Final, Bruins 4-1: It’s another strong all-around showing from the Bruins, and once again, it’s another two points for one of the league’s best teams.
The Bruins put the finishing touches on a rather dominant road trip, and they finally head home riding their first four-game winning streak of the young season.
That “young season” is about to grow up, however, as the B’s will open a stretch of three games in four nights starting on Thursday night against Ottawa.
Third period, 18:55, Bruins 4-1: And that will do it, folks.
Dennis Seidenberg makes a strong play behind his own goal line to start the puck up ice, as he moves it up to Patrice Bergeron, with the forward unselfishly moving it up the ice to Gregory Campbell. The fourth-line forward was able to handle it from there, firing a shot from center ice that goes into the empty net to ice the game.
Third period, 18:00, Bruins 3-1: The Islanders’ net is vacated, as they try for a miracle comeback.
Third period, 14:14, Bruins 3-1: It should be a 4-1 Bruins lead by now, but Evgeni Nabokov has saved his best work for the third period — just ask Patrice Bergeron.
The Boston center was just robbed twice on the same shift by Nabokov, who turned away two brilliant one-timer chances from Bergeron. The first came in the left slot when Tyler Seguin tried to set up Bergeron, and then a few seconds later the B’s were back in the attacking zone with Bergeron taking a pass from Brad Marchand that was once again turned away by the Islanders goalie.
Third period, 10:07, Bruins 3-1: Boston got a little sloppy in its own end, but once again, Tuukka Rask comes up big to preserve the two-goal lead.
The Finnish netminder didn’t make any flashy saves this time around, but he remains calm, cool and collected between the pipes in one of his best games of the season.
The Bruins’ first line generated another scoring chance just prior to the break with some real incredible strength on the puck from Nathan Horton right in front of the New York net that sustained the offensive pressure. Horton then fed David Krejci in front, but Evgeni Nabokov stopped the backhanded attempt on the doorstep.
Milan Lucic then got a one-timer chance on the right wing, but Nabokov made the stop on that too, as the puck was slowed some by a stick in front of the net.
Third period, 6:05, Bruins 3-1: The Bruins’ third line hasn’t scored in this one, but they have looked really good despite the lack of results.
They just turned in another solid shift, which presented a scoring chance for Rich Peverley who one-timed a pass from Chris Bourque, but Peverley just missed wide, hitting the side of the net from the left faceoff circle.
The Bruins don’t look like they’re going to sit around and just try and bleed the clock, as they have taken it to the Islanders early in the third. You have to expect, however, that the Islanders have a couple of more rushes left in them, and those are probably going to be coming very soon.
Third period, 0:40, Bruins 3-1: The New York power play comes to an end, and it’s another successful kill for the Bruins. Not only that, the B’s held the Islanders shotless on that one.
Third period, 0:01, Bruins 3-1: The Bruins have to expect the Islanders to come out strong here in the third, which makes a good defensive effort even more important to wrap up the trip on a winning note.
Second period reaction: The Bruins, once again, jumped out to a great start in the second period. They did so with a couple of great team efforts to key the scoring.
The Brad Marchand goal was set up by another tremendous individual effort from Patrice Bergeron, who won the faceoff and then won a puck battle in the corner to gain possession.
The second goal of the period, Boston’s third of the night, came with some incredible passing starting with Zdeno Chara out of his own end. That was followed by a smart play from Nathan Horton and a wonderful individual effort from Milan Lucic setting up David Krejci, who scored the goal.
However, some power-play struggles when the B’s could have put the game away kept the Islanders in it. Much like they did in the first period, the Isles bounced back in the second with a couple of real good scoring chances. However, Tuukka Rask looks to be on his game in this one, and he kept the Islanders scoreless in the middle period. He made a couple of really nice saves on Mark Streit on two different power plays, and that’s what has the B’s leading 3-1 after two.
End second period, Bruins 3-1: The Bruins will have to kill off the rest of the penalty once the third period begins, but they’re able to keep the Islanders off the board in the final moments of the second.
Once again, Tuukka Rask comes up big with a save on, who else, Mark Streit in the period’s final seconds.
Second period, 18:25, Bruins 3-1: The second period has been filled with power-play chances.
Zdeno Chara gets the hooking call in front of the Bruins’ net.
Second period, 17:20, Bruins 3-1: While we just said Patrice Bergeron may be the Bruins’ best penalty killer, we were reminded of the adage that the best penalty killer has to be the goalie sometimes.
That was the case on this past PK, as Tuukka Rask came up with a huge save robbing Mark Streit of a very nice power-play opportunity.
Second period, 15:09, Bruins 3-1: It’s now back on the Bruins’ penalty kill to slow the vaunted Islanders power play.
The B’s will have to do so without arguably their best penalty killer, with Patrice Bergeron sent off for an interference penalty.
Second period, 14:41, Bruins 3-1: The latest Bruins power play comes to an end, with no real scoring chances for the B’s.
The Bruins came close to adding a goal after the power play expired when Johnny Boychuk showed off some impressive skating and playmaking ability by carrying the puck up the right wing and throwing it to the front of the net for Gregory Campbell. However, the play was broken up at the last second by an Islanders defenseman.
Boychuk then did a great job of hustling to get back defensively, breaking up an outlet pass at the New York blue line.
Second period, 11:40, Bruins 3-1: Yet another Bruins power play is coming up, as Tyler Seguin’s hustle leads to a Travis Hamonic hooking penalty.
Second period, 11:34, Bruins 3-1: The Bruins were unable to score on the power plays, but it wasn’t for a lack of chances. The B’s got a couple of really nice scoring chances, especially on the second power play, with Patrice Bergeron almost jamming one home on the doorstep. However, he wasn’t quite able to get control of the puck.
Nonetheless, the Bruins look much better in the first half of this second period than they did late in the first.
Second period, 8:07, Bruins 3-1: Boston now gets 12 seconds of 5-on-3 when Lubomir Visnovsky sends it over the glass and gets a delay of game penalty.
Second period, 13:42, Bruins 3-1: The Bruins will get another chance on the power play, where they’ll look to put away the Islanders.
Mark Streit gets the roughing penalty, giving Boston its second power play of the evening.
Second period, 5:16, Bruins 3-1: When the Bruins’ top line is going well, they’re incredibly tough to beat. They’re going good right now, and it gives the Bruins a two-goal lead.
Zdeno Chara started the play, moving the puck out of the Boston zone, and the top line took over from there.
Nathan Horton worked the puck into the zone, and then he stopped on a dime before passing it to Milan Lucic who was coming down the slot. Lucic stickhandled and then slid a backhanded pass across the slot to David Krejci, who one-timed it home with authority.
The shot not only knocked the water bottle off of the top of the net, but it knocked the cap off of the bottle. It was an appropriate ending to a gorgeous goal.
Second period, 0:38, Bruins 2-1: That’s exactly how you wanted to start the second period if you’re the Bruins.
Patrice Bergeron turns in a Patrice Bergeron type of shift, and it leads to yet another goal from Brad Machand. Bergeron won the faceoff in the New York end, and he then won a puck battle in the corner where he was able to push the puck back to the point.
Andrew Ference put the puck on net, just hard enough to create a juicy rebound and Marchand knew just what to do with that. The pesky forward settled the puck and easily beat Evgeni Nabokov with the backhand.
Second period, 0:01, 1-1: The second period is underway, where the Bruins will look to show a more complete period than they did in the first.
First period reaction: For about five minutes in the first period it looked like the Bruins could be looking at an easy night.
However, you have to give the Islanders credit. They didn’t go away after Adam McQuaid’s goal, and they picked up their play and in turn, the pace of play, and they go to the first intermission tied 1-1.
The Bruins kind of fell apart defensively on the New York goal. It was a poor job of backchecking by the B’s, and Dennis Seidenberg misplayed the rush in his own end. There wasn’t much Tuukka Rask could do about it at all.
Boston will probably try to slow the pace down in the second period, as things kind of got away from them in the second half of the first period.
End first period, 1-1: The Boston power play looked a lot like the power play that they had showed before this trip started, which is not good news for the Bruins.
The B’s didn’t get much of anything at all on the power play, and these two teams go to the break tied 1-1. It could have been 2-1 Islanders, but Tuukka Rask’s face got in the way, as John Tavares hit the Bruins goalie in the mask with a wrist shot in the seconds immediately following the Boston power play.
First period, 17:18, 1-1: The Bruins’ power play has been better as of late, and they’ll get a chance to keep that going late in the first.
Radek Martinek is called for tripping, and the Boston power play goes to work.
First period, 15:49, Bruins 1-1: The Islanders didn’t get anything on the power play, but they didn’t waste much time getting on the scoreboard after getting back to even strength.
New York started the play in their own end with a chip up the ice, which Josh Bailey grabbed and took off with. Bailey was pretty impressive with the puck, eventually stickhandling around Dennis Seidenberg on the break. Bailey then flipped a backhanded pass back to Casey Cizikas, who was trailing the play into the slot. Cizikas put it up over a sprawled-out Tuukka Rask, and it’s a tie game late in the first.
First period, 15:30, Bruins 1-0: Make that 22 in a row, as the Bruins’ penalty kill gets the best of the Islanders’ power play.
The Bruins were dominant really, as the Isles didn’t have much to show for the man-advantage.
First period, 13:18, Bruins 1-0: We’ll get our first taste of one of the more appetizing matchups in this game as the Bruins’ penalty kill goes to work.
Gregory Campbell was called for tripping, allowing the No. 5 power play in the league to hit the ice against the league’s top-ranked penalty kill.
First period, 11:07, Bruins 1-0: It’s worth noting that on that Adam McQuaid goal, Tyler Seguin picked up the 100th point of his young career.
The helper also helps Seguin extend his point streak to five games, as he’s starting to put up some numbers after a slow start to the season.
First period, 8:17, Bruins 1-0: It doesn’t take long for the Islanders to respond with a scoring chance, but Tuukka Rask comes up big for the Bruins.
Michael Grabner intercepted a pass in his own zone and took off by the Boston defensemen and went up the ice all alone on a breakaway. However, he couldn’t stuff it by Rask, as the goaltender did a great job of getting to his right to take away the opportunity.
First period, 6:43, Bruins 1-0: The Bruins have made a habit of scoring early on this trip, and this game is no different.
After a flurry of early chances and domination by Boston, the B’s are able to get the game’s first goal.
The Bruins set up shop in the offensive zone and eventually fed the puck to Adam McQuaid. The big defenseman blasted one from the right point to beat Evgeni Nabokov. Brad Marchand did a nice job of tying up Andrew MacDonald while simultaneously screening Nabokov in front of the net to help Boston take the early lead.
First period, 0:01, 0-0: It’s go time on Long Island. Thanks for joining us.
7:10 p.m.: The Bruins have deserved all of the praise they’ve received in regards to their penalty-killing efforts.
However, what people have failed to mention so far is that they haven’t exactly faced the league’s elite power-play units. That has started to change some of late (hello, Tampa Bay), and it will continue to get difficult.
That continues Tuesday night the Islanders. New York enters this game with the fifth-ranked power play in the league, having converted 24.4 percent of their power plays. Their 19 power-play goals are second in the league.
Boston has feasted on some bad power plays this season. Most notably is the fact that the Bruins have played three games apiece against the Rangers and the Sabres. Those two teams are ranked 29th and 30th in the league respectively.
In fact, four of the B’s next five games (Tuesday included) are against top 10 power-play units.
6:30 p.m.: In case you haven’t heard, the Canadiens are apparently going for it.
The Habs made arguably the biggest move of the young season Tuesday afternoon when they acquired Michael Ryder from the Dallas Stars in exchange for Erik Cole. For Ryder, it’s a return to the team he started his NHL career with.
It also makes things interesting in the Northeast Division where the Habs entered Tuesday as the division and conference leaders.
5 p.m.: Cam Neely also talked about the prospects of playing an outdoor game at Gillette Stadium in the future. I figured that warranted a story of its own, which you can read by clicking here. Spoiler alert: He’s a fan of the idea.
4:30 p.m.: Bruins president Cam Neely just made his weekly radio appearance on 98.5 The Sports Hub, and per usual, he had some interesting and insightful things to say.
Here’s a quick recap.
On the schedule getting intense: “It’s coming in a big way. Having that game postponed certainly didn’t help. We didn’t want to move it to the back end of the schedule, but we had to do that. It’s going to get busy and hectic no doubt. … For us to be where we’re at with our record in the amount of games we’ve played we’re happy, but we still need to take care of business.”
On whether he had any problems with Milan Lucic taking extra penalties Sunday in retaliation: “No.”
On why his team hasn’t been given many power plays this season: “I like to believe that at the end of the day, it all works out, but I feel like we’ve been a little light on the opportunities for. … I don’t really have any worry about the reason; I just feel we’re a physical team, a hard team to play against. That’s the way we want to play. We have some big, strong players that maybe don’t have a way of drawing penalties the way that some other players do. We feel we should have had some more penalties called for us here or there.
“I think that things work out in the end, though. The referees are smart enough to know who players are that probably embellish a little more than others and usually it catches up.”
2 p.m.: Good afternoon, hockey fans.
The Bruins have wrapped up morning skate down on the Island, and it looks like it’s going to be Tuukka Rask once again in between the pipes to finish off the trip.
Rask was the first goalie off of the ice at morning skate, which indicates he’s back in again. It’s maybe a little odd that the B’s are going with Rask. The Islanders, quite frankly, not very good, and that seems to be the time to give the backup some work. Furthermore, the Bruins have a game Thursday at home against the Senators before hosting the Lightning and Canadiens this weekend. It’s obvious that we’ll see Anton Khudobin at some point in that stretch. Maybe, and we’re just spitballing here, we’ll see Rask on Tuesday and Thursday, Khudobin on Saturday against Tampa Bay and then Rask back in on Sunday against Montreal. But what do I know?
Evgeni Nabokov is likely to get the start for the Islanders. In the team’s first matchup of the season last month, it was the recently placed on waivers Rick DiPietro who made the start.
8 a.m. ET: The Bruins will finally finish up their “road trip” on Tuesday night, and they will do so with a trip to Long Island.
The B’s, who will be playing the last game of a five-game roadie that was stretched out over 12 days, are looking to put the exclamation point on what’s been a very successful trip around the East. Boston has won three of four on the trip, and if it weren’t for a third-period meltdown in the first game of the trip in Buffalo, they would be looking to finish off a perfect trip.
As has been the case for much of the trip, this matchup represents two teams going in opposite directions. While the Bruins are out to an 11-2-2 start, the Islanders find themselves in the basement of the Atlantic Division with an 8-10-1 record. The Isles are just 4-6 in their last 10, and their struggles at home kind of jump out. They’re just 2-7-0 this season at Nassau Coliseum, which likely doesn’t surprise anyone who’s ever taken in a game at that barn.
The Bruins loved making the trip to the Island last year, as evidenced by the outcome of the two games. Boston outscored New York 12-4 in those two games, two wins for the B’s. Tuesday will be the second matchup of the season between the two clubs, with the Bruins winning the season series opener 4-2 at TD Garden on Jan. 25.
Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
