(Photo Credit: Steph Phillips)
Tonight the Boston Bruins kept their win streak alive as they earned themselves their fourth-straight victory against the Senators this season and second consecutive victory since March 14-16. While it is easy to jump to conclusions and say the worst is behind us, the fact of the matter remains that despite having two consecutive wins, there are still errors that need to be improved on.
For instance, the Bruins once again gave up the first goal of the game. However, they managed to get the goal back less than a minute later with a slapshot coming from the point from Zdeno Chara that David Krejci would get his hip on to direct it just enough to go past Robin Lehner. The bounce back was and is definitely an improvement and skate in the right direction. If that wasn’t enough to convince you that the Bruins were serious and commited to righting their previous months wrongs, the next goal would. Exactly 61 seconds after David Krejci hip-checked the puck past Lehner, Tyler Seguin and Brad Marchand teamed up for a beautiful set up that left Seguin with a wide open net to shoot into for a one-goal lead half way into the first period.
Patrice Bergeron found a way to beat Robin Lehner as well in the opening frame, but unfortunately the Senators defenseman was in the way and prohibited the netminder from being able to make an accurate save thus cancelling out the goal. While it was a slight buzz kill, the Bruins couldn’t complain about teir first period domination and went into the locker rooms with over 20 shots on net (more than they had in their previous two games after 60 minutes of play) and a one-goal advantage.
The second period provided each team with golden opportunities and a combined 65 shots on net through forty minutes of play, the Bruins pacing themselves for most shots on goal in a game since March 2010 against the Tampa Bay Lightning. While both teams battled through the middle frame the score remained the same heading into the final period, the Bruins needing to find their way without top center-man Patrice bergeron who took an elbow to the head in a battle by the net and did not return.
As the puck dropped to commence the third and final period, the Senators put Anton Khudobin to work. At 1:55 Khudobin sprawled from one end of the net to the other in a Tim Thomas-like fashion and made what looked to the naked eye, a spectacular save. Upon review however after play had since been stopped, it was deemed that the puck had crossed the goal line and hit the back of the net then bounced out, giving the Senators the game-tying goal very early on.
Through the remaining eighteen minutes the Bruins paced the Senators, tallying shot after shot against Robin Lehner, the defense taking away almost every opportunity the Sens attempted. Shortly after a resounding open-ice hit from Dougie Hamilton, Milan Lucic was able to get the puck up to Nathan Horton who heard a loud Woo! from the audience as he lit the lamp and reinstated the Bruins one-goal lead with under ten minutes remaining in regulation. Despite Johnny Boychuk heading to the box in the final 32 seconds of the period for interference and the Senators pulling Lehner for the extra attacker, providing a 6-on-4 opportunity, the Bruins held on. In the first game in a long time the Bruins provided a solidified sixty minute effort and battled their way to victory.
Their next game is scheduled for Thursday where ‘newcomer’ Jaromir Jagr is expected to make his debut in the Black and Gold. The Bruins face off against the New Jersey Devils in hopes of earning another much needed two points in the standings and their third straight victory.
A Cup A Bruin 