Kaberle and his teammates looked like they were heading down the same path at the start of their first home game in 12 days. They were outshot 14-1 to begin the first period and gave the surging Devils a 1-0 lead. If it wasn't for Shawn Thornton's ninth goal of the year to tie things up heading into the locker room in the first intermission, the outcome may have sent the 17,565 fans in attendance at the TD Garden to the exits in a raging fury.
"That was a big goal,'' Claude Julien said. "Good shot by [Dennis Seidenberg], an even better job by Thorny to be right in front there and being active with his stick. It was nice to see him get that goal and get us going there. It definitely did calm things down. Getting out of the first period tied is much better than being down one goal, especially against that team.''
Julien can thank players for their efforts, the win and for silencing his critics.
The Bruins have been the talk of sports radio and the topic of conversation for the past week for all the wrong reasons. Their perfect road trip to Western Canada in late February became a mere distant memory. Instead, fans have been calling for everything from a coaching change to call-ups from Providence to wake the club up.
Not necessary.
Teams go through their ups and downs in a lengthy 82-game regular season. It happens. The important thing for Boston is to continue to build upon what they started on Tuesday night. A step in the right direction, with tough opponents on deck in Montreal, New York and Philadelphia (which has already punched its ticket to the postseason), is just what the Bruins needed in their win Tuesday night.
"Definitely a right step forward,'' Tim Thomas said after making 30 saves against New Jersey. "We need to build off it and make sure we continue to do the same things that gave us success tonight. New Jersey's been hot. They've been playing some really good hockey. Getting the win isn't easy against them.''
And the team awaiting the Bruins on Thursday night isn't easy, either. The Montreal Canadiens are on deck in what will promise to be an emotional and intense night at the TD Garden. Considering that the Montreal media arrived in Boston as early as Tuesday, three days in advance of their team's game, means that there will be a stir of media frenzy.
The biggest test for the Bruins will be to channel their inner nerves and anticipation for Thursday's game and focus on the task at hand. The questions will be magnified regarding the first game since Zdeno Chara's hit on Max Pacioretty. Is there still a legal case against the big man north of the border? Let's just say that the feelings are ill in the land where a penalty on the ice apparently requires more legal action than a weapons possession charge in the United States.
Expect a playoff-type atmosphere on the Bruins' home ice on Thursday night, a plethora of hateful Habs fans to be in attendance and both teams to require time at the start of the first period to settle their nerves. Once the game gets going, though, it'll be a true battle for supremacy in the Northeast Division, with the Bruins only three points ahead of the Canadiens with two games in hand. It's crucial for the B's to continue the strong play from Tuesday night against a Montreal team that has owned them this season — the Bruins are 1-3-1 against their hated rival.
From here on out, each game should be one step forward for Boston and no steps back.
