Bruins Ready For Playoff Redemption

Much as I don’t like to bring it, there once was a season (last season) when the Boston Bruins were eliminated in the playoffs.  The team that was responsible was the Washington Capitals. Tonight will be the first time the teams will face off since that game 7 once upon a time. After losing 4-3 on Sunday night to the Montreal Canadiens, the Bruins are looking to get back on track and there seems to be no better of a chance to do so then to beat a team that ended their season last year.

Will Bergeron continue his point streak? (Credit: Flickr/Slidingsideways)

Bruins Face Off:
In case you were wondering, the Bruins face-off win percentage is the best in the league at 58%. It helps that leading that is this weeks NHL second star of the week Patrice Bergeron. Bergy has a team best +15 right now and is currently on a four-game point streak. His line along with Tyler Seguin and Brad Marchand has been red hot for the Bruins. Though the team lost on Sunday, this line was on the ice for all three of the Bruins goals scored.

Capitals Comeback:
The Caps are coming off of a shutout win against the Winnipeg Jets and have won the last 4 of 6. Though their record isn’t exactly spectacular, there is still time for playoff contention. After getting off to a rough start, the Caps have surrendered just 18 goals in their last nine games to go 6-3. Braden Holtby will be getting his 10th consecutive start tonight and Bruins fans will remember he was in net for last years playoffs. Three of those games have been shutouts, so Boston should be prepared for some tough goaltending.

Tonights game will be on NESN so thankfully you can have some Jack Edwards and Andy Brickley commentary! Pucks dropping at 7pm and be sure to check back here post game for a recap!

Do or Die: Game 7 Preview

Will Thomas get another Game 7 Shutout? (Credit:Slidingsideways/Flickr)

Tonight it is a do or die situation for the Boston Bruins as they embark on the last meeting with the Washington Capitals tonight at the TD Garden.  Currently the series is tied at three games a piece, exchanging wins back and forth. At the end of tonight’s game one team will advance to the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals while the other will hit the golf course.

For the Bruins, being in a game 7 series is not exactly unfamiliar territory. For Bruins fans, that anxiety that comes from game 7’s isn’t unfamiliar either. Last year’s Stanley Cup run made the B’s the first team to win 3 game 7 series on the route to the top.

“It means you’ve been there and know that you can win, especially as a group – it’s largely the same group with a couple new additions and that’s helpful,” Tim Thomas said of the experience of playing in Game 7s. “But at the same time, you have to go out and put in the work. You want to be the one that comes out on top in Game 7 — you have to be the one that’s willing to pay the price and is prepared to give everything you have that’s left inside of you.”(Via Bruins Official Site)

Unfortunately for the Caps they aren’t as Game 7 lucky, with a 1-3 record in the past four years. But I wouldn’t count them out. They have a ridiculously talented rookie goalie Braden Holtby and a lineup full of shooters. Nicklas Backstrom has 4 points in four games so he’s someone I’d put a target on if I was coach Claude Julien.

Every game so far in this series has been decided by one goal, and I expect tonight’s game to be just as close. B’s fans that are going to the game make sure to keep the energy alive in the T.D Garden. I’ve said it before and I’ll keep saying it BELIEVE IN BOSTON!

Puck drops at 7:30 and for those watching at home you can check it out on NBCSN & NESN!

 

Keep Believing Boston; Game 6 Recap

Seguin scored his first goal of the playoffs when it counted! (Credit:Slidingsideways/Flickr)

Today’s matinee game was do or die time for the Boston Bruins in D.C. after an awful game five finish against the Washington Capitals. Fortunately it was do thanks to an AMAZING overtime goal by Tyler Seguin. Yeah you read that correctly out of six games the two teams have played, three have gone into overtime. This is definitely not good for my health.

Anyway this game went back and fourth literally down to the final buzzer in regulation. A positive that I would like to note is that the Bruins were first to get on the score board five minutes into the first. I was even more happy to see that it was Rich Peverley that got the goal because to me Pevs is one of the most underrated players we have. The Bruins carried that momentum on in the first with another goal from David Krejci. It was good to see players that have been slacking a bit pick up the energy.

But like I said this game was anyone’s win. There were moments that I thought this could be the end of the B’s this season but thanks to my friends and my twitter I kept on believing. Seguin’s goal could not have come to a better deserving person considering he was the leading scorer for the team and was well not scoring thus far in the playoffs.You can relive it here:

The goaltending on both ends has been phenomenal. Tim Thomas and Braden Holtby are literally giving this game all they have and it shows. Between both teams there were 70 shots on net and only 7 went through. Every game thus far has been decided by one goal which is terrifying to watch.

Wednesday is game 7 where both teams will lay it all on the line. For one (hopefully Boston) they will advance to the semi finals. For the other, it’ll be the end of the road.

If you want the Washington perspective on this series, check out VC Chillin.

BELIEVE IN BOSTON!

Bruins Drop the Puck; Game 5 Recap

Marchand scored his first 2012 playoff goal today (Credit:Slidingsideways/Flickr)

Today the Boston Bruins returned home for game 5 of the Eastern Conference Quarter Finals with new lines and new focus. Coming off of a tough loss against the Washington Capitals on Thursday, the B’s look to bounce back and a take a 3-2 game lead. This series literally has come down to one goal decisions in all 4 games because Tim Thomas and Braden Holtby have been brick walls.

The Bruins get the first chance on the power play but considering they were 0 for 12 thus far on the PP I was less than optimistic. And yeah they didn’t do anything with it. Boston is the only time without a power play goal in the playoffs. First period the shots on goal between both teams were 21 however the score was 0-0.

Second period was boring. No goals until 8:14 remained when  Alex Semin got the Caps on the board first. I don’t like to argue goals but moments prior Joe Corvo went down on the ice after the puck hit his knee and there was no whistle. HELLO REFS?! Corvo had to be helped down the tunnel. Not even three minutes later, Jay Beagle gets a shot in off of Johnny Boychuk‘s stick. The Bruins need a goal and they need it now. Unfortunately, Patrice Bergeron headed to the dressing room after a hit to the head. Because Bergy has a history of concussion, things like this make me nervous. Fortunately, he returned soon after and with Corvo.

And then this happened. With 2:39 remaining, Dennis Seidenberg got the Bruins on the board. 28 seconds later Brad Marchand poked the puck past Holtby and friends we have a tied game. Needless to say Marchy is making his presence known on the 4th line.

Third period it’s the Caps who get the lead thanks to Mike Knuble and a lucky rebound. With 11:13 left, Boychuk literally let loose a rocket to tie up the game once again. But that didn’t last. With 1:27 left Troy Brouwer would get the game winner.

And it’s back to D.C. we go…

Increasing the Lead; Game 4 Preview

 

Can Tim Thomas shutout the Caps? (Credit;Slidingsideways/Flickr)

Tonight the Bruins have a chance to get a 2 game lead over the Washington Capitals before returning to Boston for game 5. At the end of game 3, star center Nicklas Backstrom was assessed a one game suspension for a cross check to Rich Peverleys face. This means that the Caps will be without Backstrom for one game and the Bruins should definitely take advantage of that without getting too over confident.

“Obviously the league suspended Backstrom with what they felt was the appropriate amount of games and it’s over and done with,” said Milan Lucic. “With him out of the lineup and with him being a big part of their team, our mindset is that we can’t take them lightly at all.(Via CSNNE)

What the Bruins need to do in order to get the dub is to stay focused for a full 60 minutes. The biggest positive that I noticed from Monday night’s game was the level of physicality. The Bruins  had 58 hits on the Caps in that game and the intensity was definitely noticed. When the Bruins laid down the hits, the Caps responded and their were penalties on both ends.

Though the Caps are missing one of their stars, there are still a few players to target. Obviously Alex Ovechkin is someone to keep an eye out for. And as much as I would rather not praise him, their rookie goaltender Braden Holtby has been more than impressive and basically the Capitals biggest asset right now.

I am more than confident and the B’s and fingers crossed they can carry Monday’s win over and make it a 3-1 series lead. BELIEVE IN BOSTON

 

B’s Capitalize Against Caps; Game 3 Recap

Zdeno Chara scored the game winner for game 3 (Credit:Dinur Blum/ Flickr)

The Capitals may have scored the first goal of the game but it was the Bruins who would get the last and the win. In a series that is turning into WHEN WILL SOMEONE SCORE as opposed to who will win, it was nice to see the B’s get the dub. Tim Thomas made his epic return to DC after the fiasco that was the Bruins white house visit and he was definitely reminded of it thanks to a few clever Caps fans and our presidents face. But like the amazingly talented goalie that he is, Thomas didn’t budge.

Washington didn’t make this game easy. In fact it was so back and fourth that I would literally throw my phone and then have to pick up to tweet my excitement two minutes later. Like I said before, the Caps got the first goal thanks to a power play opportunity towards the end of the first. It was Alexander Semin who got credit for the goal. The B’s wouldn’t score in the first but Rich Peverley would score 38 seconds into the second to tie the game. No sooner did us fans start cheering then Alex Ovechkin would get past Thomas to give the Caps the edge once again.

But that wouldn’t be the end of the scoring. With half the game remaining, Daniel Paille  evened up the game thanks to some smart puck handling and a great rebound off a Greg Zanon shot. To start off the third, Brian Rolston got a BEAUTIFUL rebound past Braden Holtby to give the B’s the lead for the first time in the game. With six minutes remaining, Brooks Laich decided hey I love playing in overtime, let me tie the game again. And so he did. Fortunately for us, we have Zdeno Chara or oh captain my captain on the team and sir steps up when necessary so with less than two minutes to go, he sealed the win with a goal.

The Bruins have off tomorrow and return for game four on Thursday.

Keep Your Hopes Up B’s

Pouliot kept the B's in the game with a goal scored part way in the third (Photo Credit: Steph Phillips)

Yesterday afternoon the Bruins took on the Washington Capitals for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Quarter Final. It was Tim Thomas against the newcomer Braden Holtby in between the pipes for the two teams.  In the first period the issue was decision making and puck possession.  On Ovechkin’s first shift there was a noticeably different approach from him, as he initiated contact with both Chara and Seidenberg, drawing a holding call in the opening minutes.  Thomas was littered with shots from the Caps, but stood tall as the penalty expired and the B’s number one penalty killer escaped the box.  The Bruins did a great job on the penalty kill, but their handling through the neutral zone and five on five situations through the first twenty minutes was horrid, the Capitals shot the puck more at the net in the first twenty minutes of the game (9) than they had through the first forty minutes of game 1.  The best chance of the period came from David Krejci with a side-to-sode attempt in the slot that Holtby was able to get a blocker save on.  The score remained at zero after one with the Bruins holding a 10-9 edge in shots. The key going into the second period:

“Get more bodies toward the net, especially off the neutral zone plays…Making plays we wouldn’t usually make and force plays.”-Tyler Seguin (Intermission Report with 98.5 the Sports Hub)

To begin the second period there wasn’t much change in the tempo as there was extremely slow puck possession from the B’s. Luckily Brad Marchand was being a good little brat and drew a penalty from Hamrlik for a cross-check after some chirping. You’ve got to love the little ball of hate some days for getting the ball rolling with his yapper. Bergeron presented the Bruins with a nice one-timer that trickled JUST wide of the net THROUGH Holtby’s pads. The Bruins were able to maintain possession for the next minute or so before Seguin let Alzner beat him to the loose puck in the offensive zone for a change in direction. As the period drew on, the tempers began to flare as Ovechkin threw his glove/stick in the German Hammer’s face. Shortly after Carlson elbowed Patrice Bergeron in the head and in retaliation, on the next shift Brad Marchand gave Carlson a stick to the face in displeasure, receiving a two-minute minor. With just over two minutes remaining in the period Troy Bouwer twould tuck the puck past Thomas and give the Capitals their first lead in the series with the assists going to Alzner and Ovechkin. The positive side, (if I have to find one) Tim Thomas created a new scoreless record of 161 minutes and 41 seconds.

“We’ve got to make plays and get it deep and not lose it at the blue line..They’re waiting for us to get fancy, we’ve got to put pressure on them, get it deep because they’re opportunistic and their [defense] don’t want to play deep.”-Joe Corvo (Intermission Report with 98.5 the Sports Hub)

As the third period began the Bruins came out looking stronger than ever, creating chance after chance against Holtby who is some sort of God-like beast in between those pipes, robbing Marchand for his 54th save in two games.  However with a little persistence and pressure, Bruins forward Benoit Pouliot would become the hero of the game as he chipped the puck past Holtby to tie the game at 12:13 off of a Brian Rolston shot. The goal would be Pouliot’s first ever playoff goal in 24 contests. Congratulations Pou-Bear! Just think, fourteen months ago Pouliot, Kelly and Rolston weren’t even Bruins and currently they are the only line that has scored. (Pouliot 1G, 1A : Kelly 1G, 1A : Rolston 2A) Though there would be much back and forth action in the third period, this game needed extra time as they headed into sudden death overtime.

“We need more pressure on Holtby.. We have to do what we’re supposed to do..Got to follow the game plan and we’ll be fine” –Brad Marchand (Intermission Report with 98.5 the Sports Hub)

Heading into Overtime this would be the first time the Bruins opened a series with consecutive overtimes since April 16-17, 1980 in the Quarter Finals against the New York Islanders.  In the opening minutes of the extra minutes the Bruins had a great pace and threw insane amounts of shots at Holtby, but there was no breaking him or Tim Thomas for the entire twenty minutes, forcing a double overtime. The issue for the Bruins being, they weren’t crashing the net for the rebounds. Sadly it wouldn’t be much into the double OT that Nicklas Backstrom would slap one past Thomas to give the Capitals the win and tie the series as the Series travels to the Nation’s Capitol.

The Bruins put forth a great effort against the Capitals today and it really comes down to scoring. The Bruins need to keep constant pressure on Holtby and crash the net for rebounds.  Their long shots and fancy plays aren’t going to cut it against this team. The next game is Monday night at 7:30pm EST on CBC,NBCSN,NESN or you can listen to the game on 98.5 the Sports Hub.

 

Maintaining the Momentum; Game 2 Preview

Will Chris Kelly have another big game? (Credit:Slidingsideways/Flickr)

The Bruins are looking to carry over Game 1’s win on Thursday with another win today at home while the Washington Capitals are trying to split the series and build up some momentum of their own. Despite having 30 shots on net, the Bruins only managed to get one overtime goal past Braden Holtby, the rookie goalie making his NHL playoff debut. Not going to lie, I was VERY impressed with Holtby. On the other end, I was just as impressed with Tim Thomas. Thomas looked like the same goalie as he was during last year’s cup run and that’s a very good sign.

In game 1, Washington had a very strong defensive game which is in part why the Bruins weren’t able to make any of their shots on net count up until overtime. What they need to work on is their offense. The Capitals only managed 17 shots on net in the entire game. The Bruins capitalized on puck possession for 50 minutes of the game. In fact the only time I was really worried was the final ten minutes, when the Caps managed a random spurt of energy.

The lack of offense from the Caps was due to the B’s bringing the defense. Zdeno Chara and Dennis Seidenberg  were on Alex Ovechkin the entire game. I was impressed by how well they held Ovechkin through out the game.

I think both teams have their share of things to work on . Obviously scoring goals is one of those things. I think the team that scores the first goal today will be very important.

Puck drops at 3pm and you can catch the game on NBC. BELIEVE IN BOSTON!!

Know Thy Enemy

Braden Holtby poses as the number one problem for the Bruins (Photo Credit:L kkthemook/Flickr)

Last night marked the first playoff game of the season for the Boston Bruins and Washington Capitals. Prior to the match up, there was speculation against the Bruins based on their heavy hitters and the like for Alex Ovechkin. After watching the first game, here are some conclusions that can be drawn up as well as what needs to improve for Boston.

The top priority last night for the Bruins was to shut down Alex Ovechkin and deny him any time or space with the puck, because it is a well known fact that when Ovechkin has the puck, he is dangerous. Through sixty one minutes and eighteen seconds of play Ovechkin only managed to post one shot on net in just under eighteen minutes of ice time. Dennis Seidenberg and Zdeno Chara did a phenomenal job contending the Caps leading goal scorer and if they bring that same effort to every game, there is no reason why the Bruins can’t take this series.

While they executed Operation: Shutdown Ovechkin, to a tee, their defense was slacking. They provided the Capitals with too many chances in the offensive zone throughout the third period, having issues clearing the puck. Thank the Lord Stanley that Tim Thomas was on his game last night.

Once the Bruins maintained possession of the puck, they did a fairly decent job of putting it where it belonged, outshooting the Capitals by a large margin and having seemingly high scoring opportunities. However, their downfall came from rebounding, or lack there of. I can only recall a handful of times where the surrounding forwards crashed the net. For a team like Boston, that has a lot of blue line or top of the key shooters, they need to remember to crash the net and bang in the rebounds. The majority of their goals come from deflections or rebounded shots. Perhaps the best opportunity of the night came from an opportunity between Chris Kelly and Benoit Pouliot, with Pouliot charging to the net as Kelly threw it in front.

If the Bruins are able to maintain control of the puck through the neutral zone and set up plays, their execution will be flawless. They need to get forwards like Milan Lucic set up in front and Shawn Thornton, bigger guys that can block the goaltenders view, in order to create more traffic.

As for the Capitals, I have to note that their first-game goaltender Holtby was spectacular. He ultimately kept the Capitals in the game last night, proving he deserved to be between the pipes. In my opinion, I say keep the youngster in net, he posed more threat to Boston and rattled them that he was so confident. However, this is the only props that I will give to the enemy. Well, that and their ability to kill a six minute penalty kill, because for a team that was ranked 25th in the League for their PK abilities, that’s pretty impressive. For more insight on this match-up you can head on over to VC Chillin‘, for a Washington Capitals perspective. You can applaud her efforts in trying to make the Capitals out to be a better team.

Boston’s MVP vs. Washington’s Rookie; Game 1 Preview

TIm Thomas will get the start tonight! (Credit:Slidingsideways/Flickr)

Tonight in the Bruins net will be last year’s playoff MVP and Venzina winner Tim Thomas. In the Washington Capitals end will be Braden Holtby making his NHL playoff debut. You would think this alone should indicate the odds being in Boston but I wouldn’t count out the Caps.

“Timmy’s a great goalie,” Boston forward Chris Kelly said Wednesday, “but the minute you start thinking you have advantages over teams, I think you’re setting yourself up for trouble. … We need to be at our best in order to have success, regardless of who they have.”(Via Bruins Official Site)

The Bruins hold the number 2 seed in the Eastern Conference while the Capitals are number 7 but regular season wise it was the Caps that got the 3-1 game edge over the B’s. 21 year old Holtby played in none of those games. He’s up against a goaltender with 17 years on him in the form of Timmy the tank. The Bruins will do what they can to test the rookie and if our offense is up to par we should be good because defensewise the Caps are lacking. In regular season they were in the bottom three of penalty killing, defense, and goals allowed.

Washington however has an explosive offense that needs to be stopped. I’ve already pointed out operation shut down Alex Ovechkin and though he is the leading scorer on the team, he is not the only one that the B’s need to watch out for. Alex Semin, Jason Chimera, and Nicklas Backstrom are just a few more names the Bruins should be weary of. But we’re not called the “Big Bad Bruins” for nothing so if the Capitals want to have a chance of making it to the net they’re going to have to make it past Zdeno Chara, Milan Lucic, and Shawn Thornton just to name a few.

Lets not forget that the Bruins have home ice advantage during the series and us Bruins fans are some of the most passionate fans in the world. So whether you’re going to the game tonight, or watching it from home be loud and proud and represent your black and gold like there’s no game two!

“All our focus is focused on Game 1 and Game 1 only.”said Milan Lucic (Via Bruins Official Site)

The puck drops tonight @ 7:30 on NBCSN. For live twitter action during the game check out @Aerys_NHL. LETS GO BRUINS!!!!

And just to get everyone in the mood….