The three stars:
3. Ryan Getzlaf
2. Corey Perry
1. Teemu Selanne/Jonas Hiller
OK. I'm headed down for postgame. It should be a real festive atmosphere in the Bruins dressing room. Thanks for joining us here and be sure to check NESN.com later for postgame reaction from the Bruins. At least we still have the Red Sox tonight. Go Sox!
Third period, 0:52, Ducks 6-1: The Bruins are on their sixth power play here and Anaheim just rubbed salt in the wound with a short-handed goal. Corey Perry got his second of the game by knocking it in off his head! Perry had a breakaway on Thomas, and his initial attempt was blocked by the netminder, but the puck then appeared to ricochet past Thomas off Perry's helmet. The refs reviewed it, but the goal was allowed to stand.
The misery isn't over just yet.
Third period, 5:04, Ducks 5-1: Yikes! This is ugly in every sense of the word. Tim Thomas does not look Vezina-like at all and that's coming from a longtime, staunch Thomas supporter. It may be Tuukka Time Saturday against the Isles.
Bobby Ryan has given the Ducks a 5-1 lead here late in the third. At least I have Ryan on my fantasy team. Legendary defenseman Scott Niedermayer had the helper.
Third period, 9:09, Ducks 4-1: Can the Bruins switch all of their Thursday night games to Friday night? Thursdays aren't working right now. Also, maybe they can figure out a reason to get revenge on the 28 other teams besides Carolina.
Third period, 11:50, Ducks 4-1: Evgeny Artyukhin just put on a stick-handling clinic and skated through the Bruins defense to beat Thomas. Artyukhin now has two goals this season and probably has my friends in "Scouts' Row" and with the Lightning half-jokingly asking "why can't we get a big power forward like that?"
The big Russian winger has never lived up to his hype and basically is on his last chance with the Ducks after failing in Tampa.
Third period, 18:10, Ducks 3-1: The third period has started. The Bruins will be looking for a momentum-builder here. Maybe a fight? Shawn Thornton–George Parros?
Second period, 0:00, Ducks 3-1: Somehow the Bruins are out-shooting the Ducks 30-17 but trailing 3-1. Oh wait! Maybe because they took two quick penalties to start the second period and Teemu Selanne is one of the most lethal scorers of our time?
Jonas Hiller is a wall as well and the Bruins need to find some solutions right now. I wouldn't want to be in that dressing room!
Second period, 1:44, Ducks 3-1: The Bruins could really use a goal here before the second intermission. They're now 0-for-4 on the power play. They need a momentum boost.
Second period, 6:14, Ducks 3-1: Corey Perry just gave Anaheim the lead on a marvelous goal. That is the Ducks' first even-strength goal and they have now scored three unanswered goals this period.
The Bruins are now showing some Jekyll and Hyde. What a different team we're seeing here this period
Second period, 11:14, Ducks 2-1: The Bruins are going on their third power play with Lucas Sbisa in the box for hooking. They failed to score earlier on a Whitney penalty.
Right now special teams are the difference. The Ducks are 2-for-2 and the Bruins are 0-for-2.
Second period, 16:00, Ducks 2-1: Anaheim just struck twice here to open the second period. Matt Hunwick and Marco Sturm took early penalties and Anaheim converted on both power plays with Teemu Selanne getting both goals.
Selanne still has the touch. Wow!
Second period, 20:00, Bruins 1-0: Lots of high marks for the Bruins' two-way game from scouts here and everyone is convinced Marc Savard is on a mission to change the minds of the powers that be at Team Canada to get on the Olympic squad. Here we go in the second period.
First period, 0:00, Bruins 1-0: A solid period by the Bruins, who out-shot the Ducks 19-11. They probably would like to be up more than a goal, but overall it was a solid effort.
Off to get some of the opinions from "Scouts' Row."
First period, 3:27, Bruins 1-0: Now my German friend is happy! Marco Sturm just scored his second of the season with assists from Marc Savard and Dennis Wideman.
Maybe I should jinx Hiller again?
First period, 4:20, 0-0: The Bruins failed to score on that power play earlier. Hiller has looked solid in net thus far, making 17 saves. And that's good because the Swiss Olympic coach Ralph Krueger is here scouting him. My friend and colleague Heiko Oldoerp — who hails from Germany and met Krueger in Switzerland at the World Championships — notified me.
Heiko pointed out that Switzerland and USA are scheduled to meet in the first game at the Olympics. Thomas vs. Hiller again?
First period, 11:03, 0-0: The Bruins are on their first power play. Can they capitalize again like Saturday when they were 4-for-8?
First period, 12:11, 0-0: No score here at the TD Garden so far. There have been some good chances for both teams. Milan Lucic got in close but was turned aside by Hiller at 17:00 and then Bobby Ryan almost nailed a one-timer that had the red light go on, but it was no-goal at 15:00.
I meant to mention that I love how during the anthem, Tim Thomas goes to the blue line and stares upwards at the American flag during the whole song. Not enough players do that and really pay respect during the anthems.
Thomas is going to be great for Team USA in February. A proud American!
First Period, 18:37, 0-0: We're underway here at the TD Garden with the first of two meetings between the Ducks and Bruins.
One thing to note, Joffrey Lupul was replaced by Ryan Carter on the Ducks' second line to start the game. Carter is skating with Koivu and Selanne.
6:52 p.m.: Greetings from the TD Garden where the Bruins and Ducks are in their pregame skates and fans are starting to filter in. Sam Adams and the Bruins held a BRU FEST outside and I'm sure the tasty Sam Octoberfest was pouring in heavy volume. Could be a rowdy crowd tonight!
It appears both teams' lines will be the same as we had it here in our "Facing Off" preview this morning.
It will be Jonas Hiller (0-1-0, 4.00 GAA, .892 save percentage) vs. Tim Thomas (1-1-0 with a 3.00 GAA and a .902 save percentage).
Keep an eye on old friend Nick Boynton tonight. Ducks head coach Randy Carlyle told the media this morning that the former Bruins blue liner and second-year NHLer Lucas Sbisa (who came over in the Chris Pronger trade from Philadelphia), were his best pairing Tuesday night in a 4-3 OT loss at Minnesota.
Also worth watching will be whether Ducks forward Mike Brown tries to exact revenge on Milan Lucic for this fight, last season. Brown went crazy on the media after the game claiming Lucic kept hitting him while he was down and fought "dirty".
We're about 15 minutes from the start of the game folks so get ready for Bruins hockey on NESN and here on NESN.com!
12:35 p.m.: The Bruins are going Duck hunting Thursday night at the TD Garden as the Anaheim Ducks come to town for the third game of the Bruins’ season-opening five-game homestand.
The Ducks ride in on the heels of a heart-breaking 4-3 overtime loss in Minnesota, while the Bruins are coming off a great bounce-back 7-2 win over Carolina after an ugly 4-1 loss to Washington.
This should be an entertaining game as both teams combine skill and grit with deep blue lines and solid goaltending, so stay with us all day and night here at NESN.com for your Ducks-Bruins Live Blog!
