Bruins Lose 3-2 in Ottawa

Embattled Bruins Goaltender Manny Fernandez

By Jim Chandley

In their first game since clinching the top spot in the Eastern Conference, the Bruins started Manny Fernandez in goal to give starter Tim Thomas a night off.

Christoph Schubert and Mike Fisher scored in the first to give Ottawa a 2-0 lead.

Zdeno Chara and Phil Kessel scored in the second for the B’s (Kessel’s was his 32nd on the season), but so did Ottawa’s Dany Heatley.

The Senators kept their 3-2 lead throughout a few charges from the Bruins in the third.  The score  would remain at 3-2.

Boston will host the Habs on Thursday night at the Garden.

Drop and Give Me 30!

Now a 30-goal scorer, Kessel looks to take his place with the league's elite

By Jim Chandley

Phil Kessel put his 30th goal of the year past Yann Danis three minutes into the 1st as the Bruins beat the Islanders on Saturday.  Moments later, Marc Savard would bury another (his 22nd) to give the B’s a 2-0 lead.

Boston had busted out of the gate with that early intensity that has eluded them for weeks.  At 4:21 in the 1st they were on pace to score 24 goals on the afternoon.

Of course, that did not happen.

The Bruins would hang on to win the game 2-1, but the intensity disappeared.  They stopped taking care of the puck late in the first and survived a few near misses.  The Islanders out skated them for much of the second and got a goal from Mark Streit to make it 2-1.

The entire third was an exercise in bullet dodging.  Tim Thomas was brilliant at times keeping the lead for the B’s.  But once again, the Bruins did not play the full 60 minutes.

So the good news is, two wins in a row.  The bad news is, the Bruins still can not focus.  They will try for a more complete effort tomorrow afternoon in Pittsburgh when they visit Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and the rest of the Penguins.

Bruins Lose to Blue Jackets

Raffi Torres who scored the game winner for Columbus

By Jim Chandley

Tonight’s effort was all too familiar for anyone who has been following the Bruins of late.  The B’s came out flat to start the game which has happened many times during the recent slide (3-6-1 in the last 10).

The game was filled with big hits and fisticuffs but very short on offense.  Raffi Torres scored early in the 3rd for the first goal of the game and the only one that would matter.  The goal came on a powerplay for Columbus and the shot was all-but-stopped by Tim Thomas.  It hit Thomas’ stick-side shoulder and trickled in.

The B’s turned on the after-burners following the go-ahead goal, but it was too little, too late as has been the case in many recent games.  Rick Nash would add an empty net goal in the last minute of the game, as the Bruins were applying pressure and almost knotted it up.

The Bruins will host the Senators on Thursday night at the Garden.

Bruins Lose to Capitals 4-3 in OT

Alexander Semin was too much for the Bruins in OT

The Bruins fell to the Capitals in OT at the Garden Saturday on an impossible goal by Alexander Semin.  Hunwick, Kessel and Chara each scored in different periods, Chara’s effort coming on a powerplay in the 3rd to force overtime.

The highlight for the Capitals in regulation was Alex Ovechkin’s goal from the left slot from what looked like an impossible angle.  Tim Thomas slid to his right as the pass was made cross ice by Matt Bradley, leaving nothing for the young star to look at but pads.  But Ovechkin buried it and reminded us all why he is the best in the game.

22 seconds into overtime, Alexander Semin scored on a shot that even he didn’t expect to go in.  Semin teed up a shot from just over the redline and let it rip.  The rocket found a hole in Thomas’ pads and trickled into the back of the net, giving the Capitals the win.  The Bruins did salvage a point for the overtime loss.

The Bruins will host the Flyers on Tuesday night at the Garden.

Bruins Skate Past Ducks, 6-0

Bruins defenseman Matt Hunwick who scored the winning goal early in the game Thursday

By Jim Chandley

Boston brought intensity that we haven’t seen in some time tonight as they hosted Anaheim at the Garden.  Tim Thomas stopped 35 shots and recorded his 4th shutout of the season.

Matt Hunwick scored at 17:54 in the first.  Michael Ryder and Chuck Kobasew each netted two goals in the Second period, effectively ending the game.  Byron Bitz tacked one on in the middle of the third.

The Bruins will host Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals on Saturday afternoon at 1.  The Bruins still lead the Eastern Conference with 92 points and have the second best record in all of hockey.

Bruins Stomp Panthers

Boston's Chuck Kobasew

By Jim Chandley

After a 1-3-1 road trip, the Bruins just needed to sleep in their own beds for a night.  Back at the Garden on Tuesday, Boston dominated the Florida Panthers in every aspect of the game.

The Bruins were clearly a better team all night, taking a 3-1 lead into the 3rd period.  But in the 3rd, things just got out of hand.  Byron Bitz, Aaron Ward and Michael Ryder (back from injury) all netted goals in the third.

Between the fourth and fifth goals, Chuck Kobasew destroyed the Panthers Keith Ballard along the boards in the Panthers zone.  Ballard got up looking for a piece of Kobasew and didn’t get much.  The two danced, Kobasew landed a few shots and Ballard fell to his knees.  The fight was not one-sided, but Ballard had already lost when his clocked was cleaned seconds earlier.

Tim Thomas stopped 24 of 25 shots from Florida for his 26th win of the season.

The B’s will host the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday night at the Garden.