Game 37 Recap: BRUINS 5 PENS 2 NINE IN A ROW

December 31, 2008 in Away Game, Game Recap, Pittsburgh Penguins, Win
Tags: Boston Bruins, Game Recap

PARTY LIKE IT’S 1983!

Nine in a row.  The Pens are not an easy team to beat.  Let’s take a look at what happened:

First Period:

Chara mangled Malkin.  No Call.  Odd, but I’ll take it.  There should be video on Youtube, but I haven’t found it.

Then 17 minutes into the 1st, the Pens finally get a good scoring chance by bouncing it twice off Timmy’s pads and then scoring it back door.  Quite the trick. 

0-1.  You’re reassuring yourself that the bruins have been at least playing well and it’s early.

Second Period:

Powerplay.  Axelsson on the #1 PP.  While all of the whiners out there are saying “What’s he doing on the PP?????? OH NO NOT AXELSSON”  Per-Johan threads the puck through the whole Pens PK unit to Chara, who deflects it behind fleury from next to the net.

1-1.  You’re marvelling at how Chara’s been getting away with pinching up on defense.

Then there’s a 4 on 4 as Talbot gets Kessel into a shoving match.  Then Malkin takes a penalty.  What’s this?  Oh, it’s just Savard and Krejci on the same line in the 4-on-3.  You don’t really need me to tell you that there was a beautiful pass through 18 players that set up the perfect goal.

2-1.  You’re hoping that’s the default 4-on-3 unit.  Also, listen closely to the audio after the goal.  Hehehe

Then Pascal “Milt Shmidt in The Rocket” Dupuis ties it up on an unforced turnover.

2-2.  Oh crap they tied it up.  The Bruins are not out of the woods yet.

But they don’t want another 75-minute hard practice in their immediate future.  They also don’t want to lose.

A minute and a half later, Savard and Kessel are in the zone.  Kessel shoots, but Fleury lets it bounce off.  Savard wills it onto Kessel’s stick.  Kessel sees net.  Kessel scores.

3-2.  Kessel scores again.

Third Period:

A little over 5 minutes in, Pens go on the powerplay.  Martin “Justin” St. Pierre picks up a Crosby pass in the defensive zone.  He passes it up to Savard, who then gets it into the zone.  The Bruins have a 3-on-1 rush, short-handed.  Savard gives it to Martin “Justin” St. Pierre.  St. Pierre shows us what 63 inches of carbon hockey stick can do.

4-2.  First Bruins goal by Martin “Justin” St. Pierre.  Way to go, announcer-man.

Wideman cleans up with a slap shot from the point.

5-2.  10 minutes to go, you’ve seen less likely comebacks happen.

10 minutes I could’ve been playing more Rock Band.

GAME.

WIN!

• The Penguins called a players-only meeting after this game.  It seems like stuff like that always happens after a team plays the Bruins.
• The Bruins are 11-2-0 in November, 12-1-0 in December for 23-3-0 in the last 2 months, or 26 games.
• The 5 game road trip nets the Bruins 10 points, all in regulation.
• The Bruins lead the league in Goals for per Game and Goal against per game.  This makes me chuckle.
• Seriously?  JUSTIN St. Pierre?  I don’t care if his name is Les Glorieux du Montreal St. Pierre, if he’s scoring short-handers for the Bruins.

Record: (W9)

Away: 15-4-3 (W6)

December: 12-1-0

L10: 9-1-0

GO BRUINS!