Final, Bruins 4-1: That’s it, and that’s all. The Bruins win it 4-1, and they’re back on the winning track after a rough loss Friday in Ottawa.
They’re right back at it Tuesday night against the Rangers.
Third period, 19:50, Bruins 4-1: Milan Lucic, as he often does, just added the empty-net goal.
The Bruins will win.
Third period, 19:10, Bruins 3-1: The Carolina net is empty.
Third period, 18:00, Bruins 3-1: The Hurricanes haven’t pulled Cam Ward yet, but they are bringing it in the final minutes.
Nathan Gerbe was just stopped in the Boston zone as part of a long shift in the Bruins end for the Hurricanes.
Third period, 15:10, Bruins 3-1:Â Cam Ward almost handed the Bruins their fourth goal of the night.
Ward came out to play a loose puck in his own zone, and he tried to shoot it up the boards and out of the zone. However, he didn’t angle it well enough, and the puck instead bounced right to Gregory Campbell who was coming into the zone after a line change. He one-timed the loose puck, but Ward was able to get back to the crease and make a save to keep it a 3-1 Boston lead.
Third preiod, 14:00, Bruins 3-1: Jordan Caron is currently skating on the Patrice Bergeron line in Brad Marchand’s place.
Third period, 10:29, Bruins 3-1: There’s your insurance goal.
David Krejci got free in the right faceoff circle, as he put a shot on Cam Ward. The initial shot was stopped, and as a Carolina defenseman went to clear the puck from in front, Ward was knocked/fell out of his crease. The puck eventually came back to Johnnny Boychuk at the top of the right dot, and he absolutely blasted it to a mostly empty net for the insurance tally.
Third period, 9:00, Bruins 2-1: The Boston second line and then fourth line just did what the Bruins have done so well in the third period in recent years.
They had a couple of big shifts inside the Carolina end which featured plenty of pressure and a good forecheck. That eventually led to a pair of chances for the fourth line starting with a Daniel Paille blast from the right point and then a chance for Gregory Campbell in front, but the center couldn’t quite get the puck from his skates to his stick in a manner that would allow him to lift the puck.
Third period, 5:43, Bruins 2-1: The Bruins make it 32 in a row, as they were able to kill off the penalty.
In the moments that followed, they were able to put pressure on and force a faceoff in the Carolina end.
Third period, 3:27, Bruins 2-1: The Bruins’ penalty kill has obviously been incredible lately, and it will have to get them out of trouble again.
Dennis Seidenberg was sent to the penalty box for slashing, and the B’s will look to make it 32 straight.
Third period, 0:01, Bruins 2-1: The third period is underway with the Bruins looking to put this one out of reach. If they can get a goal in the early going here, that would obviously be huge.
End second period, Bruins 2-1: The Bruins escape the second period without any damage, despite a few close calls.
Tuukka Rask has stepped up, and the penalty kill has been great once again. But it will be on the Bruins to finish this one off, as this one is obviously far from over.
Second period, 18:45, Bruins 2-1: With the ice severely tilted in favor of the Hurricanes, the Bruins needed a big shift to slow things down — they got it from the third line.
The Chris Kelly line was just fantastic for about 45 seconds, as they put a ton of pressure on Carolina, but Cam Ward reminded us how good he can be at times with a couple of big saves.
It also didn’t help the Bruins’ case that they weren’t able to control a couple of loose pucks, and this game remains 2-1 in favor of the B’s.
Second period, 16:00, Bruins 2-1: The Bruins were able to kill off both penalties.
The effort was highlighted by Tuukka Rask’s best save of the night, a glove save on a blast from Chris Terry at the top of the slot.
The Hurricanes brought plenty of pressure, though, and they have tilted the ice in a big way so far.
Second period, 13:52, Bruins 2-1: Things are going to get a little dicey here for the Bruins.
Gregory Campbell just tried to clear the puck, and while he did so, he also committed a penalty. He cleared it all the way down the ice and over the glass at the other end, which is a delay of game penalty.
The B’s will have to kill off a 5-on-3 for the next minute or so.
Second period, 12:55, Bruins 2-1: The Hurricanes appear to have gained some momentum out of that one shift, which is sometimes all it takes.
They just came at the Bruins with another strong shift, and this time it ended with a a penalty. Johnny Boychuk was called for Jiri Tlutsy, and the Bruins will have to kill off another penalty.
Second period, 11:32, Bruins 2-1: The Hurricanes, who were outshot 8-1 in the first 11 minutes of the period, just turned in their best shift of the night.
Nathan Gerbe started it all when he was able to get through a pair of Bruins to put a shot on Tuukka Rask. The goalie couldn’t immediately control the rebound, which ultimately led for a couple of more shots for the Canes, but Rask made the saves before he covered the puck.
Second period, 7:00, Bruins 2-1: Despite more pressure in the Hurricanes end, the Bruins weren’t able to score.
In a related note, Carl Soderberg continues to impress, as he continues to show improvement. He’s starting to get more comfortable with the North American game, and with that comfort, he’s shown increased aggressiveness. He just went to the net and tried to get a rebound chance, which he ultimately paid for in the form of some pushes, shoves and stickwork from the Hurricanes defensemen. Gotta like the fact that he’s willing to go there to try and make things happen.
Second period, 4:47, Bruins 2-1: The Bruins are going back on the power play, which is how they scored their first goal of the night.
Jiri Tlutsy was called for hooking, and the Bruins get their second man-advantage of the evening.
Second period, 4:30, Bruins 2-1: So far, so good for the Bruins in the second period, despite the fact that they’ve yet to score.
The first and second lines just had two really good shifts to hem the Hurricanes in. The play has been in the Carolina end for just about the entire period.
Second period, 0:01, Bruins 2-1: The second period is underway.
End first period, Bruins 2-1: The first period in Carolina is over, and the Bruins take a 2-1 lead to the room after dominating much of the first.
We’ll have to see how they respond after giving up another late goal at the end of the period. It didn’t work out too well Friday against Ottawa, as the Senators used a late goal from Chris Neil to spark four unanswered goals on the way to a 4-2 win.
First period, 19:55, Bruins 2-1: The Bruins played a great period for 19 minutes and 55 seconds.Â
That’s when, like Friday, they allowed a late goal in the period that might give the opposition some momentum heading into the dressing room.
Tuomo Ruutu was credited with the goal as he just got his stick on a puck bouncing in the slot and it looked like it caught Tuukka Rask off-guard, as the puck went trickling by the goalie. Rask looked to have expected something else and then was fooled by the trickling puck.
That being said, that’s a play he needs to make.
First period, 18:00, Bruins 2-0: The Bruins killed off the penalty, and they have now killed 29 straight penalties.
The Hurricanes could not register a shot on goal during that power play.
First period, 15:54, Bruins 2-0: Jordan Caron, playing for the first time since Oct. 30, is going to the penalty box in his first period back in the lineup.
He was just called for slashing, and the Hurricanes get the power play.
First period, 14:06, Bruins 2-0: The Hurricanes are among the bottom of the league’s teams in goals per game, and you’re kind of seeing why so far.
It doesn’t help that they’re without offensive talent like Jeff Skinner and Alexander Semin (the latter for at least this game), but they just haven’t been able to generate much of anything against the Bruins so far.
The Nathan Gerbe chance was by far their best of the night, and they haven’t had much else so far.
First period, 10:24, Bruins 2-0: Win faceoffs, get net-front traffic and hit the net — and good things will happen.
The Bruins just did that when Chris Kelly won an offensive zone faceoff back to Dennis Seidenberg. The Bruins defenseman put a wrist shot toward the net that Carl Soderberg deflected in front to give the Bruins a 2-0 led.
So they’re right where they were Friday night in Ottawa, at least in terms of the score.
First period, 7:00, Bruins 1-0: Nathan Gerbe has been a bright spot for the Hurricanes this season, and he almost just tied the game.
Gerbe stepped around Matt Bartkowski before putting a backhanded attempt on Tuukka Rask, but the goalie made the save.
That was the first shot on goal for the Hurricanes so far.
First period, 2:31, Bruins 1-0: Much like they did Friday in Ottawa, the Bruins have jumped out to a quick start.
The Bruins just scored on the power play when Loui Eriksson got it to Carl Soderberg and Soderberg found Reilly Smith in front. Smith pushed home the goal in front, and the B’s take the early 1-0 lead.
First period, 1:31, 0-0: The Bruins will get the game’s first power play.
Dougie Hamilton found Zdeno Chara of all people in a seam through the neutral zone and into the Carolina zone that led to a breakaway for Chara. He couldn’t score on the backhand, but Jiri Tlusty was called for a slash, and the B’s get the first power play.
First period, 0:01, 0-0: It’s time for hockey. The game is underway in Raleigh.
6:59 p.m.: Check that: Boston is not going with the same lineup in this one.
Jordan Caron has been inserted into the lineup, and Shawn Thornton is a scratch. Caron will skate on the fourth line.
6:50 p.m.: The Bruins, as expected, are going with the same lines in this one.Â
Here are the projected lines for both teams.
6:30 p.m.: You could make the case for Chad Johnson starting against a Carolina team that is 27th in goals per game and is without two of its best scorers on the front end of a back-to-back.
Yet, the Bruins are going to start Tuukka Rask in this one. Rask will be opposed by Cam Ward who is making his return after a stint on injured reserve.
5:30 p.m.: As mentioned earlier, Cam Ward has been activated from injured reserve, and he’s expected to start against the Bruins.
He’ll be making his return against a very familiar foe in the Bruins. It will mark Ward’s 26th career appearances against the Bruins, which is the most for him against any non-divisional team.
In those 25 appearances, Ward is 12-11-2 with a .919 save percentage and 2.60 goals against average. He does have three shutouts versus Boston in his career.
Ward only faced the Bruins once last season, with that start coming Jan. 28 in Carolina. He gave up four goals on 37 shots in a 5-3 Bruins win.
2 p.m.: The Bruins were looking to sustain momentum following a very successful five-game homestand when they opened a three-game road trip Friday in Ottawa. That momentum was quickly squashed.
The B’s jumped out to a 2-0 lead against the Senators, but that eventually evaporated as part of four unanswered goals from Ottawa. The Bruins, playing on the second half of a back-to-back, were thoroughly outplayed in the second and third periods on the way to the 4-2 loss.
They’re going to try and get back on the right track Monday night against the Carolina Hurricanes in Raleigh. Despite some injuries, the Hurricanes have been able to hang around in the Metropolitan Division where they sit in fourth place with a 8-8-4 record, good for 20 points. They’re getting good news, too, with Cam Ward set to return Monday against the Bruins. It marks the veteran goalie’s first appearance since Oct. 24 when he suffered a lower-body injury.
Carolina will still be without Alexander Semin and Jeff Skinner who are both out with upper-body injuries.
Puck drop from Carolina is set for 7 p.m.
