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[Game Recap] Tuukkamania Runs Wild In New Jersey, B's Drop Devils In OT 1-0

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Game Seventy-Six (Live on NESN(HD) or 98.5FM The Sports Hub)
Boston Bruins (35-29-12) @ New Jersey Devils (44-26-6)
March 29th, 2010 @ 7:00PM

[credit: AP Photos]

	1	2	3	OT	F
Boston Bruins	0	0	0	1	1
New Jersey Devils	0	0	0	0	0

• Rask out-duels legend Brodeur in goaltending battle to give the Bruins two much needed points to hold onto the 8th seed in the East.


• The Bruins out-shot the Devils 34-to-21, led by captain Zdeno Chara and Patrice Bergeron who each threw five pucks a piece at Martin Brodeur. Boston also out-hit New Jersey 20-to-15 through the three periods and four plus minutes of overtime.


• TUUKK NUKEM made 21-saves to earn his 5th shutout of the season and give the Bruins a much needed two points. After tonight's win Rask now leads the league in save-percentage (.929) and goals against average (2.02).


• Patrice Bergeron's goal with 18-seconds remaining in overtime can be compared to a snooze alarm on a game that I never knew started. Bergy know has recorded 50-points this season (18-32-50).


• Overall this was one of the most boring games of hockey I have ever watched in a long time. After a quick start for the Bruins the games tempo slowly dropped off as both teams went into their defensive formations and didn't budge. Still... a win is a win.


• Both Boston and New Jersey went 0-for-2 with the man advantage tonight.


• The Bruins are now tied with the Montreal Canadiens and Philadelphia Flyers in the Eastern Conference standings with 82 points a piece. The teams rankings didn't change however due to the amount of wins each team has over each other.


• The Atlanta Thrashers dropped the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight to keep pace with the Bruins and stay only two points behind the Black & Gold. Some might see this as a bad thing but with the Leafs winning games in packs and threatening to blow a top three pick in the draft for Boston, I didn't mind this loss.


• RANT TIME! I am sick and tired of watching Blake Wheeler and Michael Ryder just glide along taking up space. It seems that everytime a play develops either Wheels or Ryder are setup as the final pieces of the puzzle yet can never finish. Both are pathetic to watch in the cornors when trying to fight for the puck. Basically, whenever a play is developing and either of those two are on the ice I just drop an hopes of seeing a Bruins goal (unless Krejci holds onto the puck the whole time).


• The Bruins return to action Thursday night on home ice to take on the struggling Florida Panthers.

In Case You Missed It: Savvy Injury Update Press Conference

[Game Preview] Bruins @ Devils

Game Seventy-Six (Live on NESN(HD) or 98.5FM The Sports Hub)
Boston Bruins (34-29-12) @ New Jersey Devils
March 30th, 2010 @ 7:00PM

• The Bruins head to New Jersey tonight to meet the Devils for the fourth and final time this season. The Devils have won the the first three meetings and will be looking to make a clean sweep in the season series on home ice tonight. In the two teams last meeting on March 15th, goaltender Tim Thomas was pulled after allowing three early goals that proved to be too much for the team to comeback from much like last night. The B's are in a desperate need of two points, especially with Atlanta only two-points below them and playing the Leafs tonight, so look for them to come out strong.


• Tuukka Rask is expected to start in net tonight for the Bruins, after coming in to last nights game on relief duty after Tim Thomas allowed three early (and semi-soft) goals against the Sabres. Tuukka had a rough outing in his last start allowing 5 goals against the Tampa Bay Lightning but did make 19 great saves off the bench last night.


• Defenseman Andrew Ference has traveled to New Jersey with his team after missing the last two games due to a nagging groin injury but is still expected not to dress tonight. James Murphy of NESN reported yesterday that Ference may now actually even need the to go under the knife sooner than originally planned (was set to have surgery in the offseason). Tough break for both "Glass Groin" and the Bruins.


• Tim Thomas was not happy getting pulled last night, and called it the most frustrating moment in his professional career with the Bruins. The fans have obviously turned their backs on Thomas. Rumors have circulated in the past that his teammates have also done the same. But have the coaches now thrown in the towel on Timmy?


• Tonight we will finally get the answer to the question: Can a team full of Devils beat Satan?


• Follwoing tonight's game, Matt Kalman of ESPN Boston and The Bruins Blog will be joining 4SportsBoston @ 10:00PM for this weeks "On The Ice" Bruins podcast. Check it out... Tonight's scheduled topics: Bruins/Devils recap, Marc Savard presser, look ahead at the upcoming week, and of course some quality time with Kalman.


• 2008 draft pick Joe Colborne has signed with the Boston Bruins following Denver's early exit from the 2010 NCAA Frozen Four. The intial report has been confirmed by the Denver student newspaper that spoke with Colborne yesterday. There still has been no official announcement made by the Bruins or Denver University yet. Rumors began to fly around the interweb last week hinting towards Colborne jumping ship to the NHL following his sophomore season due to his quick mental and physical progression in Denver for the last two years.


• Join fellow Bruins die-hards at the Hard Rock Cafe in Faneuil Hall tonight for the final fan viewing party of the regular season. It doesn't hurt that the Ice Girls will be in the house and there will be giveaways and raffles taking place all night either.

Boston Bruins		New Jersey Devils
34-29-12	Record	44-26-5
80	Points	93
2.41	G/G	2.63
2.40	GA/G	2.39
52.3	Faceoff %	49.2
17.8	Power Play	18.4
85.9	Penalty Kill	82.4
-6	+/-	11

PLAYER	W	L	OTL	GAA	SV%	SO
Boston Bruins
Tim Thomas	16	18	8	2.55	.915	5
Tuukka Rask	18	11	4	2.08	.928	4
New Jersey Devils
Martin Brodeur	41	24	4	2.37	.912	7
Yann Danis	3	2	1	2.06	.923	0

PLAYER	POS	INJURY	STATUS
Boston Bruins
Marc Savard	C	Concussion	Out
Andrew Ference	D	Groin	Questionable
New Jersey Devils
Andrew Peters	LW	Eye	Out

TuukkaTime's Post-Game Video Recap

[Game Recap] Is The Tim Thomas Era Over In Boston? Sabres Drop B's 3-2

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Game Seventy-Five (Live on Versus(HD) or 98.5FM The Sports Hub)
Boston Bruins (34-28-12) vs. Buffalo Sabres (41-23-10)
March 29th, 2010 @ 7:00PM

[credit: AP Photos]

	1	2	3	F
Boston Bruins	1	0	1	2
Buffalo Sabres	2	1	0	3

• Thomas gets boo'ed off the ice (again) at the Garden, as the Bruins get beat by the Northeast leading Buffalo Sabres.


• The B's out-shot the Sabres 42-to-33 but only managed to toss two of them into the back of the net. Boston also out-hit Buffalo 23-to-12 which should have given them an edge on an injury plagued team... but it didn't.


• Tim Thomas allowed three goals on 14 shots and was ultimately pulled five-minutes into the second period for Tuukka Rask. Thomas did have the first two goals get deflected right infront of him making them pretty much impossible to save. But still the second was a result of a bad rebound he caused and the third was just a softy. Rough night for Timmy... who got jeered as he left the ice.


• Tuukka Rask came off the bench in a relief effort making stopping all 19 of the shots he faced, giving the Black & Gold a fighting chance to make a comeback.


• David Krejci got the Bruins on the board with his 17th goal of the season thanks to some fancy stick-work around Ryan Miller. Krejci is currently riding a four game point streak (3-4-7) and isn't showing any signs of slowing down.


• Dennis Seidenberg scored his second goal as a Bruin and the teams second goal of the night closing the gap on Sabres to 3-2 late in the third period. Seidy is riding a four game point streak (2-2-4) and has scored in back-to-back games. Chiarelli, anytime now with that contract extension...


• The Bruins pulled Tuukka with around a minute remaining in the third period and piled the pressure on the Sabres and Ryan Miller. However, the effort was a too little too late.


• The Atlanta Thrashers lost tonight and remain in 9th place in the East only two points behind the Bruins.


• Huge hits from Vladimir Sobotka and Johnny Boychuk in the opening period of the night set an early tone for the game that seemed to fade away following Buffalo's second goal. Consistency has been this teams problem all season long, yet they constantly lack consistency?


• Dennis Wideman was a -2 after the first period and had recorded two goals... against his own team. Both of the Sabres first period goals came directly off of Wideman who seemed to be in the wrong places all night long. Wides' finished the game as a -3.


• The Bruins return to action tomorrow night in New Jersey to take on Martin Brodeur and the Devils.

[Game Preview] Bruins vs. Sabres

Game Seventy-Five (Live on NESN(HD) or 98.5FM The Sports Hub)
Boston Bruins (34-28-12) @ Buffalo Sabres (41-23-10)
March 29th, 2010 @ 7:00PM

• Tonight is the fifth of six games between the Bruins and Sabres this season. The Bruins currently own the season series 3-1-0, two of the games going into extra minutes. Goaltender Tuukka Rask has made all four starts for the Bruins and has allowed only a combined seven goals. The B's currently hold their own fate in their hands heading into the final stretch of the season. It seems the team is finally clicking as all the right guys are getting hot but will that be enough for them to hold onto the 8th seed in the East? Tonight will be a good test...


• Tim Thomas was the first off the ice during todays morning pre-game skate indicating that he would be tonight's starter. Thomas shutdown the Flames on Saturday afternoon to earn his 5th shutout of the season. Tuukka Rask has started in the Bruins four previous games against the Sabres. Timmy's Olympic teammate Ryan Miller is expected to start for the Sabres.


• Why does Tuukka Rask hate Swede's so much? Find out this and so much more about Tuukk Nukem during this weeks edition of Shawn Thornton's Vlog over at the Bruins.com right now.


• Bidding to shave your favorite players head at the 3rd Annual "Cuts For A Cause" ends today at 5:00PM. So make sure to head over to the official auction page and place your final bid before it is too late.


• Via Joe Haggerty of CSNNE.com, coach Claude Julien has confirmed that defenseman Andrew Ference will not dress for tonight's gamedue to a lingering groin injury. More on the extent of the injury following the game.


• The Bruins and Sabres have been two of the most consistent defensive teams this season. Currently the Bruins (85.8%) and Sabres (85.7%) rank 2nd and 3rd in the league while a man down. Boston also ranks 2nd in the league in goals-against allowing only 2.39 goals per game, while the Sabres rank 4th allowing only 2.45 goals.


• Boston currently owns the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference with only two-points separating them from the 9th place Atlanta Thrashers. In other standing news, the Toronto Maple Leafs continue to win games thanks to rookie goaltender Jonas Gustavsson. The Leafs have a chance in to screw the Bruins out of a top three pick and are now only one win away from moving out of the Eastern cellar. Concern?

Boston Bruins		Buffalo Sabres
34-28-12	Record	41-23-10
92	Points	80
2.42	G/G	2.81
2.39	GA/G	2.45
52.3	Faceoff %	48.9
17.9	Power Play	17.5
85.8	Penalty Kill	85.7
-5	+/-	12

PLAYER	W	L	OTL	GAA	SV%	SO
Boston Bruins
Tim Thomas	16	17	8	2.50	.916	5
Tuukka Rask	18	10	4	2.11	.927	4
Buffalo Sabres
Ryan Miller	37	16	8	2.21	.929	5
Patrick Lalime	4	6	2	2.86	.904	0

PLAYER	POS	INJURY	STATUS
Boston Bruins
Marc Savard	C	Concussion	Out
Andrew Ference	D	Groin	Questionable
Buffalo Sabres
Thomas Vanek	LW	Lower Body	Out
Tim Connolly	C	Foot	Out
Patrick Kaleta	RW	Upper Body	Out
Raffi Torres	LW	Hand	Out

[Game Recap] Bruins Extinguish The Flames Thanks To A Thomas Shutout

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Game Seventy-Four (Live on NESN(HD) or 98.5FM The Sports Hub)
Boston Bruins (33-28-12) vs. Calgary Flames (37-29-9)
March 27th, 2010 @ 12:00PM

[credit: AP Photos]

	1	2	3	F
Boston Bruins	1	2	2	5
Calgary Flames	0	0	0	0

• The Bruins, led by a Tim Thomas shutout performance, put out the Flames on home ice.


• The Bruins out-shot the Flames 35-to-31


• Tim Thomas made his first appearance since March 15th in New Jersey and showed no signs of rust between the pipes. Timmy posted his 5th shutout of the season making 31 saves.


• Boston went 3-for-4 with the man-advantage ending a powerplay pointless streak that saw them go 0-for-22. The B's also shut down the Flames on their three powerplay attempts.


• Dennis Seidenberg scored his first goal with the Bruins since coming to Boston at the trade deadline and the first goal of the game while on a powerplay. In 13 games with Boston Seidy has recored eight points (1-7-8).


• David Krejci got the Bruins second goal of the game via a slapshot from the point while on the powerplay. Krejci also recorded an assist later in the night.


• Zdeno Chara scored his 7th goal of the season and the Bruins 3rd straight powerplay goal of the night thanks to his hussle on the back end of a B's breakout that left him wide open in the slot.


• Early in the third period Patrice Bergeron scored his 17th goal of the season thanks to a bank shot from the corner. Bergy recorded an assist later in the period.


• Mark Recchi put the final nail in the coffin scoring the Bruins 5th goal of the game that forced Flames keeper Miikka Kiprusoff from the game. T-Rec's showed some youth diving to puck the loose puck in the net.


• Five different Bruins recorded two points tonight (Dennis Wideman, Mark Recchi, Zdeno Chara, Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci. Krejci (5-6-11) and Bergy (4-9-13) have been on a tear the last ten games recording 24 points between the two.


• Defenseman Andrew Ference missed the game due to a lingering injury he has been batteling for the last few weeks.


• Shawn Thornton dropped the gloves with Robyn Regehr earlier in the third period after the Bruins took a 4-0 lead in the game.


• Vladimir Sobotka returned to the lineup after missing the teams last game due to a mild concussion he suffered against Atlanta earlier in the week. Sobotka logged 11:53-minutes of ice time and even though going pointless, he won 10-of-11 faceoff draws.


• I am currently two for two with not posting a game preview for a Saturday afternoon game that results in a Bruins win.


• The Bruins take on the U.S. Olympic hero Ryan Miller and the Buffalo Sabres on Monday @ the TD Garden.

[Game Recap] Home Is NOT Where The Heart Is... B's Drop Another At The Garden

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Game Seventy-Three (Live on NESN(HD) or 98.5FM The Sports Hub)
Boston Bruins (33-28-12) @ Tampa Bay Lightning (30-32-12)
March 25th, 2010 @ 7:00PM

[credit: AP Photos]

	1	2	3	F
Boston Bruins	1	1	1	3
Tampa Bay Lightning	2	2	1	5

• Home is not where the heart is for the Bruins as they loose another in the TD Garden. Boston is 15-15-6 when playing on home ice this season.


• Boston out-shot Tampa Bay 50-to-18... not a typo. The Bruins threw a season high 50 shots on Tampa goaltender Anterno Niittymaki and only got three of them to the back of the net (6% overall shooting percentage). Boston was led by Zdeno Chara who had seven shots tonight.


• The Bruins also out-hit the Lightning 22-to-12 which included huge hits by Steve Begin and Blake Wheeler. Begin led the team with 5 hits.


• Tuukka Rask had a tough night between the pipes allowing 5 goals on only 18 shots. This bumped Tuukka's league leading goals-against average from 2.02 to 2.11. Not all the blame can be placed on Rask tonight but there is also no way he gets a free pass on this one either.


• Zdeno Chara scored his first goal since February 6th ending a 15 game goal drought to put the Bruins on the board. Credit to David Krejci who "thread the needle" as Jack Edwards would say to connect with Big Z and pick up his 100th career assist.


• Johnny "The Rocket" Boychuk scored his 5th goal of the season doing what he does best... shooting. Krejci once again set this play up with some great puck control in the Lightings zone.


• Mark Recchi gave the Bruins hope in the third period when he made the game 5-3 Tampa. This was Recchi's 561st career goal, moving him into 22nd place on the all-time goal scorers list passing Canadiens legend Guy Lafleur (screw you Canadiens!).


• The Bruins went 0-for-3 tonight with the man advantage extending their powerplay drought to 0-for-22, not scoring on the PP since March 9th against the Leafs.


• While nothing ever got out of hand, this was one of the worst officiated games of the season for the Bruins. Blown calls and early whistles happening too fast to keep count.


• Too many small mistakes by the Bruins tonight. The had the intensity but just overplayed the puck or a player a few too many times.


• The Bruins return to the ice on Saturday when they take on the Calgary Flames @ the TD Garden.

Andrew "The Glass Groin" Ference Gets A Raise & Extension (...That's What She Said)

Yesterday the Bruins announced the signing of a three-year contract extension with defenseman Andrew Ference that will last through the 2013-14 season. The deal is reportedly worth somewhere in the $2.25-million per season price range prompting many to already start calling for GM Peter Chiarelli's head for overpaying for a undeserving player yet again. Ference is currently earning $1.4-million this season and would have become an unrestricted free agent in the offseason.

There is no denying that Ference brings a whole lot more to the table then many give him credit for doing so. Yeah... he is no offensive juggernaut but does have a solid defensive IQ. NEWS FLASH! Last time I checked the main job of a defenseman is to play defense. Sorry to disappointment many but not every d-man puts up 10 or even 20 goals a season. Also not hurting Ference's case to stay in Boston is the fact that he has played a decent sized role in one of the leagues top defensive cores for over the last two seasons. Add in the incredible depth he adds to the roster and the ability to pair young rookies with him due to his veteran leadership and understanding of the system... and boom you get a solid blueliner. But the question remains, are these qualities worth an almost million dollar raise for the next three seasons?

When compared to the rest of the league I am not as shocked by the amount of money being tossed in Ference's direction. Currently an "elite" bottom pair defensemen, such as Ference, is hitting the cap at between $2-million to $2.5-million per year. Ridiculous... I know but that is just something we have to live with as the culture in the league changes. But just because that is the new "culture" doesn't make it right, especially when considering the Bruins cap issues next season. The Bruins now have four denfensemen locked up for the 2010-2011 season in Zdeno Chara, Dennis Wideman, Matt Hunwick and Ference. This leaves current Bruins Dennis Seidenberg, Mark Stuart and Johnny Boychuk all unsigned. Add in the fact that Chiarelli will more than likely continue his search for an elite blueliner, such as Tomas Kaberle, to pair with Chara in the offseason and the red flags should have already been flying.

Ference also hasn't played more than 60 games a season over his three year stint since coming to the team in the 2006-07 season due to lingering injuries. Once again missing significant time this year due to what is becoming a chronic groin injury, which will require offseason surgery for the second straight year. Ference is basically the equivalent to Samuel L. Jackson's character in Unbreakable (Mr. Glass). So how can Chiarelli justify giving a guy that isn't getting any younger and is already labeled as injury prone a three year deal and then a raise? Like it or not the deal is done... but wow do I think Chiarelli dropped the ball on this one. But as always I will give the deal a chance unfold before really ripping it apart. But until then...

Who would you like to see go on the blieline? Who would you like to see come in? What are your projected defensive pairings next season?

[Game Preview] Bruins vs. Lightning

Game Seventy-Three (Live on NESN(HD) or 98.5FM The Sports Hub)
Boston Bruins (33-27-12) @ Tampa Bay Lightning (29-32-12)
March 25th, 2010 @ 7:00PM

• The Bruins will be looking for their third straight win as they meet the Tampa Bay Lightning for the fourth and final time tonight at the TD Garden. The Bruins currently lead the season series 2-1-0. After dropping the Rangers on Sunday and then Atlanta on Tuesday, the B's seem to have finally awaken from a season long slumber that now has them fighting to make the playoffs. Tampa is currently in 12th place in the Eastern Conference and 8 points below the Bruins in the standings. The Bolts have struggled since the Olympic break going only 3-8-1.


• The Bruins are teaming up with local fire fighters tonight to "Fill the Boot" and collect money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). There will be collections throughout the Garden starting at 5:00PM and even raffle prizes including a team autographed fire boot and player signed pucks.


• The Bruins announced yesterday that they have come to an agreement on three-year contract extension with defenseman Andrew Ference totaling $6.75-million. This is another questionable signing by GM Peter Chiarelli but not even he seemed confident in this one when talking to the media yesterday. Ference will undergo offseason groin surgery once the Bruins season comes to a close.


• Bruins goaltender and 2010 Calder Memorial Trophy contender Tuukka Rask currently leads the league in goals-against average (2.02) and save percentage (.930). Rask has allowed only one goal in his last two starts for the Bruins, helping Boston create some breathing room in the Eastern Conference cellar.


• The 3rd Annual "Cuts for a Cause" event hosted by 98.5 Sports Hub and the Toucher & Rich show is now less than a week away. Tickets are almost sold out and bidding has begun for the chance to shave your favorite players head. Currently Mark Recchi leads the team with highest fan bid ($500). Other Bruins players participating include: Milan Lucic, Tuukka Rask, Shawn Thornton, Johnny Boychuk, Andrew Ference and Patrice Bergeron among others...


• Vladimir Sobotka left Tuesday night's game against the Atlanta Thrashers only a few minutes into the first period after absorbing a hit from Evgeny Artyukhin along the boards. Sobotka suffered a head injury from the hit that has resulted in a lingering sore neck that looks to keep him out of tonight's game. Trent Whitfield has been recalled from Providence as a replacement.


• For those of you who still may have not heard, the Boston Sports Blogapalooza is back on with a new location. The event will now be taking place on May 2nd at the Baseball Tavern which is "only a fly ball's distance from Fenway". For more information on the event, check out the Facebook event page.


• Fluto Shinzawa of The Boston Globe reported yesterday that Bruins draft pick Joe Colborne may forgo his final two seasons at the University of Denver and turn pro after the current season comes to a close.


• Lightning defenseman Paul Ranger is still MIA. Back in October the defenseman took a personal leave from the team and since then has not spoke to his coaches, team or family. No one knows why he needed the leave or when he will return. Can the team force someone to do this (Wideman)?

Boston Bruins		Tampa Bay Lightning
33-27-12	Record	29-32-12
78	Points	70
2.38	G/G	2.59
2.39	GA/G	3.01
52.3	Faceoff %	51.1
17.2	Power Play	18.8
86.3	Penalty Kill	80.7
-7	+/-	-29

PLAYER	W	L	OTL	GAA	SV%	SO
Boston Bruins
Tim Thomas	15	17	8	2.57	.914	4
Tuukka Rask	18	10	4	2.02	.930	4
Tampa Bay Lightning
Antero Niittymaki	19	16	5	2.72	.912	1
Mike Smith	10	16	7	3.12	.900	1

PLAYER	POS	INJURY	STATUS
Boston Bruins
Marc Savard	C	Concussion	Out
Vladimir Sobotka	C	Neck	Questionable
Tampa Bay Lightning
Paul Ranger	D	Personal	Out
Ryan Malone	LW	Knee	Out
Mattias Ohlund	D	Ankle	Out

Whitfield Returns... Sobotka "Doubtful" Due To Neck Pain

Mark Divver of the ProJo Bruins Blog is reporting that forward Trent Whitfield has been recalled from Providence today and will replace the injured Vladimir Sobotka tomorrow night. Whitfield has played 14 games this season with Boston, recording only an assist. As for Sobotka, he left Tuesday nights game after absorbing a hit by the Thrashers Evgeny Artyukhin in the first period. According to B's GM Peter Chiarelli the young forward is suffering from a sore neck and will be doubtful on Thursday.

[Game Recap] Tuukk Nukem & Company Drop Atlanta 4-0 For The Second Straight Time This Season

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Game Seventy-Two (Live on NESN(HD) or 98.5FM The Sports Hub)
Boston Bruins (33-27-12) @ Atlanta Thrashers (32-30-11)
March 23rd, 2010 @ 7:00PM

[credit: AP Photos]

	1	2	3	F
Boston Bruins	1	2	1	4
Atlanta Thrashers	0	0	0	0

• The B's pull it together to earn their second straight win against an Eastern Conference playoff contender. Boston currently a three point lead of the 9th place Thrashers and seven point lead over the 10th place Rangers (and Panthers).


• Boston out-shot Atlanta 33-to-27, led by Michael Ryder's five shots on net (this does not count the shot that missed an open net). The Thrashers edged the Bruins in the hits column 18-to-13.


• Two U's, Two K's, Two Points... Tuukka Rask does it again and earns his second straight shutout against the Thrashers this year and his fourth of the season. Tuukka made 27-saves to record his 18th win of the season tonight., he is currently ranked 1st in the league in goals-against (2.02) and 2nd in save percentage (.930).


• David Krejci scored his 15th goal of the season and kicked off the Bruins four goal run tonight thanks to heads up pass by Michael Ryder. This was one of Krejci and Ryder's best games together this season.


• Milan Lucic scored his 8th goal of the season in the second period to give the B's a 2-0 lead. This was the second straight game that we saw vintage Lucic out on the ice. As for the goal, is it just me or does Looch always seem to score for the same place on the ice this season?


• SATAN! Miroslav Satan scored with less than 5-seconds remaining in the second period thanks to some tip magic on a Zdeno Chara slapshot. Satan has scored in consecutive games.


• Stevie Begin put the final nail in the coffin scoring the games fourth and final goal thanks to some impressive hustle and not giving up on the play. Begin snapped a 28 game goalless streak tonight.


• Bruins went 0-for-2 with the man advantage but they killed off both of their penalties. The B's powerplay has been


• Shawn Thornton dropped them with heavy hitter Eric Boulton at the mid-point of the first period. Great scrap that saw Thornton put "the code" on display as he allowed Boulton a chance to untangle his arm from his jersey at one point and then ended the bout by pulling Boulton's jersey over his head.


• Boston outscored Atlanta this season 18-to-7 and swept the season series 4-0-0.


• Vladmiri Sobotka left the game in the first period after absorbing an awkward looking hit from Evgeny Artyukhin. Sobotka did not return to the game and the initial word is that he suffered a head injury and was kept off the ice for precautionary reasons.


• Milan Lucic (1-1-2) and David Krejci (1-1-2) both recorded two points tonight. Six players recorded a +2 or higher and eight players recorded at least one point tonight.


• Dennis Wideman did it tonight... Wideman recorded a +2 and won ten of you guys a free "Tuukkamania" shirt. Marz, Stanley Cup of Chowder, Gibbz, Caitie, 306BruinsFan, Jeff L, Possumkingdom85, Dunny23, Andy and Big-E please send me an email address (hubhockey@gmail.com) with your name, address and shirt size so that I can get these things out to you.


• Check out TuukkaTime's post-game video recap....


• The Bruins return to action Thursday night at the TD Garden to take on the Tampa Bay Lightning.

[Game Preview] Bruins @ Thrashers

Game Seventy-Two (Live on NESN(HD) or 98.5FM The Sports Hub)
Boston Bruins (32-27-12) @ Atlanta Thrashers (32-29-11)
March 23rd, 2010 @ 7:00PM

• The Bruins will meet the Atlanta Thrashers tonight for the fourth and final time this season in a game that could end up deciding which of the two teams makes the playoff cut as the season quickly draws to a close. Boston, currently the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference, is only one point ahead of Atlanta in the standings with a game in hand. So even though this is still a regular season game, look for the atmosphere on the ice to scream playoff hockey. So far this season the Bruins have dropped the Thrashers in all three previous meetings, out-scoring their opponent 14-to-7. Atlanta however has caught fire winning four straight against some tough playoff bound teams in the East.


• The Thrashers media and fans are currently calling tonight's game the teams biggest since playing the Rangers in the 2006-07 playoffs (sad). The team is following suit by drastically cutting ticket prices for tonights game in order to fill Philips Arena. Tix are currently going for about $10 a seat right now on Ticketmaster.


• Unofficial Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron will visited Norwood hockey player Matt Brown in Atlanta yesterday. Brown is currently recovering at The Shepherd Center from a broken neck suffered during a game this past season. For more information on Matt visit MattBrownNumber3.org.


• In case you missed it, 48-year old defenseman Chris Chelios (pictured above) was recently recalled by the Thrashers from the AHL's Chicago Wolves. Chelios has no points in three games and has been a healthy scratch during the Thrashers recent four game win streak. No word on his status for tonight's game.


• Expect to see Tuukka Rask in net tonight after another lights out performance over the weekend against the Rangers. Rask has a 2-0-0 record against the Thrashers in his career including a shutout earlier this season. Johan Hedberg is expected in net for the Thrashers.


• Do you love Rene Rancourt? Are you a fan of fist pumping? Well then do I have the place for you... presenting "The Rene Rancourt Fist Pump" Facebook fan page.


• Will the Maple Leafs get the last laugh? Heading into the 2010-11 entry draft many experts and fans expect the Bruins to pick up one of the three franchise players who will be available thanks to the Leafs 1st round pick they gave up for Phil Kessel. However with everyone else in the standing dumpster already packing it in, have the Leafs just started to warm up? Winning three straight, could the Leafs fuck over Boston and screw them out of the much talked about draft pick we have all been waiting for?


• Since there was no game preview on Sunday and Dennis Wideman scored a goal, I have decided to do the shirt giveaway today. If Wides' ends the night as a +2 or gets 2 points the first 10 people to respond to this preview get a free shirt. Good luck...

Boston Bruins		Atlanta Thrashers
32-27-12	Record	32-29-11
76	Points	75
2.35	G/G	2.97
2.42	GA/G	3.11
52.4	Faceoff %	50.6
17.3	Power Play	16.6
86.2	Penalty Kill	80.9
-11	+/-	-2

PLAYER	W	L	OTL	GAA	SV%	SO
Boston Bruins
Tim Thomas	15	17	8	2.57	.914	4
Tuukka Rask	17	10	4	2.08	.928	3
Atlanta Thrashers
Ondrej Pavelec	13	16	6	3.35	.905	2
Johan Hedberg	19	13	5	2.67	.914	1

PLAYER	POS	INJURY	STATUS
Boston Bruins
Marc Savard	C	Concussion	Out
Atlanta Thrashers
Chris Thorburn	RW	Illness	Out
Evander Kane	C	Foot	Out
Christoph Schubert	D	Hip	Out
Boris Valabik	D	Knee	Out

[Game Recap] B's Hold Off The Rangers For A Much Needed Two Points

VS.

Game Seventy-One (Live on NBC(HD) or 98.5FM The Sports Hub)
Boston Bruins (32-27-12) vs. New York Rangers (42-24-5)
March 21st, 2010 @ 12:00PM

[credit: AP Photos]

	1	2	3	F
Boston Bruins	0	1	1	2
New York Rangers	0	0	1	1

• The Bruins finally win a game when it counts, gain two more points on the 8th seed contending Rangers. Next up Atlanta...


• Thanks to a lack of an internet connection I haven't been unable post anything since the Bruins/Pittsburgh recap. I apologize for that but things are back up and running here at Hub Headquarter's. Now on to the recap....


• Boston puts up only their second win since January 1st, improving their record to 2-8-3 since the Winter Classic.


• The Bruins out-shot the Rangers 31-to-24 and out-hit New York 25-to-17. Credit needs to be given to Vladimir Sobotka who still has yet to find the point production we all expected from him but has been on a rampage the last feel games throwing around his weight and trying to make any sort of impact he can.


• Tuukka Rask made 23-saves to earn his 17th win of the season and once again proved why many consider him this teams future. Is the future now though?


• Miroslav Satan scored his 5th goal of the season thanks to a great pass by defenseman Andrew Ference. Dan Paille was awarded a penalty shot less than 30 seconds before this goal, but was unable to find the back of the net.


• IT'S A CELEBRATION! Dennis Wideman yesterday ended his 25 game goalless streak thanks to a nifty (and lucky) backhanded snipe over Henrik Lundqvist's shoulder giving the Bruins 2-0 lead late in the third.


• Brad Marchand and Matt Hunwick were healthy scratches for yesterdays game.


• Boston killed off all six of the Rangers powerplay opportunities, the Bruins currently have the leagues best penalty kill this season with a 86.2% success rate while a man down.


• Steve Begin dropped the gloves early in the first period and even though he may have lost the fight, this game would end up being one of his best of the season thanks the the grit and effort he displayed through all three periods. Huge props for his open ice hit on Vinny Prospal too.


• Vinny Prospal was involved in an earlier incident in the game, when he threw a questionable hit on defenseman Mark Stuart that resulted in a boarding penalty. Stick salute to Patrice Bergeron and Marco Sturm who immediately went to the defense of their fallen teammate. Stu ended up being alright and returned to the game.


• The Bruins return to action on Tuesday night to take on the 9th place Thrashers in Atlanta.

[Game Recap] Cooke Gets "Get Out Of Jail Free" Card As The Penguins Shutout The B's

VS.

Game Seventy (Live on NESN(HD) or 98.5FM The Sports Hub)
Boston Bruins (31-27-12) vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (42-24-5)
March 18th, 2010 @ 7:00PM

[credit: AP Photos]

	1	2	3	F
Boston Bruins	0	0	0	0
Pittsburgh Penguins	1	1	1	3

• On a night hyped up beyond belief, the Bruins do what they know how to best this season... disappoint. Boston shutout by Pittsburgh in front of a full house.


• Really Boston? 17 shots on net? I took down more shots last night while only celebrating all 25% of my Irish heritage. Bruins got out-shot 31-to-17 by the Penguins tonight, and didn't record a single shot until just over nine minutes into the third period. Pittsburgh also out-hit Boston 20-to-19, Milan Lucic and Dennis Seidenberg led the lackluster team throwing five hits a piece.


• Boston went 0-for-4 with the man advantage tonight looking absolutely pathetic getting only four shots on net.


• Tuukka Rask made 28 saves tonight and even though he let up a softy, he still came up huge time after time for his team. Rask really wasn't to blame tonight and is maybe the only player on the ice that gets a bye from me.


• Was all the time that was wasted talking about Matt Cooke worth it? Bruins fans did their job and let Cooke know how they felt once he got on the ice for his first shift, reining down boo's. The overwhelming boo'ing quickly caught the attention of Shawn Thornton who b-lined it directly for the expecting Cooke. The two scrapped and Thornton took the "W" plus an additional 10-minute major for continuing to throw once Cooke had fell to the ice. But that was it for Cooke who was able to skate around the rest of the night freely. Personally, I feel cheated and like I wasted a few hours of my life entertaining this circus-esque story leading up to tonight.


• As a side note about Cooke... I lost even more more respect for him tonight when he refused to remove his helmet at the start of the Thornton fight and also opted to wear a shield tonight.


• Captain Zdeno Chara dropped the gloves for the first time this season, taking on Mike Rupp in the second period. Big Z after winning his bout turned directly to his bench trying to motivate and light a fire under the asses of his teammates. Sadly they ignored his attempt.


• Hopefully the Bruins will be able to learn a little something about honor, passion and heart tonight during the post-game party for the 1970 Stanley Cup Champions that were honored in a pre-game ceremony by the organization.


• There really isn't much to say about tonight's game... disappointing all around and I am disgusted just writing these lowlights.


• The Bruins return to action Sunday @ the TD Garden against the 9th place New York Rangers in a game that could decide the outcome of their regular season.

Penner & Whitfield Recalled On Emergency Basis

The Bruins have recalled forward Trent Whitfield and defenseman Jeff Penner from Providence on an emergency basis for tonight's game against the Penguins. These moves are no surprise to many considering the question marks surrounding the statuses of defensemen Dennis Wideman and Johnny Boychuk and also forward Blake Wheeler tonight. Both Whitfield and Penner have been shipped from Providence to Boston previously this season.

Personally would have loved to see Chiarelli throw a big "fuck you" in Colon Campbell's direction and call on someone like Providence forward Lane MacDermid. MacDermid has recorded 155 penalty minutes and 21 fights in 62-games so far this season with the Baby B's.

Quick Game Day Update

The Bruins have already had a busy day today and there is still at least five hours until they step on the ice to take on Matt Cooke and Penguins tonight. Due to these updates and the heightened interest in tonight's game... I will be keep the news feed below updated with anything Bruins related up until the puck drops at The Garden around 7:00PM.

• Johnny Boychuk, Dennis Wideman and Blake Wheeler will all be game-time decisions tonight due to flu-like symptoms. Andrew Ference, who has been out of the line-up since March 2nd due to a groin injury, is also a game-time decision and could possibly called upon tonight if both Boychuk and Wides are out.


• Speaking of Ference, according to Matt Kalman of The Bruins Blog, the Bruins defenseman may require off-season surgery for the second straight season due to a groin injury. Ference has been skating recently on his own but says he will not be 100% again until he goes under the knife.


• Hub Hockey friend Joe Haggerty of CSNNE.com needs your help... vote for Haggs in the CSNNE "Media Madness" tourney going on now. Haggs is up against The Sports Hub's Scott Zolak in the first round which ends soon so go and VOTE NOW!


• Tuukka Rask has been confirmed as the starter in net tonight for the Bruins. I would have loved to see the B's send Thomas out there and right off the bat get into an old fashioned goalie fight at center ice.


• Come back to the Hub later today (or possibly tomorrow morning) for a recap of the Peter Chiarelli season ticket holder conference call that ended just a few minutes ago.


• This is the guy that we are all wasting our time focusing all our attention towards? Can not wait for tonight's game to be over with....


• According to Mark Marino of The Hub of Hockey.net, the Bruins will be wearing their alternate jerseys tonight.

UPDATE (5:30PM)

• Matt Cooke WILL play in tonight's game contrary to reports being spread around. Penguins tough guy Eric Godard, who hasn't played since January 25th, may dress for tonight's game according to Pens coach Dan Bylsma. And there are reports circulating out there that Sidney Crosby may be a game-time decision. Bylsma is going to make a few game-time lineup decisions tonight according to Fluto of The Boston Globe.

UPDATE (6:30PM)

• Dennis Wideman and Jeff Penner are out of the lineup tonight. Andrew Ference, Johnny Boychuk and Blake Wheeler will be in action.

UPDATE (6:45PM)

• Dennis Wideman has joined his team on the ice. So contrary to what I reported initially, Wides' will be in the lineup tonight and Boychuk is out.

[Game Preview] Bruins vs. Penguins

Game Seventy (Live on NESN(HD) or 98.5FM The Sports Hub)
Boston Bruins (31-26-12) @ Pittsburgh Penguins (41-24-5)
March 18th, 2010 @ 7:00PM

• Tonight is the final regular season game between the Bruins and Penguins this year, so far the Pens lead the season series 2-1. Currently the Bruins are the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference, only three-points above the Rangers and three below Philly. Boston just wrapped up a seven game road trip on Tuesday that saw the Black & Gold go 3-3-1. But tonight no one really cares about the stats... because Matt Cooke is back. A little over a week ago when the Bruins and Pens met in Pittsburgh, Penguins forward Matt Cooke knocked Marc Savard out of the game (and season) with a dirty hit. Since then the Bruins have been criticized for not defending their star, showing a lack of emotion, having no balls, and the list goes on. As for Cooke, he got no suspension and was given a free pass. So how will the B's react tonight after a week of criticism and being let down by the league?


• Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli will hold a special conference call with season ticket holders today from 12:00 to 1:00PM. My guess is as good as yours on what Chia will talk about but I am guessing it will involve the words: renewal, season, tickets, sorry, please, rebuilding and thank you.


• NHL VP of Hockey Operations Colin Campbell will be in attendance for tonight's game. He will also be joining NESN's very own Mike Milbury during the W.B. Mason pre-game show and first intermission on damage control duty.


• The big guns have been called in as an all-star officiating crew including Bill McCreary, Stephen Walkom, Brian Murphy and Tony Sericolo will be patrolling the ice at the Garden tonight. McCreary is second on the active list of games officiated (1,597), Walkon served as the leagues Director of Officiating for the last four seasons and Murphy is sixth on the among active linesman for games called (1,307).


• The Boston Bruins will honor the 1970 Stanley Cup winning team with a pre-game ceremony and a post-game celebration. Look for the start of the game to be slightly delayed due to this.


• No word on who will start tonight in net for the Bruins, but I am guessing that Claude will go with the hot glove and stick with Tuukka tonight.


• Shawn Thornton appeared on 98.5 The Sport Hub today with Toucher & Rich and discussed the possibility of dropping the gloves with Matt Cooke tonight. Just for the record here is a list of the players Matt "The Tortoise" Cooke has fought this season: Ilya Kovalchuk, Ryan Callahan, Chris Drury, and Rob Neidermayer. What a list of brawlers you got there...


• Tickets for the 3rd Annual "Cuts for a Cause" went on sale yesterday. Make sure to lock up your ticket for the event before they sell out.


• Due to the teams flight being delayed out of Raleigh on Tuesday, the Bruins decided to skip practice yesterday. However the B's held a morning skate today and looks to be skating fine today.


• I am placing a personal bounty on Matt Cooke's head tonight, with the player who cashes in on on it receiving a special something from all of us here at Hub Hockey (post to follow). In other bounty news, there will be no Wideman goal bounty challenge tonight... instead I am going with Matt Hunwick who has been just as bad.


• Hub Prediction: Cooke will be engaged, Cooke will not take the bait, game will get chippy, Cooke is engaged again, Cooke takes bait but turtles quickly, misconduct handed out to Cooke and his opponent, game turns into a game all before the second period.

Boston Bruins		Pittsburgh Penguins
31-26-12	Record	41-24-5
74	Points	87
2.39	G/G	3.03
2.44	GA/G	2.87
52.2	Faceoff %	49.0
17.9	Power Play	17.1
85.6	Penalty Kill	83.6
-9	+/-	9

PLAYER	W	L	OTL	GAA	SV%	SO
Boston Bruins
Tim Thomas	15	17	8	2.57	.914	4
Tuukka Rask	16	9	4	2.09	.928	3
Pittsburgh Penguins
Marc-Andre Fleury	32	18	4	2.70	.905	0
Brent Johnson	9	5	1	2.61	.910	0

PLAYER	POS	INJURY	STATUS
Boston Bruins
Andrew Ference	D	Groin	Questionable
Marc Savard	C	Concussion	Out
Pittsburgh Penguins
Eric Godard	RW	Groin	Out
Evgeni Malkin	C	Foot	Questionable

[Game Recap] Bruins Drop Hurricanes In Seven Game Road Trip Finale

VS.

Game Sixty-Nine (Live on NESN(HD) or 98.5FM The Sports Hub)
Boston Bruins (31-26-12) @ Carolina Hurricanes (28-33-8)
March 16th, 2010 @ 7:00PM

[credit: AP Photos]

	1	2	3	F
Boston Bruins	1	1	3	5
Carolina Hurricanes	0	1	1	2

• Boston drops the 'Canes for the second time this season by three goals or more. Bruins finish seven game road trip 3-3-1.


• Boston out-shot Carolina 37-to-32, led by Bergy, Sturm & Seidy who recorded four shots on net tonight. The 'Canes did out-hit the Bruins though 34-to-27.


• Tuukka Rask did it again making 30-saves and bringing the Bruins back to the win column. Tuukka Time is back and now it looks to be here to stay.


• It only took the Bruins 23-seconds tonight to score the game first goal when Patrice Bergron tiped-in a Dennis Seidenberg shot for the second straight night. Bergeron has four goals and three assists in the last five games.


• Johnny Boyckuk tapped his inner offensive threat potential when he broke past the 'Canes defense thanks to a Matt Hunwick pass and scored his fourth goal of the season.


• Mark Recchi ripped a shot threw the five hole of Manny Legace to give the B's a 3-1 early in the third period.


• Michael Ryder capitalized on a terrible Carolina turnover and sniped the top corner from the top of the circle. This goal ended a nine game goalless drought for Ryder who hadn't scored since February 11th in Tampa Bay.


• David Krejci put the final goal on the scoreboard with a nifty spin move that caught Manny Legace off guard and out of position. Krejci has recorded two goals and five assists in the last five games.


• The Bruins went 0-for-4 with the man advantage tonight which included a 5-on-3 in the middle of the first period that only saw one shot on net by the Black & Gold. It is obvious that the team misses playmaker Marc Savard in these situations. Boston also killed off 3 of their 4 penalties tonight.


• Shawn Thornton was a healthy scratch tonight as Dan Paille (scratched yesterday) and Brad Marchand man'ed the wings on the fourth line. Would rather see Steve Begin take the scratch tonight but it good to see Claude finally mixing things up, even if it is only the fourth line. Need to start somewhere right?


• Mark Recchi's game-winning goal in the third period was his 15th of the season and 560th of his career, moving him past Guy Lafleur into 22nd place on the all-time scoring list. Congrats T-Recc's!


• Just under three minutes remained in the game when Patrice Bergeron absorbed a Mark Stuart slapshot with his right knee. Bergy eventually made his way to bench, thanks to some assistance and headed straight to the B's locker room. Initial word from the team is that the Garden x-rays came back negative.

[Game Preview] Bruins @ Hurricanes

Game Sixty-Nine (Live on NESN(HD) or 98.5FM The Sports Hub)
Boston Bruins (30-26-12) @ Carolina Hurricanes (28-32-8)
March 16th, 2010 @ 7:00PM

• The Bruins and Hurricanes have already played twice this season splitting a blow out win a piece on home ice. The Canes come into tonight going 7-2-1 in their last 10 games while the Bruins have gone 5-4-1. Boston however has hit a wall yet again this season losing four of their last five. Carolina currently only sits eight points below the B's in the Eastern Conference.


• Carolina recalled defenseman Jamie McBain from the Albany River Rats this morning currently bringing their total number of healthy defenseman up to seven. No word on if anyone would be a healthy scratch tonight or not.


• After allowing three goals in only 20-minutes of play last night. Then being pulled during the first intermission, I don't see Tim Thomas getting the start in net tonight. It pains me to say it, but even though Thomas and Rask have both had their highs and lows recently... Tuukka is this teams number one starter going into tonight's game.


• Visor or no visor? Milan Lucic had been sporting a visor recently following his recent fight with Colton Orr that resulted in a broken nose. But ditched the shield midway through Saturday nights game against the Habs, only to have this happen one game later... So what will Looch go with tonight, maybe borrow Timmy's helmet since he won't be using it.


• Fans in attendance tonight in Raleigh will receive a limited edition lithograph honoring the 'Canes four Olympic players: Time Gleason, Eric Staal, Joni Pitkanen and Tumom Ruutu. All four medaled in Vancouver a few weeks ago.


• Former Bruin Sergei Samsonov has had one assist in two games agaisnt the B's this season with the Canes. Samsonov for some reason always seems to pick up his game against his former club so look for Jack to be saying his name a lot tonight.


• Don't miss the ultimate Bruins meet, greet and sign event of the year later this month. On March 28th... Tim Thomas, Tuukka Rask, Marco Sturm and Milan Lucic will be appearing at the Warwick Mall in Rhode Island thanks to our friends at Your Sports Memorabilia Store. Get more information @ YSMS.com.


• UPDATE: Tuukkamania is almost ready to run wild on Boston. Thanks to the recent flood at "Hub Headquarters" (aka my apartment) I have had to put some projects on the back burner while I try to get rid of my new indoor pool. But the Tuukkamania shirts are still on schedule to be available later this week.


• Blogger Cameron Frye, who has returned to her blog "According to Cameron Frye", wrote yesterday about NHL principal Colon Campbell's decision to be in attendance for Thursday night's game against the Penguins. Good stuff, check it out...

Boston Bruins		Carolina Hurricanes
30-26-12	Record	28-32-8
72	Points	64
2.35	G/G	2.74
2.44	GA/G	3.04
52.1	Faceoff %	48.9
18.2	Power Play	17.7
85.8	Penalty Kill	80.7
-13	+/-	-18

PLAYER	W	L	OTL	GAA	SV%	SO
Boston Bruins
Tim Thomas	15	17	8	2.57	.914	4
Tuukka Rask	15	9	4	2.09	.928	3
Carolina Hurricanes
Manny Legace	9	5	3	2.72	.908	1
Justin Peters	4	2	0	2.35	.923	0
Cam Ward	14	21	5	2.74	.913	0

PLAYER	POS	INJURY	STATUS
Boston Bruins
Andrew Ference	D	Groin	Out
Marc Savard	C	Concussion	Out
Carolina Hurricanes
Brendon Sutter	C	Lower Body	Out
Cam Ward	G	Back	Out