The Bruins made it a bit scary there allowing the Canes to come back and make it 3-2. They also went 0-for-4 on the power play and struggled to put Carolina away, but in the end, Milan Lucic got an empty-netter and now Bruins fans can cheer for the Leafs against the hated Habs tonight. If Montreal loses, the Bruins will be the sixth seed.
Third period, 1:00, Bruins 4-2: We'll take Milan Lucic! "Luch" just scored an empty-netter and the Bruins are seconds away from the playoffs. In the words of Jack Edwards, "This building is vibrating!"
Third period, 2:07, Bruins 3-2: You can feel the anxiety and excitement in this place right now as the Bruins try to seal the deal. Wouldn't it be poetic if Dennis Wideman gets the empty-netter or insurance goal?
Third period, 6:24, Bruins 3-2: "Shipping Up To Boston" is blaring on the speakers here at TD Garden and if the Bruins can hold on here they will be doing just that in a week or so for Games 3 and 4 of a first round playoff series. Well, if it's Buffalo I guess down right? But the Bruins have the chance to seal it here and an insurance goal would really help.
Just a note that the Bruins' three shorthanded goals in 1:04 on the same power play is the fastest ever in NHL history.
Third period, 8:46, Bruins 3-2: Matt Hunwick is headed to the sin-bin and the Bruins will be shorthanded here as they are 8:46 away from a playoff spot.
Have to point out that Dennis Wideman now has a four-game point streak going and the TD Garden fans have actually been chanting his name intermittently in a positive manner.
Third period, 15:01, Bruins 3-2: The Bruins are now on their fourth power play after failing to convert on their third. The Hurricanes are doing all they can to give this game to the Bruins and the B's need to capitalize.
Third period, 17:05, Bruins 3-2: The Bruins just can't make it easy on themselves or their fans! With a delayed penalty in effect, Tuukka Rask raced to the net for the extra attacker. But Carolina cleared it down towards the Bruins net and nearly scored before Patrice Bergeron raced back to save what would've been the game-tying goal.
The Bruins are now on their thrid power play and are 0-for-2.
Third period, 19:42, Bruins 3-2: Underway in the final frame as the B's try to clinch a playoff spot. Hopefully they can do it by winning ij regulation and putting away the Canes with a finishing touch they've rarely shown this season.
End of second period, Bruins 3-2: The Bruins came out guns a blazing in that period and took a 3-0 lead on three shorthanded goals in 1:04. But as the period went on, the Bruins stopped skating and the Hurricanes made them pay with two goals. The Bruins still have the lead though and are one period away from the playoffs.
That was an amazing feat by the Bruins to start the period, but they can't sit back and rest on their laurels that quickly. The Hurricanes still have pride and they would love to spoil the Bruins playoff chances.
Here's another quick stat on those three quick shorthanded strikes by the Bruins compliments of NESN rinkside reporter Naoko Funayama:
"Last time Bruins had 3 SHG in
same game was 3/27/94 at Washington (Smolinski 2 & Oates 1). 3
today in same PK: Paille, Wheeler, Begin."
We'll have more on that when it becomes available.
Second period, 2:54, Bruins 3-2: And here comes that letdown. The Bruins look to be skating in quicksand right now and the intensity level has disappeared. As a result, Patrick Dwyer just made it 3-2.
The Bruins have a chance to go up by two again though as Eric Staal is in the box for slashing.
Second period, 5:30, Bruins 3-1: Erik Cole just got the Canes on the board beating Tuukka Rask on a wrap-around goal. The TD Garden has quieted down a bit and the Bruins need to be careful of a letdown here.
Patrick Dwyer and Chad Larose had the helpers on the Cole goal.
Second period, 7:42, Bruins 3-0: The Bruins are about to be shorthanded again as Milan Lucic is headed to the penalty box. They will be up 4-0 soon then right?
Second period, 13:14, Bruins 3-0: OK folks, we've done some digging here and we're still trying to find out if that three-goal outburst on the penalty kill was a record for most goals killing off a power play and also if they were the fastest trio of shorties scored.
What we do know is that the Bruins only had three shorthanded goals all season before today. Also, the last time they scored two shorthanded goals in a season was in January 9, 1985 against Toronto.
Maybe the Bruins should decline all power plays and say they will kill off the penalty for the other team?
Second period, 18:24, Bruins 3-0: The TD Garden has exploded here early in the second period as the Bruins just reeled off three consecutive shorthanded goals in 1:04 and the first 1:36 of the period.
Daniel Paille, Blake Wheeler and Steve Begin got the shorties and when the flurry of goals was done, there was still seven seconds left on the Carolina power play. Amazing!
End of first period: The Bruins are tied 0-0 with Carolina after one period of play here but things could be different if they could just get that power play going. They were 0-for-2 on the man-advantage and just can't seem to create chances on the power play.
It's astonishing to think where this team could be if they had any power play whatsoever. They wouldn't be battling for a playoff spot, they would be battling for a top spot in the playoffs. Somehow they need to figure this area of their game out or else.
On the injury front, thankfully Mark Recchi and David Krejci are OK after feeling the wrath of a Zdeno Chara blast from the point. As for the Bruins injured players, Claude Julien told the media before the game to not expect Mark Stuart or Andrew Ference back before the playoffs meaning they will miss the season finale tomorrow at Washington.
First period, 17.4: Matt Hunwick just broke up a 2-on-1 but he also got called for hooking and the Bruins will close this period and start the next shorthanded.
First period, 2:59: The resident scapegoat Dennis Wideman just labeled a Hurricane into the boards and the Bruins are picking up their physical game.
First period, 4:25: Very lively crowd here at TD Garden for what appears to be the Bruins' 24th straight sellout at TD Garden and 25th straight home sellout (including the Winter Classic at Fenway Park). The question is now, will they make it 20 straight next week.
First period, 9:02: The Bruins need to get that power play going if they're to have any success in the playoffs should they make it. They shouldn't have to depend on one guy (Marc Savard) that much.
First period, 11:09: The Bruins are now 0-for-2 on the power play and will have to kill one themselves as Adam McQuaid is in the box for hooking.
First period, 13:44: Chad Larose is in the sin-bin for tripping and the B's have another power play. They're 0-for-1. Now would be a good time to score thier first power-play goal in their last 19 chances.
First period, 16:13: Zdeno Chara ripped a pair of hard slappers from the point during the B's power play and each one took down a teammate.
Chara first got a piece of Krejci up high before drilling Recchi down low. Krejci popped right up while Recchi skated right to the bench in pain, but it's likely the reliable veteran wouldn't miss a game of this magnitude for anything.K
12:50: The Bruins are ready and the TD Garden is rocking. it will be Cam Ward vs. Tuukka Rask between the pipes in a game that with a point, the Bruins can clinch a spot in the playoffs.
Here's the lineup:
Bruins
Milan Lucic–Patrice Bergeron–Mark Recchi
Marco Sturm–David Krejci–Miroslav Satan
Blake Wheeler–Vladimir Sobotka–Michael Ryder
Daniel Paille–Steve Begin–Shawn Thornton
Defensemen
Zdeno Chara–Johnny Boychuk
Matt Hunwick–Dennis Wideman
Andrew Bodnarchuk–Adam McQuaid
Goaltenders
Tuukka Rask
Tim Thomas
8 a.m.: You didn't think that somehow a New York sports team would help a Boston team clinch a playoff berth, did you? Of course not. The Rangers beat the Flyers 4-3 to keep their own playoff hopes alive and prevent the Bruins from clinching before Saturday's 1 p.m. tilt with the Hurricanes.
But the Bruins control their own destiny, because with two points in regulation on Saturday or Sunday at Washington, the Bruins are in the dance and will play for Lord Stanley's Cup in the playoffs next week.They can also clinch a playoff spot by recording one point today, either via a win or
a loss in overtime or the shootout. The Bruins could clinch sixth place
with a win over the Hurricanes and if Montreal loses to Toronto.
because they hold a game in hand on the Rangers, Habs and Flyers.
The Bruins are coming off a gutsy 3-1 comeback win over Buffalo on Thursday, and if ever there was a time for the Bruins to find a way to follow up such a win with another, today is the day. Their longest win streak this season is four games, but today all they need is to have a two-gamer. If they can't, their season will be decided at high noon on Sunday in a battle with the newly crowned President's Trophy winners, the Washington Capitals. If the B's lose that, they will lose control of their destiny and have to cheer for the Flyers to beat the Rangers in order to secure a playoff spot.
The bottom line: This is a must-win, and wouldn't it be nice to beat the team that bounced them from the playoffs last spring to get in?
