospital "to get stitched up."

For all the excitement that was mostly lacking in the first 60 minutes, overtime made up for it despite not featuring a game-winning goal for either club. Brad Marchand wheeled around New York's net but his shot was stopped by Varlamov and he later had a backhander skid wide. Pastrnak also crushed a patented one-timer from the slot that Varlamov had to look behind himself to find but he had stopped it. On the other end, Lee was stopped by Rask after a nifty feed from Barzal. Quinnipiac's Devon Toews had a breakaway in the closing seconds but the puck rolled off the defenseman's stick.

The Isles might not score a ton of goals but they have plenty of skilled guys who obviously thrive in the overtime (6-2) and shootout (3-0) formats unlike the Bruins. Eberle and Barzal both scored on New York's first two attempts before Rask stopped Josh Bailey's possible game-winner. For Boston, Coyle hit a post, Pastrnak scored but then Marchand was stuffed to end it. I'm sure that some frustration is naturally creeping into the heads of many Bruins. They have been playing in all these close games lately but coming up on the wrong end of most of them. Surprisingly, it isn't hurting them in the Atlantic Division standings where they still sit 11 points ahead of second-place Buffalo (16-13-7) and 12 points ahead of third-place Tampa Bay (17-12-4) who has three games in hand.

At the moment, the Predators (16-12-6) are two points behind Calgary (18-14-4) for the second Wild Card in the Western Conference. They are also six points behind Dallas (20-12-4) in the loaded Central Division so the Wild Card is probably their best bet into the playoffs this season. Saturday's meeting with Boston is the finale of Nashville's four-game road trip before they head home to host Arizona (20-12-4) on Monday. The Bruins have their own first-place team looming on Monday-the Capitals (24-6-5)-so that contest should be quite meaningful to both teams. Nashville lost 5-4 in overtime in Ottawa (15-18-3) earlier tonight so they were no doubt disappointed in that result and will want a better performance vs. Boston. And yes, Patriots-Bills starts at 4:30 on Saturday afternoon meaning that you'll need to get B's-Preds up on your computer unless you are a master of the remote control.

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The B's Cap Off Another Memorable Day In Boston Sports History With A 3-1 Win Vs. Islanders

Today was one of those special days in life when basically everything was perfect: global warming blessed Boston with temperatures in the low 60s as the city celebrated the sixth Super Bowl title for the Patriots with another Duck Boat parade. That would be more than enough for most places but in addition to that, the Bruins (29-17-7) put a bow on top of this unforgettable Tuesday with a 3-1 victory against the Islanders (30-16-6)-the leader of the Metropolitan Division who entered as the hottest team in the NHL. Oh and B's legend Patrice Bergeron celebrated his 1000th game by scoring two goals, fittingly the first and last one of the contest.

Coming off of Sunday's 1-0 shutout in Washington (29-18-6) which snapped a soul-crushing 14-game losing streak to the Capitals, Boston was able to prove that was far from a fluke. Tuukka Rask (28 saves, 16-8-4) extended his point-streak to 10 games (8-0-2) with another excellent effort against a high quality opponent that is sure to make the playoffs this spring. After an awesome pregame ceremony with a ton of Patriots (including owner Robert Kraft and Super Bowl 53 MVP Julian Edelman who spiked the ceremonial faceoff), the B's sputtered in the first period as they went 0-for-3 on the power play.

Islanders goaltender Robin Lehner (24 saves, 16-8-4) is having a career season and he kept it scoreless with some unbelievable saves. Boston made it 1-0 early in the second period as Bergeron was able to poke in a rebound after Lehner stuffed David Pastrnak (5-game point streak). Brad Marchand had the second assist on Bergeron's 17th goal of the season at 2:32. New York started to dominate possession and create a ton of scoring chances later in the frame but Rask was able to hold them off until Jordan Eberle flipped in a power-play tying goal at 16:40. Mathew Barzal and Brock Nelson had the assists on Eberle's 12th goal of the season.

The Islanders appeared to go ahead early in the third period as Cal Clutterbuck of all people finished a beautiful passing sequence with a snipe past Rask. Luckily for the B's, they challenged it for being offside and that proved to be the right call so it remained 1-1. Goals have been an issue lately for the Black and Gold along with secondary scoring which is why it was great to see rookie Peter Cehlarik tally the game-winning goal at 6:34 of the third. He whiffed on the initial chance and still didn't get a ton of mustard on the second shot but Lehner couldn't keep it out of the net as the puck trickled over the line. Kevan Miller snapped a 13-game scoreless stretch with the lone assist on Cehlarik's third goal of the season.

Matt Grzelcyk got called for two separate penalties on the same play (tripping and slashing) meaning that Boston had to kill off what added up to a double-minor (4 minutes) on him. They did not get burned by New York's mediocre (ranked No. 26 in the league) power play again. Once Lehner left for an extra skater in the final minutes, you knew how this would end: with a Bergeron empty-netter. The way that actually transpired was a pretty cool moment as Pastrnak could have scored on the empty net himself but instead he left a drop pass for the trailing Bergeron-a beautiful sign of respect for one another. Marchand of course started the play and recorded the other assist on Bergeron's 18th goal of the season at 19:05, 3-1 Bruins.

After this tilt, Boston headed for New York to face the Rangers (22-22-8) tomorrow night (8, NBC Sports) at Madison Square Garden. Jaroslav Halak (13-8-2) has lost in his last three appearances and he's 4-4-0 in his last eight decisions so he could really use a win. Remember, New York won 3-2 here on January 19 aka the game when Rask suffered a concussion. New York is not a good team at this juncture but they always seem to give the Bruins a tough game regardless of their record. If you give any credence to stats, the B's have some favorable ones heading into this matchup: they are 7-1-1 this season in Game 2s of back-to-back sets and 6-3-1 in Game 3s when they have three games in four nights. Boston returns home on Saturday afternoon (1, NESN) to face the worst team in the Western Conference-the Kings (22-27-4). As always, Beat LA!

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Bruins Win Their 1st Shootout of the Season, 2-1 vs. Islanders Thanks to Marchand, Rask & Donato

With a lineup that has been absolutely decimated by injuries, odds are that the Bruins (14-7-4) aren't going to set the NHL on fire in terms of goal-scoring anytime soon. However, Bruce Cassidy's mentally tough group still keeps finding ways to win as they showed in Thursday's 2-1 shootout victory vs. Islanders (12-9-4) at TD Garden. Tuukka Rask (6-4-2) made 29 saves-including six in overtime-as Boston outlasted New York in its first shootout appearance of 2018-19.

Rask's comeback story is an easy one to identify (even if we'll never know what the real issue for him was) but these two points were also courtesy of rookie forward Ryan Donato who was recalled from Providence on Wednesday. In his first game with the B's in nearly a month (10/30 at Carolina), he managed to score the lone goal for either side in four rounds of the shootout.

As you would expect from a tilt that featured only two goals in 65 minutes of action, there really wasn't too much to talk about from regulation and overtime. Anders Lee had the goal for the Isles that made it 1-0 at 12:17 of the first period. Rask stopped the first shot from last season's Rookie of the Year Mathew Barzal but left the rebound on the doorstep for the Notre Dame product to knock it in for his eighth goal of the season. Defenseman Scott Mayfield had the second assist on what turned out to be New York's only real highlight of the contest.

Both teams only had one power play for the entire game and while the Bruins were able to hold off the Islanders terrible power play (ranked 24th in the NHL) in the second period, the same couldn't be said for Boston's excellent man-advantage (ranked 3rd in the NHL) which cashed in its only chance a few moments later. Torey Krug started the play but David Pastrnak did most of the leg work by beating an Islander in their offensive zone then dishing a backhand pass right on the money to Brad Marchand who smacked in the one-timer at 12:09 of the second. It was Marchand's seventh goal of the season, fittingly also his first in the past seven games (how much does he miss his best buddy Patrice Bergeron?).

The B's probably should have won without needing overtime or a shootout as they outshot the Isles 34-23 through three periods. Still, Barry Trotz's (it's so weird to see him leave the Capitals for this middling franchise) team dominated the extra session as they outshot the home team 6-2 but couldn't convert on two breakaways. New York even had a goal waved off (and held up under review) after one of their players interfered with Rask in the crease. For a team that's seen many similar calls go against them this year, the Black and Gold were happy that at least that one didn't flip on them.

Barzal, Brock Nelson, Valtteri Filppula (playing in his 900th NHL game) and Josh Bailey were all stopped by Rask in the shootout. Jake DeBrusk and Pasta couldn't beat Lehner while Marchand failed at his opportunity to end it. No matter as Donato ended a long night (that began with Rick Middleton's #16 going to the rafters) with a nifty (get it?!) backhander along the ice. The Garden was not nearly full anymore when that happened (it was a school night after all) but those that stuck around were treated to a nice moment for a local guy trying to make his mark.

Saturday night (7, NESN) will already be the third meeting of the season between the Bruins and Red Wings (11-11-3). Boston destroyed them 8-2 here on October 13 then fell 3-2 in overtime in Detroit on the night before Thanksgiving. No matter who is in or out for the B's, I still feel confident that they can find a way to beat the mediocre at best Wings. Boston defensemen Brandon Carlo (upper body) and Charlie McAvoy (concussion) appear close to returning and it sounds like the former could play against Detroit.

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Don't Look Now Gang but the B's Improved to 8-2-0 in Their Last 10 Games After a 3-1 Win vs. NYI

Now that the Bruins (14-9-4) finally have close to a full roster back, something is becoming abundantly clear: they are actually a good team. They hosted a quality opponent at TD Garden tonight-the Islanders (16-10-3)-and came away with a playoff-like 3-1 win. Boston is 8-2-0 in its last 10 games, tied with Washington (18-11-1) and Vegas (18-9-1) for the best current stretch, keep in mind that Los Angeles (19-8-3) has won seven games in a row and they just began their game this evening vs. Carolina (11-10-6) so they could top all of them by the end of the night.

Bigger picture, none of this would have been possible without Tuukka Rask (7-8-2) remembering who he was and how he could still consistently perform in the NHL. He was named the first star of the game after making 30 mostly routine saves. He has won his last four starts and in the last five games (he appeared in relief for Anton Khudobin on Monday in Nashville), he has allowed just five goals with a 1.10 goals against average and .955 save percentage. As Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy alluded to after the contest, the Black and Gold are at their best when Rask brings his A-game.

After a sleepy and scoreless first period, Bruins rookie Jake DeBrusk brought some energy to the Garden as he dropped the gloves for his first NHL fight with Islanders forward Casey Cizikas. Charlie McAvoy had been rocked by a clean Cizikas hit which still led to DeBrusk taking exception to it. Somewhere his dad-former NHL goon Louie DeBrusk-must have smiled and cracked his burly knuckles. New York had come in 10-0-0 when they scored the first goal so the Bruins were smart to grab the first tally. Brad Marchand (5-game point streak) scored a somewhat weak power play goal that Islanders goaltender Jaroslav Halak (30 saves) should have squeezed his pads tighter on. Torey Krug and David Pastrnak (8-game point streak) assisted on Marchand's 11th goal of the season.

Between an instigator penalty, not to mention his fighting major and 10-minute misconduct, DeBrusk had to ride an exercise bike in the Bruins' locker room for an excessive amount of time. No worries though as he potted a huge insurance goal at 6:45 of the third period. With his back to the Islanders goal, he spun around and fired a hard, high shot for his sixth goal of the season. Just like before, Krug and Pastrnak had the helpers. All that was missing from a Gordie Howe hat trick was an assist but sadly, it would have to wait for another time. Rask looked poised to notch his second shutout of the week but New York scored right after a power play had ended for them. Anders Lee (17th goal of the season) tapped in a feed from Josh Bailey (27th assist!) & gifted rookie Mathew Barzal at 16:52 to cut it to 2-1 B's. Rookie Danton Heinen sealed it for Boston with an empty-netter at 19:18, his sixth goal of the season was assisted by Patrice Bergeron (5 assists in his last 4 games).

There were two interesting penalties called on the Bruins in the third period: Marchand was tagged with a five-minute major for interference on his Team Canada homie John Tavares and David Backes apparently head-butted Andrew Ladd which also resulted in an obscure five-minute major. Marchand's hit was high and pretty iffy so given his checkered past with dirty plays, I wouldn't be surprised if he hears from the league about it. As far as Backes, nobody (outside of the refs) really noticed what had transpired along the boards and needless to say, that would be very out of character for a tough but honest player like himself.

This is a very favorable stretch for the Bruins in terms of tons of home games (6 of their remaining 10 tilts in December are here) where they currently own a 9-4-2 record. They earned a day off from practice tomorrow and they'll be back at Warrior Ice Arena for practice on Monday as they get ready for Wednesday's (8, NBC Sports) "Rivalry Night" matchup in Detroit (11-13-5). The Red Wings are still the definition of mediocre so that's a contest that they should win. On Thursday (7, NESN) they host the Capitals which promises to be a much harder battle. They close out next week against the Rangers (16-11-2) on Saturday (5, NESN) at the Garden. After such a turbulent start to the campaign, the B's are settling in nicely as a team and the mix of so many young guys and notable veterans is beginning to yield many positive results.

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