Torey Krug during warm-ups in his first time with the Bruins (Photo Credit: Steph Phillips)

Heading into tonight’s game, we knew it was going to be a close race. However, we didn’t expect a snooze fest through the first forty minutes of play. The game started around the halfway point of the third period and the Bruins soared from there. Torey Krug gave them the confidence they needed as he tied the game three minutes in and kept it alive. Through the added minutes the Bruins outplayed the Rangers and with the help of Bergeron, Brad Marchand celebrated his first goal of the playoffs and put the Bruins up 3-2 for a 1-0 series advantage.

As the puck dropped commencing the first period it appeared as though both teams thought it was a charity game instead of the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The battles were fairly non-existent and came down to a ‘battle’ of defense. Chara did exactly what he needed to do in containing Rick Nash and keeping him off of the score sheet, meanwhile the rookie d-men proved themselves. Matt Bartkowski and Torey Krug showed their aggressiveness and confidence as they kept the Rangers out of the zone. Through the first twenty, the Bruins did a decent job playing physical and in the final seconds found their momentum as Jaromir Jagr tried to jam one past Henrik Lundqvist at the buzzer.

As the second period got underway, the Bruins found themselves quickly on the power ply, or as our opposition calls it, the power kill (a power play that is so atrocious it turns into a penalty kill). Per usual, the Bruins were unable to convert and the score remained at zero. It wouldn’t be until 12:23 that Zdeno Chara unleashed a bomb at Lundqvist that he initially saved, but as he collapsed backwards with Nathan HOrton racing at him, knocked the puck over the line and into the back of the net for a 1-0 Bruins lead.  However, much like the Bruins, the Rangers didn’t back own and kept the pressure. With 1.3 remaining in the second the Rangers capitalized off of a weak play by Tyler Seguin with Ryan McDonagh blasting a shot from the blue line that sailed over the shoulder of Rask to tie the game at a goal a piece.  Brad Marchand seemingly had his best period of hockey as he stepped up his game through the second frame, using his speed and skill set to beat the Rangers through the neutral zone and create numerous offensive opportunities for the Bruins. Through forty the Bruins held the advantage in hits with 33 and were at a stale mate in shots 21-20 in slight favor to the Rangers.

In much of the same fashion as they ended the second, the Rangers skated right into Bruins territory and snapped a shot past Rask for the go-ahead goal from Derek Stepan. Thankfully, the Bruins held onto their ‘never give up’ attitude and Torey Krug showed exactly why he was the right man for the job in the absence of Seidenberg, Redden and Ference. As the Bruins found themselves on the power play, Krug blasted a shot that beat Lundqvist to tie the game at 2 with 17:05 remaining.  As the period dwindled on and the seconds ticked off, the intensity level finally began to rise out of both sides. With 3:35 on the clock, Patrice Bergeron took a hooking call for Boston putting the Rangers on the power play for all but the last minute of the game. Fortunately for Boston, they’re only 7% effective on the man-advantage and decided to take a penalty of their own as they took an interference call that would put Boston on the advantage through the remainder of the third after 25 seconds of 4-on-4.  Johnny Boychuk blasted shots at Lundqvist right off the faceoff, but was unable to get through.  As Seguin threw the puck over to Chara, he blasted one and Lundqvist kick-saved and Dan Girardi dove in front of the follow-up shot keeping the game tied. Johnny Boychuk released a bomb and it pinged off the goal post as the green light came on ending the third period with Horton diving to try and bank it in.

We knew it would be an interesting game being that the two hadn’t met in the playoffs since the 1970′s, naturally it would result in overtime for game 1 for the first time since 1958, thanks to Torey Krug tying things up. Despite some arena difficulties and choppy ice, the Bruins did their best to contain the Rangers.  As Peverley tried to bring the puck up ice, Dorsett took a run at him landing himself in the penalty box for a man-advantage opportunity two minutes into the extra period. Through the first minutes the Bruins held control of the puck and littered Lundqvist with shots. As the clock hit 16:01 and 22 seconds remained on the power play Lundqvist was able to hold onto it to freeze the clock off of a Seguin blast. As the penalty expired the Bruins still held onto possession with Horton diving to keep the play alive. Once again the post robbed Johnny Boychuk of the go-ahead, game-winning goal and the clock ticked on. In the final five minutes of the extra period Patrice Bergeron brought the puck up the right-hand side of the ice timing a perfect pass over to Brad Marchand that he placed perfectly between the legs of Lundqvist to give the Bruins a 1-0 series advantage.

Be sure to follow us on Twitter (@ACupABruin) and take a look at what the opposition had to say about tonight’s game.

“That hockey game will haunt me until the day I die…” -Joffrey Lupul via Twitter

Photo Credit: dougthethughamilton/Tumblr

As Nazem Kadri scored the fourth goal in 5:29 into the third period to put the Leafs ahead by three, an unsettling silence settled through the TD Garden. People rose from their seats to the exit thinking the Bruins had blown it again, they had failed to meet the expectation set in front of them and it was pointless to watch them flounder around. However, as the seats emptied Nathan Horton injected a ray of hope as he snapped a rebound shot up and over the shoulder of James Reimer with just over half of the period remaining. As the period dwindled on, so did the faith from the fans. With under two minutes remaining the Bruins decided to pull out all the stops.

“After Krech’s [David Krejci's] line got that first one for us, it started the climb back. We could see the emotion on the bench and guys starting to believe. That’s what we needed.”- Brad Marchand(via Bruins.com)

As the seconds ticked away, nearing the end of their season, the Krejci line teamed up once again in a push to inch closer. As the clock struck 1:22, Milan Lucic and Nathan Horton camped out in front of the goal and were able to once again bank in a rebound shot to pull the team within one. Thirty seconds later the Bruins cycled the puck around and as Zdeno Chara set a screen in front of Reimer with his seven-foot self, Patrice Bergeron released a bomb from inside the blue line the found the back of the net to tie the game and force overtime. It had never been done in the history of the NHL to have a team down by three and make such a substantial comeback in such a short amount of time.

As the puck dropped commencing the extra period the Bruins knew they needed to bring their momentum to the next level and continue on the push they were on. It took all of 6:05 as the Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and Tyler Seguin line redeemed their absence of the series and crashed the net to get the go-ahead goal and advance the Bruins to the second round of the playoffs.

“We stayed resilient—I guess that’s what I can say…We found a way.” – Patrice Bergeron

Now the Bruins look to keep the momentum in their favor as they take on a team that has posed a problem to them all season long, the New York Rangers. The first game of the second round is set for Thursday night at the Garden with the puck dropping at 7:30PM.

Milan Lucic netted the only goal for Boston tonight in the final seconds. (Photo Credit: Steph Phillips)

The Bruins knew they could seal the deal once again tonight with a victory against the Maple Leafs, but failed to show up for the third period for the second game in a row. With a careless mistake the Leafs took control and skated away with it, tying the series 3-3 with a shutout 2-1 victory.

Through the first twenty minutes the Bruins played a fairly solid and sound game. They weren’t overly physical, but used their strengths well. They were able to get the puck in deep and generate some cycling plays to create the opportunities. Their biggest asset came from stronger puck management in the neutral zone, keeping the turnovers at a minimum. Both teams showed they knew what the stakes were as they battled it out for the first twenty. The focus for the second, pushing their momentum to the next level and upping the intensity. They needed to execute their plays better and ensure their shots on net. » Continue reading “Thank you Seguin, Late Blooming and Game 7, Oh Joy!”

Tuukka Rask (Photo Credit: Steph Phillips)

The Bruins had a golden opportunity to put away the Toronto Maple Leafs and become the first team in the Eastern Conference to advance into the Semi-Finals on Friday evening. Unfortunately, their momentum began to build a little too late and they wound up at the short end of the stick, losing 2-1.

The entire locker room knows what is at stake the second they set foot in the Air Canada Centre tonight for the opening face off.  They have to prepare to set the tone the second the blades make their first cut into the ice and build off of that momentum if they stand a chance at owning this game and ending the series.

In order to set the tone, there is going to have to be solid efforts from every player on the Boston Bruins bench. It is no question the Nathan Horton, David Krejci and Milan Lucic line have been carrying the team through the playoffs along with the Merlot line. Tonight, it is time for Bergeron and company to pick up the pace and find the back of the net. For Seguin, it means taking the time to slow things down and create the plays rather than try to finagle himself through the defense and losing the puck along the way. For Marchand, it means making smart, crisp passes and then rushing to the slot for the given rebounds Reimer is bound to allow.

Tonight the Bruins will have to adjust their defensive pairings once again in the absence of Andrew Ference. Post-skating Claude Julien told the media that Ference is ‘day-to-day’ and did not make the trip to Toronto. In his spot Aaron Johnson filled in while Matt Bartkowski paired up with Adam McQuaid.  Wade Redden skated with the team this morning and is listed as a game-time decision.

Expect Tuukka between the pipes once more as the Bruins try to seal the deal against Toronto once again, this time on their turf and advance to the next round. Face off is at 7:00PM ET and can be seen on NESN.

Last night the Boston Bruins faced the Toronto Maple Leafs for what could rightfully be the last time of the season at the Air Canada Centre.  While the game couldn’t be decided in the allotted sixty-minute time frame, the additional sudden death overtime pushed the Bruins to new limits and put them on top 4-3.

David Krejci is one positive the Bruins have right now! (Credit:Slidingsideways/Flickr)

Scoring got underway early on in the first period as the Leafs beat Tuukka Rask on their first shot on goal with Joffrey Lupul breaking through the defense to light the lamp. The goal came at just 2:35 into the frame, but the Bruins didn’t give up. From that point on they stepped up their defensive game and created a lot of pressure in the offensive zone. Unfortunately, as the clock winded down, the Leafs would find a way to use the Bruins defense as their own screen, with Zdeno Chara blocking the netminders’ view and allowing Cody Franson to net one from the blue line at 18:32. The Bruisd owned the Leafs on the shot clock, but fell short when it came to finding the back of the net, David Krejci seemingly having the best opportunity as he rang a bad angle shot off the post.  Down by 2, the Bruins needed to step up their physicality and find the back of the net.

To begin the second period they used the man-advantage carrying over from the first period to their favor. As Zdeno Chara took a blast, Jaromir Jagr and Patrice Bergeron crashed then net to jam in the rebound just 32 seconds into the frame to cut the Leafs lead to 1.  The power play goal gave the Bruins the added confidence and momentum they had been seeking as their focus dialed in to scoring. At 12:59 Brad Marchand would snipe a shot toward James Reimer that David Krejci would get a piece of for a re-direct and tie the game at 2.  The goal came for the 18th point of the postseason for the Krejci line, a feat unheard of through the regular season. However, the goals didn’t start there as the David Krejci train kept on rolling as just three minutes and some change later he would snap a shot that beat Reimaer once again for the go-ahead goal.  However, it seemed as though the Bruins celebrated a bit too long as just 54 seconds later MacArthur beat Rask to re-tie the game at 3 a piece. The Bruins still held the edge in shots with 29 to the Leafs 23, but were prepared to come out dominant in the final frame in order to come out on top.

The third period consisted of high-paced back and forth puck movement between the two teams. The Bruins managed to get a four-minute powerplay after Nazim Kadri threw a high-stick into the face of Chris Kelly, but unfortunately couldn’t convert. Then there came this:

Joffrey Lupul getting hit with his own stick that resulted in a penalty on Zdeno Chara. How? We’re not exactly sure, but the Bruins were able to fend off the Leafs in what could have been a deciding goal and push the game into overtime.

As we all know overtimes are heart attack city in themselves, let alone the added pressure of playoffs and such, or the fact that they are twenty minutes long as opposed to five. However, the Bruins didn’t give up as they fought through pain and no doubt exhaustion to overcome the Leafs. At 13:06 Nathan Horton took a hit from the Leafs sending his stick flying and himself into a huddle on the ice to create a play for David Krejci and Milan Lucic. As they went up the ice, Krejci slowed the puck down making it look like he was going to pass it to Lucic and then snapped a shot past Reimer for the game-winning goal and his second career postseason hat trick.

The Bruins now head back to the TD Garden in hopes of ending the series and advancing to the next round of the playoffs to become the first Eastern Conference team to advance. Game time is Friday night at 7:00PM ET.

Dougie Hamilton awaits the puck (Photo Credit: Steph Phillips)

Currently the series between the Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs is tied at a game a piece, the Bruins winning Game 1 by a 4-1 margin and the Leafs taking Game 2, 4-2.  Tonight the Bruins look to take a series advantage in Toronto for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference QuarterFinals.

Tonight the Bruins lines will once again be shuffled around as Andrew Ference is eligible to return tonight after serving a one-game suspension. With the likely return of Ference to the lineup, rookie d-man Dougie Hamilton will likely be participating in tonight’s game from the stands, supporting his teammates. Aside from the defensemen switching places, there won’t likely be any more line changes.

The Leafs came out Saturday night at the Garden ready to play a strong, physical game. The Bruins unfortunately came up at the short end of the stick as they tried to match the intensity level.  Their first twenty minutes rang of opportunities (literally) with Tyler Seguin using his speed and agility to undress the Leafs defense single-handed.  If the Bruins stand a chance at owning the Maple Leafs through Game 3, they are going to have to be prepared for a fast-paced, strong physical game for the full sixty minutes. Their focus needs to be on breaking out in the neutral zone to create odd-man rushes that nine times out of ten will beat James Reimer.

Saturday’s game ended with Shawn Thornton sending a message to the Leafs, deciding to tango with Matt Fraser. Some may take it as overflowing emotions from a well-fought game, others may say it’s a message being sent for tonight. A message preparing the Leafs to be ready for the Bruins revenge.

The team looks to hit the reset button and own the next three games in order to advance into the next round of the playoffs and need to show the grit and determination that their minor league affiliate has shown against the Hershey Bears. Tonight’s game is being broadcast on NESN and can also be heard on 98.5 the Sports Hub, home of the Boston Bruins radio network.

Who’s Hot…

Johnny Boychuk has been able to record two goals in the past two games for the Bruins, despite a 24-game drought during the regular season. His blue line presence and heavy hitting have been a key factor for the Bruins so far and will continue to be as the series goes on.

Nathan Horton, David Krejci and Milan Lucic have flipped the switch just in time as their line has combined for 3 goals and 3 assists through 120 minutes of play.

Between the Pipes…

With Tuukka Rask getting the nod for the first two games of the series and proving himself as an elite top goaltender, it is most likely he will be between the pipes tonight as well. Through the regular season he sported a 1.97 goals against average, good for top 5 in the League. He will battle against James Reimer at the opposing end of the ice for Toronto.

Author’s Note: We apologize for this post going up later than usual. We were having some technical difficulties. Thanks for your patience. 

Boychuk making himself known in the postseason(Photo Credit: Steph Phillips)

The Bruins knew going into tonight’s game that they would be dealing with an entirely new Toronto team, but came up short in preparations to contain them. Despite a late surge from the entire Bruins squad, the Leafs were able to hold onto a two-goal lead to tie the series, winning the game 4-2.

After twenty minutes in the books, the Bruins and Leafs were still tied at zero, but it wasn’t for lack of trying. Tyler Seguin had a great first twenty, with numerous chances using his speed to beat the Leafs in the neutral zone and set up some great scoring opportunites. As a team, they came out ready to play a physical game and the Leafs were ready to respond. As the clock ticked down, the emotions began to rise and Colton Orr found himself in the box after a checking match with Brad Marchand ending with his fist connecting the the little ball of hate and himself in the box for roughing. Unfortunately the Bruins powerplay was short-lived as they found themselves in the box shortly after presenting some four-on-four play in the remaining minutes of the frame. Through the first frame the Leafs held a 12-10 edge in shots. » Continue reading “Toronto Brought the Body, Beat the Bruins 4-2″

Ryan Spooner at the face off against the Worcester Sharks (Photo Credit: Stephanie Vail/Flickr)

The Providence Bruins currently sit down two games to the Hershey Bears in a 5-game series. For Providence, tonight is do or die.  Despite finishing first in the league with 105 points and 50 wins, statistics mean nothing when it comes to the playoffs.

Throughout the series the Bruins have struggled to find their rhythm and a large part of that is due to team inexperience when it comes to the postseason. There’s no question, when playoffs hit, a switch is flipped and the dirty,gritty game that originated back in the 1800′s comes to light. For the young Providence Bruins squad, this is a feat that many have yet to endeavor unlike their opponent Hershey Bears.

The Hershey Bears have been contenders in the AHL consistently for years. The Bruins haven’t been a factor since 2009. The expectations set forth on a team when they enter the postseason is a completely different mindset, one that the Hershey Bears were prepared to face at the drop of the puck in the first period of Game 1.  For the Bruins it took until the last game to fully understand what they were up against. While they put forward a better effort in Game 2, they still fell short losing in overtime.

Of the six goals the Bruins have scored this season, four of the scorers have appeared in the AHL playoffs before. The veteran presence is attempting to keep the team alive while the rookies who flourished in the regular season, flounder and try to stay above water. The Bruins can’t afford to have guys like Ryan Spooner, Craig Cunningham and Torey Krug ‘find their game’ in a five game series that could easily end in Saturday’s game.  They need to kick it into high gear and fast.

While the Bruins were able to turn things around and make major improvements, there are still plenty more to be made.  Their focus needs to be on containing the veteran AHL forwards that make up the offensive lines for Hershey and finding a way to break through them. If the Bruins can force the turnovers and create breakaway plays, they should be able to break down the Bears young defense and get to the net.

Like Svedberg, the Bears goaltender Phillip Grubauer is also making his playoff debut. The difference between the two, one is making saves while the other one isn’t (obviously).  Svedberg has been a brick wall all season long and is falling short when it comes to keeping his team in games. With the lack of faith and confidence in their goaltending, the Bruins are apt to fall apart. He, like the rest of the playoff-rookies on the team, need to get their heads in the game and push it to the next level if they plan on staying alive.

It’s do or die time for Providence as they head to Hershey to take on the Bears Saturday night.

Andrew Ference (Photo Credit: slidingsideways/Flickr)

Today Andrew Ference has a hearing with the NHL Department of player Safety regarding an elbow to the head placed on Mikhail Grabovski in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference QuarterFinals against the Maple Leafs.

The hit that is in question happened in the first period resulting in no whistle or penalty. Upon revision after the game you can see Grabovski skating towards the boards to battle Ference, each getting there at the about the same time. As Grabovski nears Ference turns his body and lifts his elbow enough that it connects higher than it should on his opponent. The question that remains, did Ference intend to hurt him or was it a simple move that wasn’t the brightest?

Grabovski was able to play the remainder of the game, including nine shifts in the first period.  He finished with a career-high 15:25 of ice time.  This would be Ference’s second offense should he be suspended, the first time being in the 2011-2012 season after boarding Rangers’ defenseman Ryan McDonagh.  Clearly Ference can’t claim an elbow pad malfunction on this one.

[UPDATE] The NHL Department of Player Safety determined after a phone hearing with the Bruins defenseman that he will serve a one-game suspension, causing him to miss Saturday’s game against the Leafs.

David Krejci (Photo Credit: Steph Phillips)

Tonight marked the first game of a possible seven for the Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs, officially kicking off the 2013 Eastern Conference QuarterFinals. Finally the Bruins flipped the switch and played a solid 60-minute game resulting in a 4-1 victory.

One of the Bruins main focus points in tonight’s game was breaking the pucks out of the defensive zone and good puck management. Through the first twenty minutes, they had strong defensive pressure and numerous opportunities coming from all the lines creating golden breakaway opportunities.  The Maple Leafs were able to get on the board first as Tuukka Rask made an initial save on Tyler Bozak that left him sprawling to the net with James VanRiemsdyk waiting in the paint behind Seidenberg and Chara.  The Leafs goal was all the Bruins needed to get the emotions overflowing as the linesmen stood at high alert through the rest of the frame, containing each team to their proper positions after every whistle, despite the chirping and shirt-grabbing. The Bruins wouldn’t catch a break until the 16:20 mark with Wade Redden blasting a shot from the left faceoff circle to tie the game. With 2:02 remaining in the period the Bruins found themselves on the power play after Dion Phaneuf went to the box for slashing on Tyler Seguin. In the final 15 seconds Nathan Horton carried the puck up the ice and through the neutral zone, dropped it back to Krejci  who was able to feed it back to Wade Redden. Redden waited for the right moment and unleashed a quick shot that Nathan Horton was able to get the stick on for a re-direction into the net behind James Reimer and put the Bruins up 2-1 in the final 11 seconds of the first period. The Bruins owning the shots 15-7. » Continue reading “Turnovers Took Over the Leafs, Bruins Take Game 1″