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!

So Monday was hands down one of the most amazing days to be a Boston Bruins fan. With the Bruins moving onto the next round of playoffs, there’s a ton of news that comes along with it. To make it easier for you, we’ve compiled it all here in this easy to read post!

CONGRATS QUAIDER!

1: Bruins/ Rangers Schedule:
Now that the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals are over, the B’s are moving onto the semis against the New York Rangers. Here’s the schedule for you to plan your life around.
Game One: Thursday May 16, 7:30pm Rangers @Bruins
Game Two: Sunday May 19, 3pm Rangers @Bruins
Game Three: Tuesday May 21, 7:30pm Bruins @Rangers
Game Four: Thursday May 23, 7pm Bruins @Rangers
Game Five: Saturday May 25, TBD Rangers @Bruins
Game Six: Monday May 27, TBD Bruins @Rangers
Game Seven: Wednesday May 29, TBD Rangers @Bruins

2: Quaider Masterton Finalist
Today the finalist for the Masterton award were announced and Adam McQuaid was one of the three. The finalists are selected by the Professional Hockey Writer’s Association (PHWA). The Masterton Trophy is given to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey. For Bruins fans it should come as no surprise that McQuaid got the nod considering how his 2013 season went.

Quaider came back to the ice after facing potentially life-threatening blood clots, that stem from a condition called Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. Most athletes miss an entire season but McQuaid overcame that and throw perseverance he returned to the team in time for the start of the season.

McQuaid appeared in 32 games where he notched one goal and three assists with 60 penalty minutes and a plus-four rating. He has skated in all seven Bruins postseason games so far, where he has recorded one goal with a plus-three rating, which is second among B’s defensemen.

3: Bergeron Selke Finalist
For the second year in a row Patrice Bergeron has been nominated for the Frank J. Selke Award. Given how Game 7 went Monday night, this nomination is a given. He won last year and this year could make it two-for-two.

Bergeron finished the 2013 regular season leading all NHL players in faceoff percentage. winning puck drops at a 62.1% (549/884) rate. In general, Bergeron is an ideal player to have on any team and the Bruins are very lucky to have him. He finished the regular season with 32 points in 42 games. His 22 assists rank second on the team.

4: Krug Called Up
Torey Krug of the Providence Bruins was recalled and is expected to join the lineup in Game 1 on Thursday night. The young defenseman will have big shoes to fill as many veteran d-men are currently day-to-day with injuries.

Krug skated in 63 regular season games with Providence this season and registered 13 goals and 32 assists for 45 points with 37 penalty minutes. He led the defensemen in all of the above stats. This isn’t Krugs first time with Boston but it’s his first playoff wise.

On the playoffs Krug Said:

“This is going to be amazing; looking forward to whatever I can do to help the team” (Via Bruins Twitter).

And that’s all the news we have! Check back tomorrow for a Game 1 preview for the Bruins/Rangers series.
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!

Patrice Bergeron (Photo Credit: Steph Phillips)

Tonight prior to the start of the Bruins game they announced the winners for the Eddie Shore, Elizabeth Dufresne, John Bucyk and Three Stars Awards. 

The Eddie Shore Award is given to the player that shows exceptional hustle and determination throughout the duration of the season. It almost goes without saying that the recipient of this award for the 2013 season is Patrice Bergeron. Bergeron has once again been an integral part of the Bruins team and without his stellar faceoff percentage and offensive prowess, the Bruins wouldn’t be in the playoffs.

The next award given was the Elizabeth Dufresne, given to the player who was the most outstanding player at home throughout the season. Once again, Patrice Bergeron was called upon. His home-ice statistics for this season: 8 goals, 13 assists, +20 rating in 20 games. He averaged 14:26 of ice time and took 419 faceoffs, winning 280 of them for a 66.8% overall. There was also a $25,000 donation made to the OneFund Boston Foundation with this award.

The recipient of the John Bucyk Award is awarded to the player for outstanding service in the community along with a $1,000 donation to a charity of the players’ choice. This year’s recipient for his contributions to charitable endeavors, Gregory Campbell.

Last but not least came the Three Stars Awards, given to the team’s top three performers of the season that  contributed most to team’s success throughout the year. Star #3 of the year went to Tyler Seguin who ranked 4th on the team in points and second in goals with 32 and 16 respectively. Star #2, Patrice Bergeron who by the end of tonight’s game will have locked up #1 with his faceoff percentage for best in the league. The Boston Bruins #1 Star of the season, Tuukka Rask, earning himself 5th in the National Hockey League with his 1.97 goals against average and a save percentage of .930 ranking him 3rd in the league.

Earlier this week the team also announced this year’s 7th Player Award recipient, being awarded to Bruins rookie defenseman Dougie Hamilton, a player who fans voted exceeded the expectations set for him this season.

There’s only one trophy left for the Bruins to win and after tonight’s game, they have to play their hearts out and bring the Stanley Cup back to Boston. We are after all, BOSTON STRONG.

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!

In the third and final regular season meeting between the Boston Bruins and the New Jersey Devils, the B’s currently have the 2-0 lead. Can they go for the third and sweep the Devils? I guess we’ll find out tonight as the B’s head to the dirty Jersey for one last regular season showdown.

(credit: Slidingsideways/ Flickr)

The last time these two teams met up was just six days ago, with Jaromir Jagr making his Bruins debut and managing to score the lone goal of the evening. Anton Khudobin would get the shutout for the B’s and there’s a good chance he’ll nab the start tonight with the B’s playing back to back tonight and tomorrow.

Devils Doomed?
With only 9 games remaining in New Jersey’s schedule, they are currently riding a seven game losing streak. They are currently sitting outside the playoff brackets and are going to have to pull it together if they want a chance to make a run for the Stanley Cup. This is the longest losing streak the Devils have been on since their ’85-’86 season. A big reason for their loses stems from their poor overtime performance this season. They are 2-7 in shootouts this season and with a rushed schedule, now isn’t the time to be losing valuable points (one of those losses comes from the B’s).

B’s back on track?
The Bruins offense certainly stepped it up on Monday with a 6-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. That was the most goals the B’s have scored in a game this season. The line of Brad Marchand, Jagr and Gregory Campbell combined for two goals and two assists, while Tuukka Rask stopped 40-of-42 shots. However with the offense being on their A-game, it’s time for the B’s defense to step it up. There’s no excuse for why Rask had to stop that many shots. If the Bruins win tonight they will move past the Canadiens and regain first place in the Northeast division.

Who’s hot?
David Clarkson leads the Devils with 13 goals this season and scored their only goal in their most recent loss. Meanwhile, Tuukka time is 3-2-1 in his past six starts with a 2.16 GAA and .921 save percentage.

Injury Report:
B’s will be without Patrice Bergeron (head) and Adam McQuaid (shoulder). The Devils are most likely without Ilya Kovalchuk even though he did practice with the team on Tuesday. This will be Kovalchuks 8th straight missed game.

Puck drops at 7 and you can check out the action on NBCSN for Rivalry Night!

There was one thing on the Boston Bruins minds tonight when they took on the Toronto Maple Leafs: revenge. With 18 games remaining in the Bruins season, every game is equally important. Especially when riding the coattails of the first place team (Montreal Canadiens).

Tonight the Bruins had a chance to take two points at home and tie for the Northeast division title. Obviously taking two points away from a fellow Northeast division team is important but tonight they’re looking to take them from a team that beat them Saturday night.  In net would be Tuukka Rask  against James Reimer. Rask was put into the game on Saturday after Anton Khudobin was pulled but there’s no doubt that he’ll be ready to go.

Bergeron would get the shoot out win! (Credit: Flickr/ Slidingsideways)

The first period was scoreless so the second period both teams looked to get on the board fast. Unfortunately it was the Maple Leafs who would draw the first goal. It would be a power play goal due to a “interference” call on Aaron Johnson. Quotes were needed for that one because that call was very so so if you ask me. Anyway Joffery Lupul in his first game back from suspension would get his fourth of the year. Within the 12 minute mark, the Leafs would go up 2-0 on a breakaway goal from Nikolai Kulemin.  With 9:49 to go Milan Lucic would score his first goal in 16 games, with the assists going to Rich Peverley and Jordan Caron.

We entered the third with the Maple Leafs up by 1 and it would stay that way for a bit. That is until Patrice Bergeron got the puck off of assists from Dougie Hamilton and Brad Marchand at 10:36. And now friend we would have a tied game. As the game went on so did the physicality, mostly after whistles. Most notably was a scrum that would result in a four-on-four with Andrew Ference and Dion Phaneuf.  Regulation would end in a tie.

Overtime would come and go with both teams getting their chances. The game would come down to a shoot out. At this moment I am proud of the B’s for coming back and tying up the game. We’ve been waiting for the slump to end and I think  this game served as a wake up call.

Here’s how the shootout went:
Tyler Seguin : SCORES!
Tyler Bozak : SCORES!
Patrice Bergeron : SCORES!
Nzaem Kadri : MISS
Brad Marchand : MISS
Nikolai Kulemin : MISS

BRUINS WIN!!! Boston is now tied for first in the Northeast division with the Canadiens, which coincidentally is who they will play next.

P.S: thank you Jack Edwards for that beauty of a title!