Bruins upset by Carolina, 4-2

Gregory Campell and Nicolas Blanchard exchange
punches. (Gregg Forwerck/NHLI)

The Boston Bruins dropped their second straight game Saturday night, losing to the slumping Carolina Hurricanes, 4-2 in a violent affair. Boston got off to a promising start in a contest that ended in disappointment. The game was certainly there for the taking, but the B’s were ultimately snake bitten by a few notable mistakes. Carolina benefitted from outstanding goaltending and a determined, hard working sixty minutes. 

The Hurricanes snapped a 7-game losing streak and picked up their first victory since their March 30^th win over Winnipeg. In defeat, the Black-and-Gold once again failed to capitalize on another perfect chance to lock up playoff spot. The B’s would have assumed first in the Northeast Division on a night that saw Toronto annihilate Montreal. Instead Boston now sits at 26-11-4. 

The B's may have been defeated, but they went down swinging. 

Milan Lucic scored the game’s first goal. It was a vintage Lucic. The burly winger worked his way to the front of the Carolina net, carved out a nice spot, and redirected a Matt Bartkowski wrist shot by Justin Peters for his first tally in 26 games.

These clubs were at one another’s throats for much of the night. Following Lucic’s marker, tempers began to flare. Shawn Thornton and Kevin Westgarth hooked up in what was the first of three spirited bouts. Things seemed to be going smoothly. Looked as if the “big bad” Bruins style of hockey had returned. Zdeno Chara then locked up with Jay Harrison and beat him down after the two exchanged words in a scrum along the glass.

By way of the power play, Jeff Skinner ripped the game-tying goal past Tuukka Rask in the closing seconds of the first period. Immediately after, Gregory Campell and Nicolas Blanchard went toe-to-toe, exchanging several blows. Both teams would head for the intermission tied, 1-1.

Jiri Tlusty struck next for the Hurricanes, giving his team a 2-1 advantage. Just minutes later, Andrew Ference broke up a play in the neutral zone and chipped the puck ahead for Tyler Seguin. Seguin raced in behind the Canes defense, moved in alone on Justin Peters and snapped a bullet up and under the cross bar, knotting the game at two apiece. The game would remain deadlocked right through into the final frame.

Ex-Bruin Joe Corvo broke up a 2-2 score after notching Carolina’s second power play goal at 9:36 of the third period. The Canes would hold Boston in check for the remainder of this one. For good measures, Jiri Tlusty tapped home an empty netter, ending any comeback hopes the B’s may have had.

Despite losing to an inferior opponent, the positive takeaways out weight the negatives. Milan Lucic scoring in the fashion in which he did gives the Bruins and fans alike hope that he could round into form as the playoffs near. Jaromir, Jagr, Gregory Campell and Tyler Seguin played strong games. The trio accounted for the majority of the Bruin scoring bids. Jordan Caron pushed the envelope in his time on the ice, showing flashes of the brilliant player he projects to be. Showing some backbone in picking fights tonight, Boston reassured the NHL, fans, and outspoken critics that they are not a team that will be pushed around.

Sure, the B’s were only able to muster up two goals against a Carolina squad that had been getting lit up, but they would definitely have had more if it weren’t for the brilliant play of Justin Peters between the pipes for the Canes. The young tender turned away 28 of 30 shots faced, impressively withstanding sustained attacking pressure. Also, one cannot ignore the fact that it’s clear the Bruins are struggling to find a happy median with Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron out of the lineup.

Tuukka Rask stood tall for much of this one, only allowing a single even strength goal. The Bruins penalty kill surrendered two power play scores. The B’s killers looked out of sorts and were not their disciplined, NHL’s top ranked, selves. Boston had only allowed two PP goals once before this season. On the bright side Tuukka Rask showed his unflappable demeanor, making several huge saves.

Now, with three losses in five attempts, Boston will head back to the drawing board. Fortunately for the B’s, the Habs ended up losing as well. The division crown is still readily attainable. Highly regarded Swedish phenom, Carl Soderberg, was granted his release to the NHL Saturday afternoon. Help is on the way for the Bruins. The 27-year old forward should provide a much-needed boost to a team plagued by offensive shortcomings. Soderberg will provide Claude Julien with added balance and flexibility within the lineup.

More importantly, Patrice Bergeron practiced with his teammates in Carolina Saturday morning. Bergeron took part in some battling drills and showed no problematic symptoms. His return could come sooner than expected. If the 2012 Selke Award winner is able to rejoin his teammates next week, a nice run could be awaiting.

Game 41: Bruins vs. Hurricanes Game Preview

Boston Bruins: 26-10-4 vs. Carolina Hurricanes: 16-22-2

The Boston Bruins will be in Raleigh, North Carolina Saturday night for a showdown with the Carolina Hurricanes. The matchup will mark the third and final meeting between these clubs this year. The B’s will be in search of the season series sweep. Boston can clinch a playoff spot with a victory and regain the Northeast Division lead with a Montreal loss.

Claude Julien’s team will look to pick up their sixth win in their last eight attempts. As for the Hurricanes, not much has changed since the 6-2 beating the Black-and-Gold laid on them this past Monday night. The Canes have lost nine of their last ten games, including two additional losses since departing from Boston.

The main focus for the B’s will be rediscovering their offensive mojo. A team that scored early and often in beating the Canes earlier this week, followed up what was a promising effort with a disheartening shortcoming against the Islanders. Playing without leading scorers Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand, the B’s offense seemed to be out of sorts and marred by inconsistencies.

Facing a decimated Canes squad may once again prove to be exactly what the Bruins need in order to get things back on track. After falling 2-1 to Montreal on April 6, it was the Bruins bouncing back, hanging a six spot on Carolina. The B’s once again find themselves in a similar situation; only this time they will be looking to avenge a 2-1 loss to the Isles. Whether the B’s have the same success remains to be seen.

After a great deal of line shuffling and searching for the most advantageous way to fill the void left by Patrice Bergeron in the Bruins lineup, Claude Julien must now do the same in addressing Marchand’s absence. After a day off and a chance to reassess their assets, Boston will get another attempt at building chemistry. The Bruins have gotten a steady contribution from Gregory Campell and Rich Peverley recently. Both players have taken on significantly different roles and will provide immense assistance if they can keep up the success.

With the likes of Jaromir Jagr, David Krejci, Tyler Seguin, Milan Lucic, and Nathan Horton manning the Bruins front lines, emerging victorious Saturday should be of little issue. The Canes are one of the weaker defensive teams in the NHL and their lack of quality goaltending could help spring the top Bruin forwards in the right direction. Several of the B’s players admitted it has been difficult at times with out their top scorers, but no one around the NHL is feeling sorry. Boston needs to block out any extraneous deterrents and find what it takes from within.

The Hurricanes will be expected to trot out the same group from other night. The Staal brothers are always a threat, as is Jeff Skinner. Eric Staal, arguably Carolina’s best player, has not produced a single goal during their current 7 game losing skid. Look for the trio to receive a heavy dosage of Zdeno Chara and Dennis Seidenberg.

Tuukka Rask will likely be in goal for the B’s. Carolina has not been able to solve him, dropping both previous contests. Last time out, Tuukka turned aside 40 shots and improved to 3-2 in career head-to-head matchups. Things don’t look bright for the Hurricanes.

Look for the Bruins to continue on in riding their hot goalies. No matter who man’s the Boston crease, goals will be difficult to come by for the Hurricanes. Carolina has been brutally outscored 59-24 in their last 15 tilts (1-13-1).  At the end of the day, stats don’t lie. The B’s are fifth in the league in points (56) and have outscored the opposition by a combined 27 goals this season. They are still an elite NHL team and should face little resistance in knocking of the Canes.

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.  

Game 38: Hurricanes-Bruins Preview

Boston Bruins: 24-9-4 Carolina Hurricanes: 16-19-2

The Boston Bruins will play host to the Carolina Hurricanes Monday night. Boston knocked of Carolina way back on January 28, 5-3. This tilt will mark the first of two games slated between the clubs this week.  The B’s will look to bounce back from a dejecting loss in Montreal against a slumping, and very beatable Canes squad. With season’s end in sight and their offense drastically underachieving, the Black-and-Gold have no choice but to play with an elevated sense of urgency.

Boston’s offense has only managed to collect 2 goals in their past 2 games. Several of the B’s forwards have been non-existent for long stretches, suffering from a lack of chemistry and poor execution. The loss of Patrice Bergeron, the addition of Jaromir Jagr, and the sheer inability to light the lamp has forced Claude Julien into shuffling his lines with the hopes of sparking life within the attacking zone.

Yesterday in practice Julien dropped winger Tyler Seguin in the lineup and rearranged several of his bottom nine forwards, leaving the Lucic-Krejci-Horton line in tact. The Bruins have been dominant on TD Garden ice, skating to 13-2-2 record thus far this season. Boston had their way with Carolina last time out, exploding for 5 scores, something their offense has not been able to consistently achieve in some time now.

Carolina has lost 4 of their last 5 and 11 of 12 games. Since losing goaltender Cam Ward to injury, the Canes have been on the slide and have fallen completely out of playoff contention. They have been outscored 46 to 18 over the course of putrid 1-10-1 stretch.

In facing a mediocre Canes team, the B’s find themselves in a perfect situation to bounce back and get their anemic offense on track. Carolina is statistically one of the worst defensive clubs in the NHL. In spite of the Hurricanes recent command over Boston, this date may be just what the Bruins need in order to regain the confidence that has slipped away.

Whether it is Tuukka Rask or Anton Khudobin in goal, things look bleak for Carolina. Both Boston tenders have played outstanding at home and with Alexander Semin likely sitting this contest out, goals may hard to come by.

Look for the B’s to convincingly beat up on one of the Eastern Conference’s worst. With the Bruins failing to respond in the most important of moments in recent weeks, winning tonight is essentially a must. Claude Julien has been racking his brain, trying to evoke emotion from his team that has been in a lull for some time now. Decimated by injury, Carolina still cannot be overlooked. It would be wise of Boston to put the foot down early on and rekindle that chemistry that has been eluding them. Chris Kelly will make his much longed for return from injury and should provide greater balance to a lineup that is in desperate need of it.

Projected Lines:

Lucic-Krejci-Horton

Marchand-Campell-Jagr

Paille-Kelly-Seguin

Caron-Peverley-Thornton

Chara-Hamilton

Bartkowski-Seidenberg

Ference-Boychuk

Rask