A
rivalry in which each game has historically been highly contested; it was the
Bruins who dominated this one. The Flyers were no match for Boston as they were
outplayed in nearly every aspect of the game. Claude Julien’s group looked
rested, well prepared, and ready to roll right from the opening face off. The
Bruins demonstrated defensive poise all afternoon in blanking Philadelphia 3-0.
Tuukka Rask stood tall in a game in which every member of the black and gold
contributed positively. Boston
improved to 16-3-3 with the victory and for the time being sit alone atop the
Eastern Conference.
Philadelphia
took to the man advantage right out of the gate as David Krejci was whistled
for a holding infraction one minute in. Like they have all season, the Bruins
penalty killers took care of business. The NHL’s top ranked unit then erased
two more Flyer power plays in the third period, securing another win for
Boston. The Bruins defensive corps played airtight defense for the full sixty.
The blue liners were crisp with their rotations, they eliminated nearly every
Philadelphia passing lane, and did an impressive job in forcing play away from
the slot and to the outside. The Flyers struggled to gain clean entry into
their attacking end while the Bruins made a conscience effort to keep them
pinned along the boards.
The
Flyers offense looked to be out of sync all game long and struggled to sustain
any substantial pressure. This was not the case for Boston. Despite being
outshot, the Bruins put this game on ice in one fell swoop. Tyler Seguin, Chris
Kelly, and Danny Paille all scored goals within a 2:18 of one another. Tyler
Seguin’s eighth goal of the season came on the power play via a nifty backhand
pass from Milan Lucic. Boston’s second tally was a direct result of a viscous
fore-checking shift put on by Rich Peverley and fresh call up Jordan Caron.
Ultimately it was Chris Kelly who beat Ilya Bryzgalov for his second of the
year. Danny Paille then made a heads up play when he striped Philadelphia of
possession and drove the net for his fourth of the year.
Boston
took a 3-0 lead to the dressing room and never let up. Niklas Grossman was the
lone bright spot for the Flyers as he dished out seven bone crunching hits.
Grossman, recognizing the Flyers comatose style of play wasn’t going to cut it,
did his best to provide a spark. Despite his efforts, Philadelphia continued on
as if it was going through the motions. Boston recognized the Flyers lack of
intensity and resiliency as they exploited a team that struggled with its
execution in all three zones.
The Bruins rolled all four lines with
confidence. Each line seemed to have a signature moment in this tilt. The
Lucic-Krejci-Horton line may not have lit up the score sheet but it certainly
played a major role. They successfully set up an effective cycle in the
Philadelphia end and let seven shots fly. The Seguin-Bergeron-Marchand line
kept its rampant scoring tear going. Seguin now has three goals in his last two
games while Patrice Bergeron now holds the NHL’s best +/- rating (+17).
The
most encouraging sign of all was the production Boston received from its third
and fourth lines. Rich Peverley and Jordan Caron both assisted on a Chris Kelly
goal as all three of them had a hop in their step throughout. Philadelphia’s
Zac Rinaldo blew up Johnny Boychuk along the end boards with a punishing body
check and it was Shawn Thornton who came to his aid. Thornton dropped the
gloves and got the take down as he administered a flurry of damaging jabs. Team
play continues to be the hallmark of this Boston team.
The
Bruins showed why they are one the most, if not the most well rounded club in
the NHL. Boston’s punishing toughness, four-line depth, superior special team
play, and tightfisted defensive work makes them a nightmare of a match up.
Boston controlled the puck for the majority of the hockey game by utilizing
their size, speed, skill, and resolute determination. Tuukka finally got his
revenge on the Flyers, stopping all twenty-three shots he faced. As another
Flyers-Bruins installment heads into the history books, it is evident the
Bruins have ironed out any wrinkles that may have crept into their game.
Boston, now winners of two straight, will head for Ottawa Monday night. The
injury ridden Senators are next up.
No comments:
Post a Comment