The Bruins were better than the Hurricanes in every facet of the game on Saturday, winning 7-2, exacting a bit of revenge on their new rivals and most importantly bouncing back in a big way from an uninspired effort on the season's opening night.
Thirteen Bruins made it onto the scoresheet, with each goal coming from a different Bruin. It was the first time the Bruins had seven different goal scorers in a game since Jan. 18, 2003.
Tim Thomas wasn't tested too often, but he stopped 25 of 27 shots on net.
Bruins 7, Hurricanes 2
TD Garden, Boston, Mass.
Oct. 3, 2009
Headliner: Once again, the sports world learned that bygones can become bygones faster than ever anticipated.
Sure, Steve Begin was a Canadien for four years, and yeah, maybe that hit on Marc Savard before the 2008 playoffs was a little dirty, but if Begin plays every night in Boston like he played on Saturday, he'll be a fan favorite by November.
The 31-year-old centerman was everywhere on the ice. He crashed the net, found his linemates and forced pressure when the Bruins were shorthanded. He had the stats to prove it, too, finishing the night with two assists, a plus-one rating and three shots on net.
Grinder: The Bruins thoroughly outplayed the Hurricanes on the ice, and when it came to getting their hands dirty, the Bruins had the edge there, too.
Milan Lucic sent Jay Harrison to the dressing room covered in blood in the final minute of the second period. (An instant classic, the bloodbath landed on YouTube within an hour.)
Seconds later, Marc Savard deemed an Andrew Alberts hit on Marco Sturm to be too high, and he decided to go after the 6-foot-4 defenseman. A melee ensued and didn't end until Tom Kostopoulos was left lying on the ice and clinging to the leg of Zdeno Chara.
As the game drew to a close, Shawn Thornton squared off against Alberts. Despite the height disadvantage, Thornton pummeled the Boston College alum.
With the game already in hand, the Bruins stood their ground and proved that they're as tough a team as there is in this league.
Weak Link: Cam Ward is generally a top-notch goaltender. On Saturday night though, he couldn't stop much.
Ward allowed four goals in just 30:37, stopping 24 of the 28 shots that came his way. He helped dig his team in a hole by allowing a goal just 4:06 into the game before allowing back-to-back goals just 26 apart later in the period.
Key Moment: In Thursday's season opener, a lot went wrong for the Bruins. One of the major issues was the power play, when the B's could muster just one shot in five chances.
They addressed that issue early on Saturday, scoring on the first chance they had. They scored again on the power play later in the first, giving the Bruins a healthy 2-0 lead and early control of the game.
They finished the night 3-for-5 on the power play.
What's Next: The Bruins will get some rest after a couple of quick ones, next taking to the ice on Thursday night at home against the Anaheim Ducks. Had they turned in a poor effort on Sunday night, those four days off might have been a bit difficult for the players and fans. Thanks to Saturday night's drubbing, the Bruins have given everyone something worth waiting for.
