It is the final game of 2011 and what better way for the Bruins to ring in the new year than with a team tey typically get into blood bath’s with.
The Bruins and Stars don’t play each other often but when they do, for some reason, the teams find a way to get into a donnybrook.
Boston will try and extend its seven game win streak, while Dallas has lost four of their last six games and looks to snap a two game skid. The Stars are 20-15-1 and sit third in the Pacific Division. They are a point behind LA for the final playoff spot in the west.
Projected Bruins lines Forwards Milan Lucic-David Krejci-Nathan Horton Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-Tyler Seguin Benoit Pouliot-Chris Kelly-Rich Peverley Daniel Paille-Gregory Campbell-Shawn Thornton
Defense Zdeno Chara-Johnny Boychuk Dennis Seidenberg-Joe Corvo Andrew Ference-Adam McQuaid
Goalies Tim Thomas Tuukka Rask Scratches:Zach Hamill, Steven Kampfer
Projected Stars lines Forwards Loui Eriksson-Jamie Benn-Michael Ryder Brenden Morrow-Mike Ribeiro-Steve Ott Eric Nystrom-Vernon Fiddler-Radek Dvorak Jake Dowell-Tom Wandell-Adam Burish
Defense Nicklas Grossman-Trevor Daley Alex Goligoski-Philip Larsen Mark Fistric-Adam Pardy
Goalies Kari Lehtonen Richard Bachman Scratches:Toby Petersen, Sheldon Souray (ankle), Stephane Robidas (lower body)
Since this wonderful year of 2011 is coming to an end. Here are the top 11 Bruins moments of 2011.
#11 –Any season where Bruins fans can go to a game and hear Rene Rancourts voice bellow through the sound system at TD Garden as he churns out the American National Anthem is always a good season. So to kick off the countdown. Rene Rancourt and his Rancourt fist-pump, a Boston classic since 1979.
#10 The end of a career for Mark Recchi. Recchi won 3 Stanley Cups and is fourth all time in games played.
#9 – Tyler Seguin’s first career NHL goal. It came when the Bruins took on the Coyotes in Prague at the beginning of last season. It was one snipe from Seguin that was the first in a long line of snipe’s to come.
#8 –Days before the Bruins brawled with Montreal they had a bit of a scuffle with Dallas. Three fights in the first four seconds, then a goal in what might have been the most exciting opening moment of a hockey game…ever. Not to mention the Bruins added a second goal forty-five seconds after their first goal. In all, 3 fights and 2 goals in the first 1:20 of the game.
#7 Michael Ryder’s glove save. Winning a championship is all about sacrifice of the body. This was on display when Ryder stepped into the net and made a save for Tim Thomas who was out of position after making a previous save.
#6 – Brawl with Montreal. Much like how the 2004 Red Sox got a spark from their brawl with the Yankees in July. This beginning of February game with Montreal seemed to have the same effect on the Bruins.
#5 –There isn’t enough time to post/watch every clutch save Tim Thomas made. But without him the team would not have come anywhere close to the season they had last year. So here are a few of Thomas’ best.
#4 –Bruins bury the demons of a 3-0 series collapse from the 2009-10 season by a four game sweep of the Flyers in the 2011 playoffs. Allowing for yet another and final Jack Edwards rant.
#3 – Nathan Horton’s three game winning goals in the post season.
#2 – Obviously, nothing tops the team taking home Lord Stanley’s Cup.
#1 Some of you might wonder why the Bruins winning the Cup only came at number two. Well its more like 1 and 1A. Raising the Cup during game seven is number two but raising the banner to the rafters is number one. The banner will hang from the ceiling of the Garden for all to see. It is now part of Boston Bruins lure.
It is always exciting when the Bruins and Stars meet on the ice. Last season the two teams had three fights and two goals in the first 1:20 of the game. A few years back. also in Boston, the two teams had a few line brawls. The good news for Bruins fans, both games resulted in Bruins wins.
When the Bruins looked under the tree on Christmas morning, they found plane tickets to Phoenix. Yes, the four day Christmas break was enjoyable but it was time to get back to work for the B’s as they win 2-1, in overtime, in front of the biggest crowd EVER at Jobing.com Arena in Phoenix.
All season the Bruins had not had a decision in overtime, but a shot from Dennis Seidenberg, tipped in by Chris Kelly (13) just fifty-eight seconds into OT. The win is Boston’s 24th of the season. Its the most in the NHL and puts them alone a top the Eastern Conference for the time being.
It didn’t take long for the Bruins to get right back to where they left off. It was their first shot on goal from David Krejci (7) just forty-seven seconds into the game which put the Bruins on the scoreboard.
The ageless, Ray Whitney tied the game 1-1 when he split the D and made one last quick move to open-up Tuukka Rask and slide the puck five-hole to beat him for the goal.
Then it was Adam McQuaid who wanted to throw hands with Raffi Torres. Remember him from last year in Vancouver. Well, Torres threw an elbow on Andrew Ference while they were chasing down the puck. Even though the refs called a penalty on Torres, the play was still not going to fly with McQuaid as he grabbed Torres and showed his displeasure.
A scoreless second period, allowed for some nice defensive plays. Rask made a couple big time saves but the play of the period was the toughness of Johnny Boychuk. He took a shot in the cherries and as he was hunched over using his stick as an anchor keeping him upright, he remained in the play and was useful. Boychuk after slouching around, found it within himself to take two quick strides and try to make a body check, then eventually got the puck and cleared it out of the Bruins end to allow himself to get off the ice.
Tuukka made 21 saves on 22 shots in the contest. Rask earned his 8th win of the season and his fourth consecutive win.
It wasn’t a pretty game by the Bruins. It looked like it was going to be another blow out by the way it started, with a Krejci goal in the first minute. But as the game played out both teams seemed like they had a hard time getting anything started.
The entire broadcast both Jack and Brickly were talking about how the ice was soft and it was hard to make long passes like fans are accustomed to seeing the B’s make and as a result players might feel the need to hang on to the puck for an extra second and try to make an extra move. If that was the case, it caused problems because guys were getting stuffed at the blue line on entrance of the offensive zone most of the time.
The Bruins next contest will be in Dallas on New Years Eve, when they face-off with old friend Michael Glyder.
After a four day mini-vacation the Bruins will get back to work tonight when they have their only meeting of the season with Phoenix.
To date, the trip to Phoenix is the furthest west the B’s have traveled this season and they will not go west again until the final few weeks of the season when they make a San Jose, Anaheim, LA swing.
The Bruins are currently riding a six game winning streak and the Coyotes are third in the Pacific Division with a 18-15-3 record. They have also dropped three of their last five games.
Tuukka will get his second straight start and deservingly so. He has pitched a shutout in his last two starts. On the down side it will be another night without Rich Peverley.
Projected Bruins lines Forwards Milan Lucic-David Krejci-Nathan Horton Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-Tyler Seguin Benoit Pouliot-Chris Kelly-Zach Hamill Daniel Paille-Gregory Campbell-Shawn Thornton
Defense Zdeno Chara-Johnny Boychuk Dennis Seidenberg-Joe Corvo Andrew Ference-Adam McQuaid
Goalies Tuukka Rask Tim Thomas Scratches:Rich Peverley (undisclosed), Steven Kampfer
Projected Coyotes lines Forwards Ray Whitney-Lauri Korpikoski-Radim Vrbata Mikkel Boedker-Daymond Langkow-Shane Doan Raffi Torres-Cal O’Reilly-Patrick O’Sullivan Paul Bisonnette-Kyle Chipchura-Taylor Pyatt
Defense Oliver Ekman-Larsson-Michal Rozsival Keith Yandle-Derek Morris David Schlemko-Rostislav Klesla
Goalies Jason LaBarbera Curtis McElhinney
Scratches: David Rundblad, Andy Miele, Adrian Aucoin (lower body), Boyd Gordon (upper body), Martin Hanzal (upper body), Mike Smith (groin)
NHL.com – The National Hockey League (NHL®) and NHL Original Productions today announced Boston Bruins center Patrice Bergeron as the next NHL player to be profiled in the all-access series NHL 36.
“Patrice has won a Stanley Cup, plus a gold medal at the Olympics, at the World Championship and at the World Junior Championship,” said Ross Greenburg, executive producer, NHL 36. “He is one of the League’s most under-rated superstars.”
NHL Original Productions cameras joined the Bruins’ alternate captain at 7:30 a.m., ET, today and will follow him for 36 hours as Bergeron participates in team practices, flies with teammates to Arizona and prepares for Boston’s game against the Phoenix Coyotes.
NHL 36: Patrice Bergeron will air Wednesday, Jan. 4, at 6:30 p.m. on NBC Sports Network (formerly VERSUS).
For all you B’s fans out there who were wishing the Bruins had HBO following them around to film a show like 24/7, well your wish is true because there will be a mini-episode of a 24/7-like show.
36-hours of total Bergeron coverage, what his life is like in and outside of the rink. I think of all the players on the Bruins Bergeron would be one of the more exciting guys to follow. Sure he won’t be tearing up the town like Marshmont of Seguin would be but he (Bergeron) is a 26 year-old, single guy, living in Boston.
Bergeron also takes the game seriously and is an extremely hard worker and it will be nice to see what he does off the ice that gives him the passion he has on the ice.
CBS Boston — Bruins winger Brad Marchand was named the NHL’s First Star of the Week on Monday.
The Bruins lead the NHL in goals scored (119), and Marchand has been a big reason why.
The 23-year-old had four goals in just two games last week, including his first career hat trick in the team’s 8-0 win over the Florida Panthers.
For the season, Marchand has 15 goals and 14 assists.
His plus/minus rating of +25 is second in the NHL.
Marshmont is just killing it and he is playing on what looks like the best line in the league. Seguin and Marchand already have hat tricks this season.
The guy is playing out of his mind as well as the team. Sky is the limit right now for these guys.
The Bruins just continue to roll, as last night they took down the Florida Pussycats 8-0 at TD Garden. Bruins fans received an early Christmas gift from the team as they got to see Brad Marchand record his first career hat trick.
The three goals were number 13,14, and 15 on the season for Marchand. I have to say, his third goal was a very unselfish play by Seguin. It was a very well executed give and go by the duo and Seguin could have easily shot the puck but knew Marchand was a goal away from the hatty.
After Marshmont led off the game with a shorthanded goal, Milan Lucic (12) scored then Benoit Pouliot (7) scored his third goal in as many games and a festivus miracle, Dennis Seidenberg (1) netted his first goal of the season before the period came to an end.
Campbell (3) made it 5-0 when he scored just 1:50 into the second period. Bergeron (7) added a PP goal before the period ended.
Fourteen of the eighteen skaters on the team had points for the Bruins in the 8-0 victory.
Tuukka Rask posted his second shutout in as many starts, stopping all 30 shots he faced. Rask also lowered his GAA to 1.66 and raised his save percentage to a league best .944%.
The Bruins are off for the Christmas holiday and will travel to Phoenix for a game Wednesday night.
In the final game before the NHL takes a few days off for a Christmas break, the B’s will get a rematch with the surging Florida Panthers at TD Garden.
The B’s will be adding and subtracting from their line-up tonight. Milan Lucic will return after serving his one game suspension and Rich Peverley will be out with an undisclosed injury, so Zach Hamill will remain in the line-up.
Boston will be going up against Jose Theodore, who made 40 saves in Florida’s 2-0 win against the B’s back on December 8th.
Florida has lost their last two (4-3 in OT to Ottawa, 2-1 Phoenix) and is currently two points behind the Bruins for second in the Conference. The Panthers have also lost 5 of 7 since playing the Bruins last.
Projected Bruins lines Forwards Milan Lucic-David Krejci-Nathan Horton Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-Tyler Seguin Benoit Pouliot-Chris Kelly-Zach Hamill Daniel Paille-Gregory Campbell-Shawn Thornton Defense Zdeno Chara-Johnny Boychuk Dennis Seidenberg-Joe Corvo Andrew Ference-Adam McQuaid Goalies Tim Thomas Tuukka Rask Scratches:Rich Peverley (undisclosed), Jordan Caron, Steven Kampfer
Projected Panthers lines Forwards Tomas Fleischmann-Shawn Matthias-Kris Versteeg Tomas Kopecky-Mike Santorelli-Matt Bradley Bill Thomas-Tim Kennedy-Evgenii Dadonov Krystofer Barch-Michal Repik Defense Ed Jovanovski-Keaton Ellerby Jason Garrison-Brian Campbell Dmitry Kulikov-Mike Weaver
Erik Gudbranson Goalies Jose Theodore Scott Clemmensen Scratches: Stephen Weiss (upper body), Marco Sturm (face), Sean Bergenheim (groin), Mikael Samuelsson (tailbone)
