Bruins blowout the Canes, 6-2

Jaromir Jagr and Brad Marchand celebrate after hooking up
for their second score of the night. (Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

The Boston Bruins exploited an overwhelmed Carolina Hurricanes team, defeating them, 6-2. An offensive break through powered the B’s to their fourth victory in five tries. The Black-and-Gold demonstrated newfound chemistry as Claude Julien’s lineup changes proved to be worthwhile. Tuukka Rask stood tall all evening and the Bruins wasted little time in asserting themselves as the top dog. Like any great team, Boston made it a point to dispose of their inferior opponent.

Playing without their offensive leader Patrice Bergeron, the B’s had been struggling to generate attacking zone pressure or any sort of significant scoring chances for that matter. Claude Julien took to the drawing board and crafted the perfect lineup card. After several games of flip-flopping and mismatching different combinations, Julien seems to have found a winning formula.  

Boston was able to successfully and effectively role all 4 lines in this game, receiving generous contributions from several key guys. Not only were the Bruins forwards stepping up, the blue-liners added some firepower of their own. The B’s had 6 players with multi point efforts and 11 different guys registering points. The 6 goals posted marked a season high.

For the first time in a great while, Boston jumped out to an early first period lead. A day after being demoted to line 4, a scuffling Rich Peverley responded in a big way. Peverley was able to follow his own miss, beating Jason Peters on a wrap around bid. The nifty move gave Pevs his fifth goal of the year. Just minutes later, it was Brad Marchand crashing the net, banging home a Gregory Campell rebound. Marchand struck again at the end of the first, making its 3-0.  This time it was Jaromir Jagr who was denied, but Marchand was again in the right spot at the right time, mucking in the dirty areas.

Carolina pulled goaltender Jason Peters following the B’s second goal. Dan Ellis came in and he neither could stop the bleeding. Boston continued its offensive onslaught getting two-second period markers from Andrew Ference and Jordan Caron.

Ference continued Boston’s determined effort in establishing an unwavering net front presence. He was able to redirect a Dennis Seidenberg blast by Dan Ellis after rotating to the low slot from his point position. Jordan Caron then capped off an impressive shift, picking up his first tally this year. Working hard to keep the puck in the Carolina end, the young winger smacked a seeing-eye goal through several bodies, giving the Bruins a 5-0 advantage. Nathan Horton added the sixth goal of the game in the third period on a Dougie Hamilton cross-slot feed.

Greg Campell seemed to bring invaluable energy, centering a line with Brad Marchand and Jaromir Jagr. The reinsertion of Jordan Caron and the return of Chris Kelly helped to balance out a Bruins offense that was in dire need of a make over. Dennis Seidenberg had a career game, recording 3 assists and 3 points, both highs for him. The two points from Andrew Ference rounded out a complete team performance.

Despite a lopsided final score, this tilt was by no means a cakewalk for Boston. Tuukka Rask was the deciding difference, making numerous noteworthy sprawling saves. Carolina controlled play off the opening draw and directed several shots toward Rask in rapid fashion. Fortunately for the Bruins, Rask was up to the task yet again. He was remarkably sharp for sixty minutes, turning aside 40 shots for the second time in three games. If it was not for Tuukka, this game could have taken a turn for the worse, as the Bruins defense was not up to par.

Carolina was able to post two third period goals, though the game was all but over by then. Boston improved to 25-9-4 and 8-0-1 in their nine home games. More importantly, the B’s proved they were able to make the necessary adjustments needed to rebound from a frustrating and heavily criticized loss in Montreal. Granted it was a decimated Hurricanes club the Bruins beat up on, but this sort of victory was a long time coming and could do wonders in sparking a promising stretch run.