Nothing says playoff hockey like a Sunday matinee game right? Well today the Boston Bruins took on the New York Rangers in Game Two of the Eastern Conference Semi Finals at the TD Garden. The B’s went into this game holding a one-game edge over the Rangers and looked to pick up another win. Neither team would change their lineup from Game One and it would be Tuukka Rask versus Henrik Lundqvist in net.

Torey Krug had another big game for the Bruins today! (Credit: Flickr/ Steph Vail)

5:28 into the first, the Bruins would get on the board. Torey Krug would score his second playoff goal in his second playoff game for the B’s. Krug is the 4th Bruins to score goals in first two playoffs goals among the ranks of Cooney Weiland, Don Gallinger, and current Bruins Tyler Seguin. At 8:01 Ryan Callahan would tie up the game on a beautiful deke off a Bruins turnover. There’s no one to blame for that goal but that turnover. The Rangers would get two chances on the power play in the first but they weren’t able to use the man advantage. And here I am thinking the Bruins have the worst power play unit.

Within the opening minutes of the second period, Gregory Campbell would get the Merlot line on the board for his first of the playoffs. Krug would get the assist on that goal and I think it’s safe to say this kid is legit. But just 56 seconds after the B’s goal, the Rangers would fire back. Rick Nash would notch his first of the playoffs and we’d have a tied game once again. With 7:52 left on a 4-on-4, Johnny Boychuk would give the Bruins the lead once again with a rocket shot high-glove on Lundqvist. After all the shots on net Boychuk had during Game One, it’s good to see him score. This is Boychuks third goal in postseason and once again is proving how HUGE the B’s defense has been in scoring thus far. As the second period came to an end, the Rangers lead the Bruins with shots on net 27-21. However, it’s the Bruins leading the game 3-2.

In just 26 seconds, the Bruins managed to open the third period with a goal. Brad Marchand would make it a 4-2 off yet another perfect pass from Patrice Bergeron. These two should always be on the same line, ALWAYS! Marchy now has four points this season (2g, 2a). The goal also marks the first time in 32-career games VS Boston that Lundqvist has allowed more than 3 goals in a game. Milan Lucic would make it a 5-2 game with 7:21 off a David Krejci shot. It looked like Krejci would get the rebound off of Looch pass, but number 17 would get the rebound. The Rangers wouldn’t come back from the 5-2 deficit and the Bruins would take Game Two.

The Bruins are now two games away from the Eastern Conference Finals. All three rookies registered points for the Bruins today and Coach Julien will have some decision making to make once the injured veterans come back. But for now we can celebrate another win for the Bruins.

Game Three is Tuesday night in New York.
BELIEVE IN BOSTON!

The Boston Bruins Game 7 Eastern Conference Quarterfinal Game against the Toronto Maple Leafs was a thing of history after the B’s overcame a 4-1 deficit to take the game in overtime. Anyone that follows Boston hockey knows never to stop believing in the team and it paid off.

Will Barkowski have another huge game tonight? (Credit: Flickr/ Slidingsideways)

Now we’re in the semifinals facing off against the New York Rangers in what is sure to be another spectacular series. With the Bruins having the higher seed in standings, they once again have home ice advantage and with that the fans of the TD Garden. Tonight is Game 1 in Boston.

It’s expected that it will be Tuukka Rask versus Henrik Lundqvist in net. Yes that means the B’s will have to get back Vezina winner and goalie god Lundqvist but it’s doable. King Henrik has a career 1.67 goals against average and .943 save percentage in 30 career games against the Bruins. Six of those games have been shutouts. He is also currently on a series shutout streak of 120 minutes because in the Rangers last series against the Washington Capitals he didn’t allow goals in either Game 6 or 7.

Noticeably absent from Bruins scoring during the first series was both Brad Marchand and Tyler Seguin but it’s not for lack of shots on net. Out of all players in the NHL, Seguin had one of the most shots on net during round one. Unfortunately none of them were able to register for goals. If Seguin wants to score he’ll need to figure out how to get past defenders not relying on just speed because obviously he’s fast. For Marchy, he needs to get back to his “nose faced killah” agitator ways. In regular season the pair scored 34 goals in 48 games. Marchand left the ice this am with what looked like an injury but is expected to be in the lineup tonight.

The Bruins will be relying on younger d-men to carry to team thanks to slew of injuries to the veteran players. Dougie Hamilton and Matt Barkowski were huge in the Game 7 win, with Barkowski even scoring his first NHL goal. They will need to continue to bring that impact with this new series. New to the lineup is Torey Krug who is expected to play tonight. Krug has been a star for the Providence Bruins and tonight has the chance to prove himself in the NHL ranks.

This series isn’t going to be easy for either team. Both clubs are gritty and play a similiar style of hockey aka aggressive so needless to say I wouldn’t be surprised if it came down to a game 7.

With tonight being the first game, a tone will be set and at the end of 60 minutes (ideally) one team will have a game advantage. Puck drops tonight at 7:30 and you can check it out on NBCSN! Unfortunately this means no more commentary from the great Jack Edwards but you can follow his twitter for all his thoughts on the game (which are sure to be hilarious/amazing).

BELIEVE IN BOSTON!

The Boston Bruins took Game one over the Toronto Maple Leafs and are looking to go for win number two. The B’s played a full 60-minutes Wednesday and came out on top 4-1. It was the first time in a while that all four lines of the Bruins stepped up and the win displayed that. While it looked like a complete domination against Toronto, I’m not counting them out.

Tonight the game will end with the B’s being up by 2 games and carrying the momentum that goes with that or the Maple Leafs tying up the series.

(Credit: Flickr/ Slidingsideways)

Bruins Change It Up:
With Andrew Ference being suspended for tonight’s game, the Bruins have no choice but to change up their defensive pairings that were so successful Wednesday night. Ference is a player that isn’t afraid to make his presence known against any team and Coach Claude Julien has the job of putting someone in his place that will take on that responsibility. So tonight either Dougie Hamilton, Matt Bartkowski, or Aaron Johnson will be back in the lineup in place of Ference. If I’m betting on this, I think Dougie will make his NHL playoff debut as he is the one out of the three who has had the most ice team this season. Also in terms of defense, Adam McQuaid was paired with Zdeno Chara at yesterdays practice which means Quaider could be potentially facing off against Toronto’s top line tonight.

Another thing to note is Wednesday Rich Peverley was a healthy scratch for the forwards so there’s a chance he’ll jump back into the lineup as well.

Toronto Takes a Step Back:
It’s no secret that the Maple Leaf’s didn’t leave Game One feeling like they gave it their all. They were out shot 40-20 and simply outplayed. But that game is in the past now and they Leafs are looking to make a comeback tonight. Most of the Toronto players are newbies when it comes to playoffs and the team has said that those nerves have been shaken off and their ready for Game Two.

The Maple Leafs will be without defenseman Mike Kostka after he broke his finger in the second period of Game One. Either Ryan O’Byrne or Jake Gardiner will be added into the lineup for Game 2. Also, expect to see some line changes for the Maple Leafs.

Bergeron Line FTW:
It’s no coincidence that every time Phil Kessel was on the ice with his line, the Patrice Bergeron line was also there. Bergeron along with Tyler Seguin, and Brad Marchand have been one of the B’s most consistent lines all season and they continued that pressure in Game One. Kessel, who lead Toronto with 20 goals and 52 points during the regular season was limited to just one shot in under 14 minutes of ice time on Wednesday. Bergeron, who is easily one of the best two-way players in the league, can be blamed for that.

Who’s Hot?
Boston players Milan Lucic and David Krecji. Looch has one goal and five points in the past three games, while Krejci has two goals and five points in four games. Krejci was the player of the game for the Bruins and was sporting their “player of the game Army Ranger’s jacket” after the game.

Expect Tuukka Rask to get the start for the Bruins as he was nothing but solid Wednesday night.

Puck drops TONIGHT at 7pm and you can check it out on NESN!

BELIEVE IN BOSTON!

Once upon a February a not so little storm named Nemo came through Boston and cancelled a Boston Bruins/ Tampa Bay Lightning game. The two teams were supposed to have met up three times already, but tonight will be that makeup. The B’s are two-for-two against Tampa Bay this season and are going to go for the sweep. While the Bruins are three games away from playoff season, the Lightning are two away from golf season. If the Bruins want to maintain the number two seed in the Eastern Conference (they are currently tied with the Montreal Canadiens for first but have a game on hand) then they will have to pick up the win tonight against Tampa Bay.

Can the Bromance revive the B’s? (Credit: Flickr/Slidingsideways)

Building Up Bruins Defense:
If I’m being honest here, the Bruins performance against the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday night was just terrible. There were too many turnovers and there were moments of weakness where the Bruins defense was exposed. With playoff’s so close, the Bruins cannot be losing to teams that didn’t even make the playoffs. The B’s will have to use these next three games as preparation for the Stanley Cup if they have any chance of making it past the quarterfinals.

Lightning Snap Losing Streak:
And they did it thanks to a Martin St.Louis hatty to help them beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-2. Prior to this game, the Lightning had lost six in a row and were well out of playoff contention. The win also prevented Toronto from sweeping the Lightning. With the Bruins up two games this season, will the Lightning be able to avoid another sweep?

Who’s Hot:
Well the Bruins Brad Marchand scored both game winners against the Lightning this season and is also the B’s leading scorer with 18 goals this season. As usual the B’s will have to watch out for Steven Stamkos who leads the Lightning with 29 goals and is second in the NHL in goals scored. Oh yeah and don’t forget St. Louis who currently leads the NHL with points (58) and assists (42). If the B’s don’t work on their defense, you can bet Tampa Bay will take full advantage.

Puck drops at 7:30 and the game can be found on NESN+!

With just four games remaining in regular season, the Boston Bruins head to Pennsylvania to take on the Philadelphia Flyers for one last  time this season. While the Bruins clinched the playoffs last week, the Flyers unfortunately won’t be fighting for Lord Stanley’s Cup this year. Sunday the Bruins were able to pick up a win from another team not in the playoffs aka the Florida Panthers and they are hoping they can do the same tonight in Philly. However they are going to have to get past a rival team that has had a recent resurgence of offensive wins.

B’s celebrate a goal from Sunday’s WIN! (Credit: Slidingsideways/ Flickr)

The B’s Slump is Over…Hopefully.
With a 3-0 win over the Panthers, the B’s avoided a four-game losing streak which would have been a season worst. That win helped the Bruins regain the top spot in the Northeast division. The Bruins are currently tied with the Montreal Canadiens for first with 59 points but the Bruins have a game in hand hence why they are number one. The win Sunday was especially necessary for Boston since it was the B’s first victory following the bombings. Hopefully that win was the sign of more to come as playoffs are right around the corner.

Tuukka Time:
Tuukka Rask picked up well needed victory for the Bruins shutting out the Panthers and stopping 28 shots on net. That’s the kind of performance the Bruins are going to need if they want to succeed in the playoffs. Now I’m unsure if Rask will get the start in net because I’m sure Coach Julien is thinking playoffs right now and resting his best. If that’s the case backup Anton Khubdobin will get the nod and get his 14th start of the season. Dobby is 9-3-1 for the B’s and will have no problem filling in in net.

Flyer Soar:
You would think a team that’s out of playoff contention would just be “ehh” when it comes to finishing the season. But that is far from the case with the Flyers. They have won their last three and have scored 16 goals within those three goals. In other words, the Bruins defense will NEED to be on it’s A-game if the B’s are trying to pick up two points. Bruins/Flyers to me is always a good matchup and with either team taking a victory so far it’s anyones game tonight.

Who’s Hot:
Brad Marchand has goals in two straight games, and five points in his last five. He’s currently leading the B’s in scoring with 18 goals. Jakub Voracek has three goals in the past four games for the Flyers. In 45 games this season, he has 20 goals.

Injury Report:
Nathan Horton did not make the trip to Philly due to an upper body injury and obviously will not be playing. I think this is another smart move by Julien to make sure his top guys are ready when playoffs come. Adam McQuaid is listed day-to-day with a lower body injury but could be back in the lineup tonight. The Flyers are missing forwards Zac Rinaldo (ankle), Maxime Talbot (leg), and Jody Shelley (hip), and defensemen Braydon Coburn (shoulder), Andrej Meszaros (shoulder), Nicklas Grossmann (concussion), Kent Huskins(concussion) and Bruno Gervais (torn stomach muscle).

Puck drops at 7:30 and you can check out all the action on NESN!

Today the Boston Bruins took to the ice against the Florida Panthers with one thing in mind: picking up a win. As the season comes to a close, the Bruins have been less than stellar lately. Whether it be because of emotion or injury, it was time for the B’s to get back on track. Today they looked to end their four-game losing streak while the Panthers are looking to preventing losing four of four on their roadtrip.  Tuukka Rask would start his second game in two days opposite the Panthers Jacob Markstrom. 

Nathan Horton and Adam McQuaid would both be out of lineup with injuries, meaning Milan Lucic and Dougie Hamilton would make their way back in.

Rask earned the shutout today! (Credit: Flickr/Slidingsideways)

It took only 3 minutes and 3 seconds into the first period for the Bruins to get the first goal of the game. Jaromir Jagr would score his second goal as a Bruin with Chris Kelly and Carl Soderberg getting the assists. Jagr has two goals and six assists in just nine games with the black and gold. And lets not forget that Soderbergs assist was his NHL point. I have a feeling that’s the first of many. That would be the lone goal of the first period but it was clear that the B’s knew they needed to come out of this game with two points. Also, I would like to point out that Rask was playing yet another solid game stopping all seven shots on net.

Second period came around with the B’s fighting off the remainder of a Rich Peverley slashing penalty. Florida would be unable to get any goals past Rask and we would be back to an even game. The Bruins would get a chance to go on the power play and though they wouldn’t register any goals, they did get many shots on net. 8 minutes into the second the B’s were outshooting the Panthers 10-1. With 6:27 left in the period Dougie Hamilton would score his fifth of the season with a drive from the right point that was a thing of beauty. That goal would not have happened without Shawn Thornton on the assist keeping that puck in the offensive zone the entire time.

Coming into the third it should be noted that the B’s are 14-2-2 with a two-goal lead going into the final period. With 1:22 remaining in the game, the Bruins sealed the win with an empty net goal from Brad Marchand assisted by his lineys Tyler Seguin and Patrice Bergeron. Marchand leads the team with 18 goals. And with that the Bruins snap their losing streak. Rask earned his 15th career shutout with 28 saves today.

The three stars of the game are 1. Rask, 2. Jagr, 3. Hamilton.

After the game the Bruins took part in their annual “shirts of their back” ceremony. The jerseys usually go to season ticket holders. Hower with recent events, the ticket holders opted for their jerseys to go to first responders that helped during the Marathon bombings and all of the events that took place in Boston this past week. This ceremony was truly inspiring and is further reason why I love my Boston Bruins!

B’s are back in action Tuesday night in Philly against the Flyers.

So the Boston Bruins didn’t win the Jarome Iginla signing, but tonight they’ll face off against him and the Pittsburgh Penguins at the TD Garden with two points on the line. The Bruins have recently joined the Pens in the Eastern Conference Playoffs but are still trying to fight off the Montreal Canadiens for first in the Northeast Division. This is the last time the two teams will meet in regular season this year. However there is a chance they could have a rematch come playoff time.

Brad Marchand rejoined the B’s following a concussion (Credit: Flickr/ Slidingsideways)

Bruins Refocused:
Naturally playing Wednesday’s game against the Buffalo Sabres was tough for the Bruins as it was the first major sports event in Boston since the Marathon bombing. Emotions were high for players and fans alike but the B’s weren’t able to pick up the win after a come from behind win from Buffalo. You can bet tonight they will be more focused on picking up a win especially since Pittsburgh has won the past two games this season. In their last three the B’s have been winless BUT they have recently regained two key players back into the lineup by the names of Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron. They reunited with their linemate Tyler Seguin and the three seemed like they were never apart.

Penguins Powering Through Injury:
Despite being without Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, the Penguins are well on their way to securing the Eastern Conference title. They have won five in a row and a win tonight against the Bruins would take away the B’s chance of top stop of the Eastern Conference. As of right now the Penguins are four points behind the Chicago Blackhawks for the top overall seed in all the teams.

Looch Out?
In practice yesterday, Claude Julien had Milan Lucic practicing on the fifth line meaning there’s a chance he’ll be a healthy scratch tonight. This should be no surprise to anyone watching this season as Looch has slipped tremendously and isn’t his usual gritty self. If Lucic is scratch it’s expected that newly acquired Swedish prospect Carl Soderberg will get the start. If that is the case it will be Soderberg’s Bruins debut.

Puck drops at 7pm and you can check out all the action on NESN!

*Both teams will be wearing jerseys that have “617″ and ”Boston Strong” patches that will be auctioned off for One Fund Boston.

The past two times the Boston Bruins and the Carolina Hurricanes faced off, the Bruins offense was at it’s peak outscoring the Canes 11-5. Tonight they look for a threepeat and a series sweep, but they look to do it without offensive weapons Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron. The Bruins played Thursday without either player and ended up losing to the New York Islanders and falling to second in the Northeast division and fourth in the Eastern Conference. With just eight games remaining, the Bruins are only one point behind Montreal for first in the the Northeast.

(Credit: Flickr/Slidingsideways)

Canes Out of Contention:
While the Bruins are looking to climb to the top, the Hurricanes are just looking for a win. Despite being at the top of the Southeast division once upon a March, the Canes now find themselves 14th in the Eastern Conference and basically out of the playoffs. They dropped their seventh straight in a 3-1 road loss to the Capitals on Thursday and are now 16-22-2. The Hurricanes have struggled being outscored 59-24 over their last 15 contests. Justin Peters could get the nod in net tonight depending on Dan Ellis‘s health (he missed Thursdays game due to a sore knee).

Bruins Battle for First:
Like I said before, with so few games remaining, the Bruins need to pick up wins where ever they can get them. Based on the Hurricanes track record, this would appear to be a seemingly easy game. But in order for the Bruins to get the two points, they will have to produce goals and provide solid defense for either Tuukka Rask or Anton Khudobin. Rask won Monday night against the Canes and improved to 3-2-0 with a 2.60 GAA in five career starts against the Hurricanes. However, with playoffs right around the corner, it’s possible Dobby will get the nod giving Rask some well needed prep time. Honestly both have played fantastic this season so either in net would be fine. Also, it should be noted that Nathan Horton has scored in the first two games against the Canes this season so lets see if he makes it three for three!

Puck drops tonight at 7 and you can check out the action on NESN!

After winning last night against the New Jersey Devils, the Boston Bruins return back home to take on the New York Islanders. With the win last night, the Bruins moved into first in the Northeast division and are a point ahead of the Montreal Canadians. Both the B’s and the Habs play tonight so the Bruins will need a win if they are trying to stay the number two seed in the Eastern Conference.

Can Pevs maintain his point streak? (Credit: Flickr/Slidingsideways)

A Costly Battle for the B’s:
The Bruins were already without Patrice Bergeron, now the question is how serious was the elbow to the head Brad Marchand took last night? Bergeron was seen practicing on the ice this morning so hopefully that means he’ll be back before playoffs. However, Marchand was being evaluated this morning and there is still no word on his injury. Another bright side because let’s be serious with all these injuries we could use one, is that Adam McQuaid may return to the lineup tonight. Quaider is a solid defenseman and I have been saying the B’s defense is weak lately so maybe this will turn that around.

Islanders Playoff Bound:
For the first time since the 2006-07 season, the New York Islanders are on the verge of clinching a playoff invitation. In their past nine games, the Isles are 7-1-1. They are currently tied for 7th place with the Ottawa Senators and New York Rangers with 44 points. Needless to say they will be coming into this game looking for two points.

Bruins Look for Sweep:
This is the third and final meeting between the two teams in regular season with the Bruins having one the previous two. In those games, the Isles were outscored 8-3. Tuukka Rask got the start for both those games and with him sitting out last night, it’s expected he’ll start tonight. If playoff’s started today the B’s would be the second seed and the Isles the seventh, meaning they would play each other. When you watch the game tonight keep that in mind!

Who’s HOT?
Jaromir Jagr (four assists) and Rich Peverley (one goal, three assists) have each tallied four points over the past two contests. Isles center John Tavares has three goals and three assists over the past five games, while winger Josh Bailey is 2-3-5 over the same span.

You can check out the game tonight at 7pm on NESNPLUS!

Gregory Campbell (Photo Credit: Steph Phillips)

Tonight the Boston Bruins laid it all out on the line in the first period, jumping out to an early 3-0 lead. They had a lot riding on tonight’s game as the Montreal Canadiens slipped up and lost to the Washington Capitals last night, moving Bosotn in prime position to take over the Northeast.  Despite a late surge from the Devils the Bruins ended up drowning them in the Atlantic 5 goals to their 4.

The Bruins were roaring right from the get-go as the Devils were unable to clear their defensive zone and Jaromir Jagr spun the puck in the direction of Brodeur.  As it came across the crease at Martin Brodeur, Gregory Campbell was right there in front to pick it up and flip it in for a quick 1-0 lead just 70 seconds into the frame. The goal would be Campbell’s first in his last 22 games and his third of the season. Within twenty seconds of the goal being scored the Bruins quickly found themselves on defense as they wound up on a 5-on-3 disadvantage.  However, as a penalty expired on Johnny Boychuk, he picked up a loose puck in the neutral zone and raced into the offensive zone where he was taken down and rewarded a penalty shot, the first of his career. While the defenseman drifted into the zone and pulled a head fake he was unable to lift the puck high enough over the pads of Brodeur and was denied the opportunity to put the Bruins up by 2. Just three minutes and forty-one seconds after the Bruins scored their first goal they would get a 2-on-1 shorthanded opportunity with Rich Peverley and Daniel Paille teaming up against the netminder. Paille shot initially and as he crashed the net, placed his rebound behind the veteran goaltender for a 2-0 lead at the 4:51 mark. Their hot streak would continue as Andrew Ference collected the puck from the Devils’ defense and shot it at the net with a slight deflection from Campbell out in front for the third goal of the period before the halfway marker. Through twenty minutes the Bruins dominated offensively and had the crowd booing their home team.  In order to stay in the game they needed to remain focused and keep the pressure on.

To begin the second period that was the exact game plan they followed as the Bruins found themselves with a 4-on-3 opportunity that had Jaromir Jagr on the same line as David Krejci. Jagr was able to throw the puck in front to Krejci with Zdeno crashing in and getting his stick on at the last second to poke it past Brodeur for a 4-0 lead. With his assist on the play Jagr earned his fifth point in his last four games since becoming a Bruin. At 11:12 the Devils showed signs of life as Sullivan threw a shot at Khudobin that Elias got a piece of out in front to cut the Bruins lead back to three. Moments later Nathan Horton had a drive that rung off the post, pushing the Devils to their limits. In desparation Anton Volchenkov decided to take out his frustrations in a similar fashion as he did in February 2011 against Boychuk of the Carolina Hurricanes, only this time against Brad Marchand. As the forward’s left elbow connected with the honeybadger’s helmet Marchand crumbled to the ice, eventually needing to be helped off by Jaromir Jagr and Andrew Ference. Volchenkov wound up with a game misconduct and is expected to have a hearing with Brendan Shannahan at some point for a suspension. To get the ball rolling after the incident the Devils would force a turnover from Milan Lucic who had some trouble handling the puck in the neutral zone, allowing Travis Zajac to move in on Dobby and beat him for the Devils second goal of the game. Through forty minutes the Bruins led 4-2 and found themselves down one of their leading scorers heading into the final frame.

Scoring wouldn’t open up in the third period until around the seven minute mark with Andy Green outsmarting a low-playing Shawn Thornton and out-of-crease Anton Khudobin, creating time and space for himself to place the puck perfectly behind the Bruins goaltender before he even knew what was coming at him, pulling them within one.  With twelve minutes and change remaining in the third the puck got dumped in the Bruins offensive end, Paille racing and winning the foot race. As he dished the puck over to Seguin who was racing into the crease he was able to flip it up and in, re-instating a 2-goal lead for a little breathing room. As the clock winded down, the Bruins found themselves on a 6-on-4 disadvantage as Seguin went to the box for elbowing and wouldn’t come out until the final minute and the Devils pulled Brodeur for the extra attacker. With ease they were able to kill off the penalty, but the extra attacker in place of Brodeur proved to be too much for Boston to handle as they pulled within one goal with 37 seconds left on the clock.  Thankfully the Bruins were able to cling onto the late Seguin goal and hold off the Devils from making a complete comeback, taking possession over first place in the Northeast.

They return to action tomorrow night against the New York Islanders at the TD Garden where they will need to re-evaluate some things and figure out how to win without Brad Marchand in the line up should he be out for a while. At the time this article is written there is no update on his condition. We will report more when we have the information.