After Going 0-5 Vs. The Bruins, The Sabres Finally Beat Them 6-4 Behind Sam Reinhart's Hat Trick

 

    I'm not going to say that the worst team in the NHL was due for a win but the Sabres (13-28-7) found a way to beat the Bruins (27-13-6) for the first time this season, 6-4 this evening at the KeyBank Center. The loss snapped Boston's season-high six-game winning streak and also their bid for a perfect campaign against Buffalo (now 5-1 with 2 games left to play). It wasn't B's goaltender Tuukka Rask's night (24 saves) either as he got pulled early in the third period and backup goaltender Jaroslav Halak made his first appearance since April 3 after he tested positive for Covid-19. Boston won on Tuesday and last night as well in Buffalo so it's tough to be too hard on them, still any loss to the Sabres these days is a really bad one. 

    Center Patrice Bergeron was a last-minute scratch for the B's with a foot injury (from blocking a shot on Thursday), that meant that BU's Charlie Coyle took his spot on the top line. Boston actually scored first before Buffalo buried them with a barrage of five goals in a row. Defenseman Steven Kampfer made it 1-0 in favor of the black and gold with a snipe off the post and in at 2:15 of the first period. Left wing Taylor Hall and Rask provided the assists on Kampfer's second goal of the season. After going 0-for-11 in the previous two tilts this week against Boston, Buffalo's power play went 2-for-3 tonight. Center Sam Reinhart tied it with a power play tally at 15:40. Defenseman Rasmus Dahlin and left wing Victor Olofsson had the assists on Reinhart's team-leading 18th goal of the season. 

    Things started to fall apart for the Bruins in the second period as Dahlin made it 2-1 at 6:54 (his 5th goal of the season was assisted by center Riley Sheahan and left wing Tobias Rieder) then center Casey Mittelstadt put the Sabres up 3-1 at 14:17. UConn's Tage Thompson and rookie defenseman Mattias Samuelsson (1st NHL point) picked up the helpers on Mittelstadt's ninth goal of the season. It only got worse for the B's early in the third period as Buffalo continued to pour it on. Rookie right wing Arttu Ruotsalainen gave the Sabres a three-goal lead (something I'm sure they have not experienced too often this season) at 1:14. Center Dylan Cozens and Samuelsson had the assists on Ruotsalainen's fourth goal of the season and his second in two nights. That's when Rask's outing was over and things didn't start much better for Halak since Reinhart got another power play goal at 4:30. 

    That's when Boston mercifully remembered who they are (and who the Sabres are) because they rattled off three straight goals to briefly cut it to a one-goal game (5-4) late in the third. Left wing Nick Ritchie scored his 12th goal of the season at 12:06 (assisted by Kamper and right wing Jake DeBrusk) and it was also his second game in a row with a tally after he had gone 13 consecutive games without one. Defenseman Kevan Miller scored his first regular season goal since December 2017, cutting it to 5-3 at 15:25 (Kampfer and left wing Sean Kuraly notched the assists on that one). I have to admit that I thought Buffalo would blow it when left wing Taylor Hall's attempted pass deflected into the net past rookie goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (36 saves) who was making his NHL debut. Hall famously had just two goals for Buffalo this season and that was already his third in a Bruins uniform with defenseman Charlie McAvoy and center David Krejci registering assists on that goal at 17:12. Boston had plenty of time left to tie it but they couldn't and it was over when Reinhardt put in an empty-net goal at 19:18. 

    I can't imagine how badly that the Bruins wanted to get out of Buffalo after spending at least the past four days there. Their reward is a trip to Pittsburgh (30-14-3) where they will meet the Penguins on Sunday afternoon (3, NBC) and then the rematch on Tuesday (7, NESN). Boston is 4-2 against Pittsburgh in 2021 so this two-game set will close their season series. The Pens are three points ahead of the B's while Boston has a game in hand. If they want to have a chance to catch them, they can't afford to get swept. Conversely, if the Bruins can win both games, the East Division will be complete chaos down the stretch.

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. 

B's Save What Otherwise Was A Rough 24 Hours for Boston Sports Fans With a 3-2 Win vs. Buffalo

The Celtics (22-8) getting waxed 113-97 last night at TD Garden by the Raptors (22-11)-only their second home loss this season and revenge for their beating in Toronto on Christmas-was one thing but seeing the Patriots (12-4) crap themselves this afternoon at Gillette Stadium and falling 27-24 to the hapless Dolphins (5-11) thereby throwing away a bye and the No. 2 seed in the AFC playoffs was downright shocking. Nobody nationally will ever feel bad for Boston sports fans with the unmatched run of success that all of our teams have had in the past few decades but at least locally, we needed a win. Thankfully, the Bruins (24-7-9) were happy to oblige with one of their favorite longtime punching bags-the Sabres (17-16-7)-in town. It was harder than it had to be but Boston held on for a 3-2 win, their third in a row overall and second in three days vs. Buffalo.

The Bruins improved to 3-0 vs. the Sabres this season with sadly only one more meeting left: March 13 in Buffalo. Additionally, the B's built their Atlantic Division lead back to double-digit points, in this case 10 points ahead of second-place Toronto (21-14-5) just one game away from exactly halfway through the regular season. Boston coasted to a 3-0 victory in Buffalo on Friday thanks to the 50th career NHL shutout of Jaroslav Halak's (9-3-4) career. This evening, Tuukka Rask (15-4-5, 24 saves) got the start and while he wasn't as sharp as Halak had been, he still managed to outduel Linus Ullmark (11-10-3, 19 saves) who oddly enough played in both games while backup goaltender Carter Hutton rotted on the bench.

It was a strange game for the B's who are now 14-1-8 at the Garden. They were outshot 7-2 in the first period yet led 1-0 after the first 20 minutes of action. David Pastrnak staked his team to a 1-0 advantage with his NHL-best 29th goal of the season at 12:39. Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron had the assists as Bergy started the play by winning a puck battle along the boards and pushing the disc ahead to Marchand who skated in with Pasta on a 2-on-1. Pastrnak roofed a beautiful wrist shot past the diving Ullmark. Victor Olofsson hit the crossbar for Buffalo in the first period, a theme for the Sabres as Curtis Lazar also rang a shot off the crossbar late in regulation.

Buffalo got a lucky bounce to tie it at one at 6:37 of the second period. Rask stopped Rasmus Ristolainen's initial shot but Zdeno Chara ended up putting the puck in his own net as he hit it off the back of Rask's skate. Sam Reinhart and former Bruins playoff hero Marcus Johansson had the assists on Ristolainen's fourth goal of the season. Jake DeBrusk was benched in the first period by Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy for lack of hustle (failing to attempt to block a shot) but he responded with a pair of power play goals that were ultimately the difference in the final outcome of the contest. Torey Krug is on IR with an upper-body injury and Charlie McAvoy has also missed the last two games with what I suspect is a concussion so Steven Kampfer has received some rare consistent playing time in the NHL. Credit to him for making the most of it with his first two-point performance in almost nine years (he had a goal and assist on Jan. 13, 2011!). He took a shot that DeBrusk re-directed for his 10th goal of the season at 2:37 with Pasta getting the second assist. Just 18 seconds later, Ullmark gave up a brutal goal as DeBrusk's attempted centering pass actually snuck in the near post that old Linus wasn't up against tight enough. David Krejci and Kampfer had the assists on DeBrusk's second tally.

The Bruins have had trouble recently closing games out on home ice but this time, they were able to get it done in regulation without the need of their worst enemy: overtime and/or a shootout where they are hopeless in both. Of course, there were some nervy moments as Lazar put in a loose puck to cut it to 3-2 at 5:08 of the third period. Rask gloved the first shot but the puck popped loose nearby where Lazar was able to take advantage of that mistake. Boston survived a tripping penalty by bum Brett Ritchie in crunch time. This was another two points where Boston's special teams units carried them with not only DeBrusk's two power play goals (Sabres PK is #28, is that bad?) but their penalty kill was a flawless 3-for-3 (granted Buffalo's PP is #19 in the NHL).

Connor Clifton left in the second period with an upper-body injury of his own but Cassidy didn't think it was too serious. I also saw McAvoy talking in the hall after the game so he's probably not too far off from returning to action. There is only one game left in 2019/this decade for the Bruins which seems crazy to say: Tuesday afternoon (1, NESN) at terrible New Jersey (13-19-6). Thankfully they don't have to spend New Year's Eve in Newark which sounds like the script for a cheesy late-night horror movie on Cinemax. Boston's next home game is also their first of 2020-Thursday (7, NESN) vs. Columbus (17-14-8). They also host Edmonton (20-17-4) on Saturday afternoon (1, NESN) so hopefully the Patriots Wild Card home game (talk about an oxymoron) is either that night or on Sunday. Either way, this is a forgiving stretch against four non-playoff teams in a row (5 games since they played Buffalo back-to-back) which should help the Bruins rack up points. Let me be the first to tell you (albeit a few days early), Happy New Year!

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Boston Scores Four Unanswered Goals In The Third To Take Game 1 of ECF, 5-2 vs. Carolina

There are only four teams left in the NHL playoffs and like it or not, your Bruins are unquestionably the team to beat (sorry Sharks) for the Stanley Cup. Boston began the Eastern Conference Final tonight at TD Garden with a spirited 5-2 victory against the upstart Hurricanes who truth be told nobody thought would be here entering the postseason. It wasn't nearly as easy for the B's as the final score would indicate, they actually trailed 2-1 entering the third period which made them reverse their 0-3 record when trailing heading into the third in the playoffs while the Canes were 3-0 when leading after two.

Emerging star defenseman Charlie McAvoy was suspended for Game 1 due to his hit on Columbus' Josh Anderson in Game 6 of that series so Steven Kampfer came into the lineup after only playing one game this entire postseason (Game 3 vs. Toronto). That also meant that rookie Connor Clifton slid up to the top defensive pairing with Zdeno Chara. Hockey has a funny way of finding unlikely heroes and wouldn't you know that Kampfer potted the first goal of the contest at 2:55 of the first period. Marcus Johansson started the play by taking the puck from Justin Faulk in Boston's defensive zone then holding onto it for a second in Carolina's defensive zone before he slid a backhand pass to Kampfer. The journeyman defenseman beat Petr Mrazek (23 saves) with a low and hard shot for his second career playoff goal.

Carolina had swept the Islanders in the second round so they had a few extra days off but that didn't appear to make them rusty. Sebastian Aho tied it just 47 seconds later after he tipped in a pass from rookie Andrei Svechnikov (aka the poor guy that Ovi knocked out in the 1st round) for his fifth goal of the playoffs. Jordan Staal had the second assist on Aho's ninth career goal in 10 games against the Bruins. The Hurricanes outshot the Bruins 10-8 in the first but the underdogs from the Dirty South began to dominate in the second. Their lone lead of Game 1 came on a tight call: fourth line center Greg McKegg (haha great name, he must love the suds) drove the net like you read about and ran into Tuukka Rask (29 saves) which caused the net to come off its moorings. The good news for Carolina and its five fans that were at the Garden, the puck actually crossed the goal line before McKegg made contact with Rask. McKegg's second goal of the playoffs was assisted by Jordan Martinook and Michael Ferland, his fellow fourth-liners.

Dressing room speeches between periods are overrated but whatever was said by Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy and his players before the third period couldn't have been more effective. Boston's top-ranked power play flexed its muscles with a pair of goals 28 seconds apart early in the frame: Marcus Johansson cleaned up a loose puck at 2:26 then Patrice Bergeron finished a pretty passing sequence from Brad Marchand and Jake DeBrusk. Johansson's third goal of the postseason was assisted by Marchand and David Krejci while Bergeron's goal was his sixth (tying David Pastrnak and Charlie Coyle for the team lead). Goals in spurts was a theme all night as Boston shut the door on Carolina with an empty-netter then breakaway 11 seconds after that. Coyle was credited with the empty-netter at 17:47 after Brandon Carlo's clearing attempt deflected in off his body then Chris Wagner picked up his first playoff goal and point as a Bruin with a sweet move on Mrazek.

Boston improved to 53-49 all-time in Game 1s of best-of-seven series while Carolina dropped to 10-13 all-time in Game 1s. The Bruins' win streak was extended to four games while they simultaneously ended the Hurricanes' win streak at six games. Here's a crazy stat: the Canes allowed as many goals tonight as they gave up in all four games combined vs. the Islanders. Looking forward to Game 2 on Sunday afternoon (3, NBC), the Bruins are 32-19 in Game 2s when they lead a series 1-0 while the Hurricanes are 5-6 in Game 2s when trailing a series 0-1. Finally, Boston is 36-16 all-time in best-of-seven series when they lead a series 1-0 and Carolina is 5-6 all-time in best-of-seven series when they trail 0-1. It's all about momentum in the playoffs and the B's split the first two home games vs. Toronto and then Columbus so going up 2-0 on Carolina would be a dream that would put a smile on your mom's face (don't forget that Sunday is Mother's Day you dopes!).

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Name a Better Boston University Product In the NHL These Days Than Jack Eichel, You Can't!

Massachusetts is not California, Texas or Florida when it comes to grooming professional athletes so while we have a noted advantage when it comes to hockey players (it's cold here for roughly 8 months out of every year), it is still pretty cool to see a hometown guy doing very well at the highest level. Enter Chelmsford MA native and BU one-and-done Jack Eichel who seems to always save his best for when he plays the Bruins. Tonight he had two goals and two assists as Buffalo (20-9-5) doubled up Boston (17-12-4) 4-2 at TD Garden. It's not just the fact that he had a hand in every goal for the Sabres but Eichel did it in a manner befitting a superstar such as himself: two incredible assists, a snipe of a goal and an empty-netter to clinch it. Are you not entertained, Massholes?

After winning three games in a row, the B's had a bummer of a weekend as they lost 5-3 at Pittsburgh (15-11-6) on Friday and followed it up with another zero-point performance. Boston had 67 shot attempts (37 on goal, 14 blocked, 16 missed net) to just 40 for Buffalo (27 on goal, 8 blocked, 5 missed net) so besides Eichel, the Sabres can thank Jeff Skinner (2 goals), Sam Reinhart (2 assists) and Peanuts star Linus Ullmark (35 saves, 7th win of the season) for the victory that split the season series at one game apiece with two more meetings to come.

The Bruins never led in the entire contest but you can't say that they didn't have a good chance as Ryan Donato drew an ultra-rare penalty shot late in the first period. He was hauled down on a breakaway but he slipped taking the penalty shot and Ullmark was able to stop his shot anyway. Things picked up in the second period as Skinner scored his team-leading 23rd goal of the season at 3:18 thanks to a sweet pass from Eichel behind the net. No. 1 pick and defenseman Rasmus Dahlin (who is only 18-years-old) had the second assist. You'd be hard-pressed to find a better offseason pickup from last summer in the NHL than Jeff Skinner's trade from Carolina to Buffalo. Two minutes later, Steven Kampfer scored his first goal since his return to Black and Gold as he ripped a shot past Ullmark from Joakim Nordstrom and David Backes. Boston seemed to go up 2-1 late in the frame as Brad Marchand brushed in a loose puck but for some reason, the play was whistled dead before the puck had gone in the net. It was reviewed with the refs concluding after a lengthy delay that it was no goal since it couldn't be reviewed to begin with. Haha OK cool guys, thanks for completely wasting our time.

At the start of the third, Danton Heinen was absolutely robbed by Ullmark who did a full split to make the save. Torey Krug went to the dressing room after taking a puck to the face, something which later happened to Kampfer as well. Eichel's lucky 13th goal of the season came at 5:43, assisted by Reinhart and Dahlin. Krug answered with a goal of his own at 13:21. David Krejci (6-game point streak) did his best Eichel impression with a great feed that led to Krug's slightly mishit but still effective one-timer. His third goal of the season was also assisted by Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson (anothe much lesser known BU guy). Buffalo's go-ahead goal came via an eerily similar play by Eichel and Skinner: this time Eichel used a backhander to Skinner for a one-timer that gave him the same amount of goals that he had last season in 48 more games with the lowly Hurricanes. Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy did all that he could do-calling a timeout and pulling Rask for an extra skater-but all that happened was Eichel clinched it with an empty-netter at 19:35.

The B's have no time to feel bad for themselves as they are in Montreal (17-11-5) tomorrow night (7:30, NESN) for a huge game with the Canadiens. The winner will be the top Wild Card team in the Eastern Conference while the loser will drop (or in Boston's case remain) in second-place. Jaroslav Halak (9-5-2) figures to get the start for the Bruins who are 1-1 vs. Montreal this season. It'll be Boston's third game in four nights and second half of a back-to-back but at least then their next game isn't until Thursday (7, NESN) vs. Anaheim (18-11-5) at the Garden. The B's haven't been great on the road (6-8-4) but they had perhaps their best road win of this campaign at the Bell Centre: a 3-2 triumph on November 24 thanks to John Moore's game-winner/the only goal of his Bruins career.

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Home Sweet Home: B's Perfect Start at TD Garden Continues (4-0-0) with a 3-0 Shutout of Flyers

The Bruins (6-2-2) hadn't played at TD Garden in nearly two weeks and they were returning from a bumpy road trip to Western Canada (1-1-2) but you wouldn't know that by the workman-like routine beating of the Flyers (4-6-0) 3-0 this evening. With the win, Boston extended its overall point streak to eight games over Philadelphia (6-0-2) while its home point streak vs. the Flyers is even two games longer (9-0-1).

If you've been paying attention in the early going so far this season, you know that "backup" goaltender Jaroslav Halak has greatly outplayed "starter" Tuukka Rask for Boston. Halak's impressive start to his Bruins career continued as he made 26 saves in his second shutout of the season (the 44th of his NHL career). Zdeno Chara scored two goals, Jacob DeBrusk had the other tally and rookie defenseman Jeremy Lauzon made his NHL debut. All in all it was a fun night for the Black and Gold as they celebrated "Hockey Fights Cancer."

After a dull first period that featured no goals and both teams could only muster seven shots on goal apiece, the Captain got the party started as Chara's blast from the point found a hole through Flyers goaltender Brian Elliott (22 saves) at 13:00 of the second period. Danton Heinen had the lone assist on Chara's second goal of the season. Coming into the game, Boston's power-play unit was ranked sixth in the NHL while Philadelphia's penalty-kill unit was 30th (next to last) in the entire league. Predictably, those trends came to life as DeBrusk's goal at 17:28 of the second was of the power play variety. David Krejci provided a pretty saucer pass that DeBrusk was able to deflect in for his third goal of the season. Oddly enough, he doesn't have any assists yet this year and his other two goals both came in the same contest (10/13 vs. Detroit). Forced into duty with Kevan Miller and Charlie McAvoy out, Steven Kampfer had the secondary assist on DeBrusk's goal which also marked his first point as a Bruin since Jan. 24, 2012 (he's been gone for a long time).

Things got sketchy in the third as Philadelphia was called for six penalties and Boston had four. Kampfer kinda sorta fought Scott Laughton, twice in fact. The first time, Wayne Simmonds came over in the late going and punched Kampfer but somehow only got two minutes for roughing. Chara's second goal was technically on the power play but it always feels a little dirty to say that since it was also an empty-netter (with 22.9 seconds left in regulation). Halak completed his Tour De Force performance with the lone assist on Chara's end-to-end bomb (he shot the puck from his own end boards)-his first point as a Bruin.

Montreal (5-2-2) was expected to be one of the worst teams in the NHL in 2018-19 but as you can tell by their record, they're off a surprisingly solid start (despite tonight's 4-3 loss in Buffalo). With a 7 pm start on NESN this Saturday night at the Garden, the first installment of B's-Habs this season will mostly go up against Game 4 of the Red Sox-Dodgers World Series (8:09 1st pitch) which is a shame. Keep in mind (for your remote) that the hockey game will be going on while you suffer through the endless commercials on Fox during the baseball game. With Halloween right around the corner, it'll be nice to have to Coach Potato Head (aka Claude Julien) back in town. Say hi to Handsome Ralph if you see him in the streets.

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The Boston Bruins Make Two Trades Right Before The 2012 NHL Trade Deadline

Just like last season, the Boston Bruins swooped in at the last second to make two minor moves before the NHL trade deadline ended at 3 p.m. ET this afternoon. Let's hope that today's deals can have an impact like last season's (Rich Peverley and Chris Kelly) and the same end result: another Stanley Cup in June for the Black and Gold.

The B's acquired forward Brian Rolston and defenseman Mike Mottau from the New York Islanders in exchange for prospects Yannick Riendeau and Marc Cantin (neither of whom I'd ever heard of).

In the other trade, the Bruins dealt defenseman Steven Kampfer to the Minnesota Wild for defenseman Greg Zanon.

Non-Pink Hat Bruins fans will remember Rolston fondly. He previously played in Boston from 1999-2004 (338 games) and he has scored 20+ goals seven times in his career. At 39-years-old and in his 17th NHL season, he is quite long in the tooth but he can still skate (always one of his biggest assets) and he's an excellent penalty killer capable of playing all three forward positions.

A native of Flint, Michigan, Rolston has played in 1235 NHL games on five teams (Devils, Avalanche, Bruins, Wild, Islanders). In his career, he's totaled 339 goals and 407 assists with his best season coming in 2005-06 with the Wild: 34 goals, 45 assists (both career-highs). Good piece of trivia: he was part of the Ray Bourque deal to Colorado with Rolston going the other way-to Boston.

With Peverley out with a knee injury, I think you can count on Rolston basically taking his spot. He provides veteran leadership and experience plus he won a Cup with the Devils back in 1995. This year, he has four goals and five assists in 49 games on a garbage team.

Mottau is also familiar to hockey fans in New England since he's from Avon, MA (he must be one of the only pro athletes from Avon) and he went to Boston College. He was a stud for the Eagles, winning the Hobey Baker award (top college hockey player) in 2000 under Jerry York.

At 33-years-old, Mottau's pro career never took off like most expected with him bouncing between four teams (Rangers, Flames, Devils, Islanders). He's dealt with concussions and numerous injuries. This season with the Islanders, he had two assists in 29 games (he was activated on Sunday).

Zanon is the possible gem of the bunch, in the Dennis Seidenberg mold of a defensive defenseman. He was second in the NHL last season in blocked shots (212) so he figures to play right away with Johnny Boychuk out with a minor concussion. Both him and Mottau are left-handed shots which is something Boston had coveted for the playoffs when Seidenberg and Zdeno Chara will certainly be reunited. In 432 career games between Minnesota and Nashville, Zanon has 11 goals and 43 assists.

Kampfer was a victim of a number crunch and bad luck as far as injuries go. He showed promise last season but when this one started, he could never get on track (he kept getting hurt) and other guys passed him. He's young, mobile and a good player so hopefully he finds his place for the Wild-a more middle of the pack franchise. If nothing else, the original Bruins tweeter will be missed for his social media aptitude.

To make room for these three new players, who are all expected to suit up tomorrow night as the Bruins host the Ottawa Senators, Boston sent down three players to Providence: defenseman Andrew Bodnarchuk and forwards Carter Camper and Max Sauve. Of the three, I thought Bodnarchuk was sent down yesterday and I didn't know Sauve was around. Camper made a nice first impression in a very short first taste of NHL life. He'll be back.

In the NHL as a whole, there were no big trades made. Columbus swapping Jeff Carter for Jack Johnson from Los Angeles last week went down as the biggest move while today was especially slow and tedious. By staying the course and believing in what they've built the last few seasons on Causeway Street, the Bruins have set themselves up for another memorable spring. All three of these new players were very low risk and odds at least one or two of them will fill a hole and prove valuable almost immediately.

UPDATE 2/28: Rolston and Mottau are expected to play tonight for the Bruins vs. Ottawa while Zanon should make his B's debut on Thursday vs. New Jersey.

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Milan Lucic Suspended For One Game (Tonight), Bruins Recall Kampfer, Caron

Well Bruins haters who claim that the Black and Gold are "above the law" for their various borderline hits should be pleased today, as the NHL announced that they are suspending Milan Lucic one game (tonight vs. Montreal) for his hit on Flyers winger Zac Rinaldo.

Lucic, who has only been suspended once before, for his crosscheck to the face of Maxim Lapierre boarded Rinaldo during Saturday's 6-0 rout of the Broad St. Bullies, sparking a brawl that saw Nathan Horton dropping the gloves. Lucic was later served a five-minute major and a ten-minute major which ended his day prematurely.

It is unclear if Lucic will appeal the suspension.

Lucic, who has 24 points in 31 games this season, recently came under fire for railroading Sabres goalie Ryan Miller back on November 12. He was not suspended for the hit, which drew sharp criticism from Buffalo head coach Lindy Ruff as well as the usual suspects of Bruins haters (shout out to Pat Hickey at the Montreal Gazette).

On first glance and subsequent replays, I didn't see a major problem with the hit, but I guess sending a message to a now repeat offender like Lucic is what discipline czar Shanahan is going for. At least it's only one game.

In other Bruins news, the team has announced that they have recalled Steven Kampfer and Jordan Caron once again, after sending them down to Providence on Saturday. It was a measure taken to give the healthy scratches some game action.

Gregory Campbell (foot) looks like he could be a go versus Montreal tonight, as he was one of nine bruins who participated in the Bruins morning skate. He will likely be a game-time decision.

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Kampfer & Caron Go To Providence, Meaning Big Z Returns on Saturday?

You have to feel bad for Steven Kampfer and Jordan Caron.

They are both NHL-caliber players that would play for many teams around the league but since they are on the defending Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins, it's a constant battle for them just to find ice time on a stacked roster.

The Providence Bruins have games on Saturday and Sunday so Boston sent Kampfer and Caron down to their AHL affiliate with the thought that they'll play big minutes in both contests.

In 13 games with Boston so far this season, Caron has a goal and two assists. In seven games with Boston, Kampfer has one assist. These guys are almost always the healthy scratches so anytime they get a chance to have a starring role it is a good thing. They're very young and if Boston sticks with them, I think they can both be solid contributors in a year or two.

The trickle down effect of this likely means that Boston Bruins superstar defenseman Zdeno Chara should play on Saturday afternoon in Philadelphia against the Flyers after missing the last two games. Earlier today, Chara practiced for the first time since injuring his knee against Columbus last Saturday. He will be a game-time decision for tomorrow's monster showdown between the top two clubs in the Eastern Conference.

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Well Maybe The Los Angeles Kings Aren't Doing So Hot After All

I thought I'd get a jump on a little Bruins-Kings preview, mostly because tonight has to be one of the slowest sports night of the fall/winter (one NHL game/Rams-Seahawks on MNF, no college hoops on TV) and Los Angeles (13-12-4) is arriving in Boston as a mess.

Kings head coach Terry Murray was fired today and replaced by assistant John Stevens. LA is not exactly setting the NHL on fire, they're currently 12th in the Western Conference but only three points behind Dallas and Phoenix atop the Pacific Division.

More knowledgeable hockey sources than myself, namely my buddy @twolinepass of Yahoo Sports fame, said in a Tweet today that Murray was axed since Los Angeles spent to the cap and had higher expectations, meaning somebody had to pay for their slow start.

The Kings are not short on talent with a goaltender like Jonathan Quick (2.10 GAA, .931 save percentage, 4 shutouts), defensemen Jack Johnson and Drew Doughty with forwards Anze Kopitar (10 goals, 18 assists), Mike Richards (11 goals, 9 assists but on IR), Justin Williams (4 goals, 13 assists), Simon Gagne (7 goals, 8 assists) and Dustin Brown (5 goals, 10 assists) among others.

Bruins captain Zdeno Chara was feeling better today although he didn't practice and he doesn't expect to play tomorrow night either at TD Garden. Boston plays at Ottawa on Wednesday and at Philadelphia on Saturday afternoon before coming home to face Montreal on Monday. If all goes well with Chara's leg, I expect he'll return either Saturday or Monday. Steven Kampfer will play in Chara's place after being a healthy scratch for weeks.

The B's are 4-5-3 in the 12 regular season games that Chara has missed during his career with the Black and Gold. You could never question his dedication since in Boston he played 80 games in '06-'07, 77 in '07-'08, 80 in '08-'09, 80 in '09-'10 and 81 in '10-11. That's why it was such a big deal when he mysteriously missed Game 2 of the Canadiens series last spring cause he had a virus/was dehydrated. Big Z will never be mistaken for J.D. Drew or Josh Beckett, who always look for an excuse to sit out a game or 10.

Daniel Paille returned to practice today from his mild concussion suffered last Thursday against Florida. It sounds like he'll return tomorrow night while Gregory Campbell missed practice and likely won't suit up tomorrow against the Kings after he took a puck to the foot against Columbus on Saturday. Zach Hamill was called up from Providence on an emergency basis and he'd take Soupy's spot if he can't go.

It'll be interesting to see who gets the start in goal for the Bruins since you could make a case for either one. Tim Thomas looking for redemption after getting pulled on Saturday or Tuukka Rask, who pitched a one-period shutout. Regardless, I'm sure whomever starts against the Kings will sit the next night against the Senators because the Bruins are hopping on a flight directly after the game tomorrow.

Another note from today: Brad Marchand was fined $2500 by the NHL for his tripping incident in the Penguins game last Monday.

UPDATE 12/13: Rask will get the nod tonight while Thomas is slated to play tomorrow night in Ottawa (a team he typically owns). Chara and Campbell are out tonight while Campbell-who has some type of fracture in his foot-has already been declared out for tomorrow night too. Chara will travel with the team. Daniel Paille will be a game-time decision tonight at TD Garden, given the other injuries I'd guess that he'll go (assuming his head is OK) with Hamill centering the fourth line.

Paille is back in, Jordan Caron is the healthy scratch.

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Busy Thirsty Thursday For The B's: Krejci Extended Through 2014-15 Season

A day after scoring a goal and assisting on two others against Toronto, David Krejci signed a three-year extension ($5.25 million per season) today which keeps the Finals standout in Black and Gold through 2014-15.

Krejci, who has missed some time this season, has 13 points in 20 games and is an overall -2. Still only 25-years-old, Krejci is the latest of the current Bruins to be rewarded with extensions recently as Rich Peverley, Brad Marchand and Adam McQuaid have all agreed to deals since winning the Stanley Cup.

This speaks to the new Bruins philosophy of developing talent in a set system, breeding them into solid NHL players and locking them up before they get a chance to test the free agent waters.

The entire hockey world saw what Krejci did last in the postseason. Shit if it wasn't for Tim Thomas, Krejci would probably have his name on the Conn Smythe right now. Let's face it, the Bruins are doing as good a job as I can remember balancing the need to build for the future while winning in the present.

And with each potential cornerstone player they resign, that championship window isn't closing anytime soon. Krejci can be maddeningly inconsistent in the regular season but there's no arguing that he's a big game player that is at his best in the playoffs and in the games that really matter. Plus, other than Tyler Seguin, he has the best offensive skill set on this team and he's a natural center.

In other Bruins news, Thomas received the NHL's number 1 star for his perfect November (9-0-0, 1.76 goals against average and .941 save percentage) while Steven Kampfer and Jordan Caron were sent down to Providence. They're expected to be in the Baby B's lineup tomorrow night. This only means that Boston's front office wanted them to get some playing time; they'll probably be back to TD Garden although it will be in the Press Box again. Benoit Pouliot is earning his minutes now.

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News & Notes Heading Into Tonight's Bruins Game vs. the Maple Leafs at TD Garden

Tonight marks the first Northeast Division game of the season for the Boston Bruins (2-4-0) as the Toronto Maple Leafs (4-0-1) visit TD Garden for the first of six matchups between the teams.

The Leafs are off to a great start, including their comeback 3-2 shootout win over the Winnipeg Jets last night at home. Former Bruins whipping boy Phil Kessel (7 goals, 5 assists) is playing some of the best hockey of his life; he leads the NHL in goals and points plus he looks more confident than he's ever been (always an issue).

Bruins center David Krejci is 50-50 to return this evening after missing the last three contests with a mysterious core injury. Defenseman Adam McQuaid (neck) has already been ruled out and he'll miss his third straight game. Steven Kampfer will make his 2011-12 debut as Matt Bartkowski has rightfully been returned to Providence after a lukewarm start.

Regardless if Krejci plays tonight or not, B's head coach Claude Julien has chosen to shake up the top three forward lines. Chris Kelly moves up to the first line where he'll center Milan Lucic and Tyler Seguin. Nathan Horton drops to the second line with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand; finally, Rich Peverley will go to the third line with Benoit Pouliot and Jordan Caron. The Fribble Crew-aka the fourth line-of Daniel Paille, Gregory Campbell and Shawn Thornton remains intact.

With an NHL-low 11 goals (1.67 per game when you discount the shootout goal by Seguin), it was time for Claude to make some changes in hopes of injecting some energy into his lifeless and offensively-challenged team.

Tim Thomas is expected to start for Boston between the pipes while Toronto backup goaltender Jonas Gustavsson gets his first action of the season. The B's catch a break there as Maple Leafs youngster James Reimer is one of the best up and coming goalies in the NHL.

UPDATE: Krejci is back, Caron sits in the press box (healthy scratch).

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Steven Kampfer Injures His Knee, MRI Results Await Today

Sad news out of the Bruins-Senators preseason game last night at TD Garden. Defenseman Steven Kampfer suffered a knee injury in the third period and didn't return. I was listening on the radio to the game (while I did a Fantasy NHL draft, haha I'm so cool!) but Dave Goucher and Bob Beers (the excellent B's radio guys) made it sound like it was rather serious.

Kampfer is getting an MRI today but it sounds like at least for now, Matt Bartkowski has won the battle for the seventh spot. It's obviously not the way anyone wants it to happen, through an injury, but that's how it goes in such a physically demanding sport.

From James Murphy's story on ESPNBoston.com
“He suffered a knee injury. Left knee and that’s basically all we have right now for specific details,” Julien said. "He’s going to have an MRI tomorrow so we’ll find out a little bit more on his condition.”

Will the injury to Kampfer decide the race for the seventh defenseman slot?

“I don’t know if it settles it,” Julien said. “We’ll find out tomorrow how severe it is and is he going to be two months or is he only going to be a few weeks? And if he is, then it can still be a battle going on there.”

Julien said he thought both Bartkowski and Kampfer played well Thursday night.

“They’re both pretty good,” Julien said. “Actually, I thought Kampfer was having a real good night skating and moving the puck and [Bartkowski] is still there. There’s some things that I think he has to continue to work on and he’s got good size. He’s a solid skater, but every once in a while he gets caught with maybe not moving the puck quick enough and those are just little things that he has to continue to work on.

"But having said that I like both their games.”

With any luck, it's nothing too serious and Kampfer can get back out there soon to continue his development as one of the Bruins' better puck movers and offensive-minded defenseman.

UPDATE: CSNE reports he sprained his knee in the collision and he's expected to miss 2-4 weeks. Looks like Bartkowski will be with the big club for at least the first few weeks of the 2011-12 season.
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Boston Bruins can't close out a great week with another win over Pittsburgh Penguins, oh well

After coming back to beat the Penguins on Monday, blowing out the Senators on Wednesday and taking an epic meeting with the Flyers on Thursday, the Bruins were due for a letdown at some point.

They actually played decent as they hosted Pittsburgh (28-14-4) yesterday afternoon at the TD Garden but they fell 3-2 as the Bs (24-13-7) couldn't find the net in the third period despite putting 20 shots on Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury (44 saves).

Sidney Crosby was out again (his fifth straight game) with the lingering effects of a concussion and it doesn't take a genius to figure out that the best player in the NHL elevates his team from pretty good to Stanley Cup contender.

Chris Kunitz (from Jordan Staal and Matt Cooke) gave Pittsburgh an early 1-0 lead at 10:57 of the first period.

Gregory Campbell and Craig Adams fought a few minutes later in a solid lightweight bout.

Pascal Dupuis made it 2-0 41 seconds into the second period from Zbynek Michalek and Evgeni Malkin. It's funny to see the Penguins up close after having gotten to know them much more deeply in the excellent HBO series 24/7 featuring them and the Washington Capitals.

Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask (33 saves) had another uneven start; he played well in stretches and Boston didn't lose because of him but when it was over he accumulated yet another loss.

Rookie defenseman Steven Kampfer had his nose broken by either a Dupuis or Zdeno Chara high stick so his day was over early in the second period. That was a factor as the Bruins' defensemen are already short-handed with Marc Stuart and Andrew Ference out.

Boston's power play is atrocious and not surprisingly, they went 0-for-4 and generated few real opportunities. I can't put my finger on why it's so bad since they can score plenty during even-strength. Strange.

Dennis Seidenberg got Boston on the board at 11:28 of the second period with a screened shot that found it's way past Fleury. Shawn Thornton and Campbell assisted. 13 seconds later Michael Ryder tied it up with an absolute snipe that went top shelf, from Marc Savard and Seidenberg.

Staal was the unlikely hero as he scored at 3:25 of the third period, giving the Penguins the game-winning goal with help from Cooke and Tyler Kennedy. Like the other two Pittsburgh goals, it wasn't a thing of beauty but rather hustle and effort from a team that can be scrappy when it has to be.

Boston dominated the third period with a million great chances that did everything but go in. The loss was disappointing but with 46 shots (that weren't all blasts from the point), I can't complain.

The Bs host the Carolina Hurricanes tomorrow afternoon in a Martin Luther King Day matinee. I guarantee that Tim Thomas will be in net so Boston needs to take care of a team that's not particularly good but always seems to give them problems.