My Dream Of A Perfect November Crumbles At The Hands Of The Detroit Red Wings

When I am commissioner of the NHL, I will create the rule that the Boston Bruins must have a home-and-home series with the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks, every season. These Original 6 matchups (to go with the normal Bruins-Rangers, Bruins-Canadiens and Bruins-Maple Leafs) are too juicy to pass up, the fans of these storied franchises deserve those games.

Rant aside, I knew that Boston's (13-7-1) 10-game winning streak would come to an end at some point but since it finally happened, I can't complain much about this afternoon's 3-2 shootout loss to Detroit (13-7-1) at TD Garden.

Todd Bertuzzi had the winning goal in the shootout after teammate Pavel Datsyuk scored earlier and Nathan Horton tied it with Boston's last shot.

It was a hell of a game, really entertaining with superior puck movement, physical play and top notch goaltending, what more can you ask for? Unfortunately, unlike last season where they played twice, this was the only meeting between the B's and Wings in the regular season. You know what that means, they'll just have to meet in June for the Stanley Cup Finals.

Boston outshot Detroit 43-31 and that wasn't misleading as the Bruins dominated play for long stretches of time. The problem was that Red Wings goaltender and former UMaine star Jimmy Howard (41 saves) was on for most of the game and Detroit had leads of 1-0 and 2-1 that Boston had to rally from.

Tuukka Rask (29 saves; 3-3-1) made somewhat of a surprise start but as usual, he acquitted himself well.

After some significant pressure on Howard in the first period, Detroit skated against the tilted ice and Valtteri Filppula (5th of the season) gave them a 1-0 lead at 12:43 after some nice passing from Henrik Zetterberg and Ian White. Filppula tipped in Zetterberg's centering pass from the half boards, Rask didn't have much of a chance to stop it from in close.

Daniel Paille (3rd of the season) tied it at 4:05 of the second period after some great forechecking and a pass from behind the net that came from Horton.

Loyal NHL fans know that Datsyuk is a magician with the puck and he lived up to that moniker with a silly goal just 35 seconds after Paille scored. It was so fast, that the Bruins PA guy hadn't finished announcing Paille's goal. Datsyuk's sixth of the season was assisted by his linemates Bertuzzi and Johan Franzen.

Thanks to a bad giveaway by Zetterberg in his own zone, Patrice Bergeron (5th of the season) pounced on a loose puck and whipped it by Howard at 7:52 in the third period.

Both teams had chances to win it later in the third period and a crazy overtime session. Filppula put a shot over from like a foot outside Boston's net while Zdeno Chara blasted a slap shot that skittered inches wide and Howard stuffed Horton from in close.

With points in 11 straight games, Boston will look to start another winning streak tomorrow night as they host the Winnipeg Jets. I will be in attendance (my first game of 2011-12) and I expect Tim Thomas to get the start. Additionally, I think the B's will get back in the win column and score some more goals against one of the Eastern Conference's worst squads.

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Well the good news is that the next time the Boston Bruins could see the Detroit Red Wings is in the Stanley Cup Finals

Well I'm tired of seeing the Detroit Red Wings skate circles around the Boston Bruins, how about you?

While it certainly wasn't as embarrassing as Friday night's steaming turd at the TD Garden, the Bruins' visit to the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit yesterday afternoon had the same end result: a loss for the Black and Gold.

Detroit (34-16-6) won 4-2, erasing Boston's (31-18-7) 2-1 lead and sending the Bruins home humbled by the Western Conference's second best team. The only good news is that they won't see each other again this season, except if they meet in the Stanley Cup Finals. Haha, and if the Bs make the Finals, we have absolutely nothing to complain about and we'll cross that bridge when we have to.

After sitting for two games to get his head right, Tyler Seguin scored at 1:29 of the first period (his ninth of the season). Blake Wheeler and Michael Ryder assisted on the rookie's nice work in front of Red Wings goaltender Jimmy Howard (23 saves).

Todd Bertuzzi is a bum against virtually every other team in the NHL but not against the Bs when he looks like a world-beater. Bertuzzi had four goals over the two games against the Bruins.

He continued his hot streak, tying it at 6:09 of the first period after Brad Marchand had a terrible giveaway in his own end. Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas (32 saves) had no chance since he was hung out to dry.

Marchand atoned for his gaffe with a power-play goal at 12:17 of the first period (his 16th of the season) from Ryder and Mark Recchi.

Detroit never seems to be rattled, perhaps its because of their endless supply of talent they can keep rolling over the boards. Pavel Datsyuk tied it up at 3:54 of the second period (from Brian Rafalski and Jiri Hudler).

Kris Draper, who has to be about 80 years old, put the Red Wings ahead for good at 12:44. Patrick Eaves and Darren Helm assisted on Draper's goal when he broke loose and Eaves found him through the seam.

Bertuzzi scored his second goal, in the third period at 13:35 and that was that. Johan Franzen and Henrik Zatterberg assisted on Bertuzzi's second tally.

Boston has a good chance to right the ship on Tuesday as they host the hapless Toronto Maple Leafs and Phil Kessel.

So that's what a real hockey team looks like

You have to admire the way that the Boston Bruins never let their fans get too high before quickly cutting them down to size.

I feel like anytime they play a great game, they follow it up with a dud that always leaves you questioning the team.

The latest chapter in this neverending give and take was last night at TD Garden as the Detroit Red Wings made their first visit to Boston since 2008. The Bs never ever play on a Friday night (especially at home) so naturally they treated they're hard-working fans to a diaper full of Indian food.

It was a fun night for Eminem, Kid Rock and all the other miserable souls from that wretched area as the Red Wings (33-16-6) won 6-1 in a game that didn't even feel that close.

To say the Bruins (31-17-7) didn't show up would be too kind. It was easily their worst performance of the season thus far. Tuukka Rask (14 saves) gave up two goals in the first 3:10 and Detroit added three second-period goals in this laugher.

It got so bad that Rask was booed then given mock cheers when he made routine saves. If that wasn't bad enough for his fragile confidence, Bruins head coach Claude Julien mercifully pulled him after two periods.

Henrik Zetterberg (1 goal, 2 assists), Jiri Hudler (1 goal, 2 assists), Todd Bertuzzi (2 goals), Tomas Holmstrom (1 goal, 1 assist), Daniel Cleary (1 goal, 1 assist) and Pavel Datsyuk (2 assists) led the Red Wings, who believe it or not came into town on a skid (losers of three of their last four, outscored 12-4).

Former University of Maine star Jimmy Howard made 25 saves for Detroit in a very quiet night's work.

Bertuzzi scored at 1:10 of the first period from Johan Franzen and Zetterberg. Cleary made it 2-0 on Detroit's second shot of the game at 3:10 from Jiri Hudler and Niklas Kronwall.

Boston's only highlight of the game was David Krejci's first goal in 21 games (his 8th of the season). It was at 17:53 of the first period on the power play with a nifty pass from Milan Lucic, who caught Howard out of position. Zdeno Chara also assisted.

Hudler (from Zetterberg and Brian Rafalski), Zetterberg (on the power play, from Holmstrom and Cleary) and Bertuzzi (from Datsyuk) all scored in the second period.

A third power-play goal, this one from Holmstrom, was the final Red Wings goal in the third period. Hudler and Datsyuk assisted on that one.

I figured it out, the Red Wings are the San Antonio Spurs and the New England Patriots. The robotically efficient teams that are always good but don't get any credit nationally since they're you know boring. It'll be interesting to see how they fare the rest of the season.

More importantly, the Bruins have a chance to atone for last night's stinker when they go to Joe Louis Arena tomorrow afternoon for a rematch with the Red Wings on NBC. Tim Thomas will be in goal to start and I'm guessing Boston will play just a tad better.