Sweet coverage by Seidenberg stopping the faceoff dot from scoring a goal there but first let’s get into the game. The Bruins played with a great sense of urgency for the majority of the game today. They finally got another power play goal and the first for Louis Eriksson of the season. Nikolas Svedberg got his first start of the season and looked pretty good. He did let in a bit of a leaky goal to give the Avs the initial lead but overalls his performance was solid.
As for the game winning goal, that was a pathetic display put on by the Boston Bruins. First, as you can see above, why are there 3 forwards high? There is absolutely no need for that in that situation. Secondly, what is Seidenberg doing? Just looks like he is filing space and drifting. Not a good look for your number 2 defenseman.
Overall a very disappointing game for the Bruins. Now the need to find their stride going into a 3 game road trip at Detroit, Montreal, then Buffalo. Keep up to date on all of your
Boston Bruins news and follow me on twitter for my in game thoughts. Let’s go Bruins!
The season started off with a bang thanks to Chris Kelly and his short-handed penalty shot goal opening night vs. Tampa Bay. The Boston Bruins went on to win that game 3-1 and the season was off and running. The Boston Bruins game against the Tampa Bay Lightning opening night was a great way to start off the season. The Bruins wasted no time in playing their brand of Bruins Hockey with 2 shorthanded goals. It was a game where they physically dominated their opponent and took away their best weapon in Steven Stamkos.
I was very excited for the start of the new division rivalry with the Detroit Red Wings. And even though we are only 5 games into the season, we have seen the last of the Red Wings in Boston, barring a playoff match up. The Bruins ended up splitting the two games with the Wings, winning the first match up, a 4-1 victory and a lose in the second game 3-2. The first game was a must win for the Bruins with Detroit at the tail end of a 3 games in 4 nights stretch and were very clearly fatigued. My biggest takeaway from these games was the special teams play from the Bruins. The Bruins did a great job of shutting down Detroit’s power play while establishing their own. The Bruins and their new power play look, with Zdeno Chara down low, came out with 2 goals from the first game including this beauty from Chara after an amazing feed from Torey Krug (skip to 25 seconds):
The games against the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Colorado Avalanche were very similar because the Bruins put forth a very strong effort in each game. The Bruins played a great game against Colorado but, unfortunately, the Bruins ran into a very hot goaltender in J.S. Giguere. Colorado scored on a deflected shot on the power play and the Bruins couldn’t manage a goal as they fell 2-0. The game against the Blue Jackets was similar except for the fact that the Bruins were able to put the puck in the net. The two newest Bruins each played a crucial role in the Bruins 3-1 win. The first goal was due to a tremendous individual effort by Jerome Iginla and the second, and eventual game-winner was the first goal in a Boston Bruins uniform by Loui Eriksson.
Overall, I am very happy with the effort and intensity the Bruins have played with throughout the season thus far. In the not-so-distant past, the Bruins have struggled in afternoon games, usually coming out slow and flat-footed. But so far I have loved seeing the team ready to go for these early afternoon games. I am enjoying watching the Boston Bruins on the power play for the first time in years due to the strategy of putting Zdeno Chara down in front of the net and allowing Torey Krug and David Krejci to make plays in space. The Bruins have already scored a handful of power play and shorthanded goals this season and have shown an huge improvement especially on the power play.
Who’s Next: New Division Rivals & Old Friends
The Bruins have three consecutive division road division games up next. The first is in Florida against old friend Tim Thomas and second game is against the Tampa Bay Lightning. I am looking forward to having these two teams in the division because with all of the other teams being tough and competitive, it will be nice to play these two teams that appear to be doormats. After those games it is another road division game where the Bruins will visit the Buffalo Sabres. Following that the Boston Bruins will be welcoming Joe Thornton and the San Jose Sharks to the Garden.
Watching the Bruins has been and should continue to be fun, especially watching how Coach Claude Julien continues to rotate his defensemen. A separate blog on that topic will follow. Until then, remember to follow me on twitter @BruinsBeliever for my in-game analysis and for quick hit thoughts. Thanks for reading, and as always: Lets Go Bs!
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