• I still don’t like Pominville.
• The Sabres have a better PK than the Bruins. 3rd best, even.
• Krejci has gotten a point in each of the Bruins wins on the current streak.
• Matinee game means morning post means not the most in-depth ever.

In each previous game, the home team has won.

• Game 6: Bruins 2 BUF 2 SO LOSS in Buffalo.  Ryan Miller stole that game.
• Game 14: Bruins 3 BUF 1 Win at home.  As Jack Edwards said, “Chucky’s Back!”
• Game 19: Bruins 7 BUF 4 Win at home.  This game was insane, with it being 3-4 at the end of the third.  Manny then doesn’t let anything in for the rest of the game.
• Game 22: Bruins 2 BUF 3 Loss in Buffalo.  The game-winner is a SHG.  Derek Roy shot one off of Krejci’s stick into the net.

• Bruinsblog on boston.com: Morning Breifing
• The Bear Cave: “Marc Savard is the leading scorer in the season series, as he has two goals and four assists for Boston.”
• NESN First Shift: “Tim Thomas (16-3-3, 2.04) or Manny Fernandez (13-2-1, 2.02) vs. Ryan Miller (16-10-4, 2.58)”
• boston.com Thumbnails
• bruins.nhl.com: Game Notes (pdf) | Preview | GameDay

3 minutes in, Dustin Jeffrey scores his first NHL goal from the top of the circle.
0-1. Uh oh, is this the game where they break all those streaks?

1 minute later, the Ryder-Wheeler-Krejci line enters the zone. They pass it around seemingly effortlessly, and get Krejci the puck in front of the net. He deflects it in. GOAL.

1-1. Holy crap that was pretty. Even the pens announcer thought so.

Then the Bruins end up on a Power Play. P.J. Axelsson is out there. %90 of Bruins fans are all “What the heck is P.J. doing on the – ” GOAL!

2-1. That’s what he’s doing on the powerplay. You’re wrong again, Milbury.

Second Period.

The Lucic-Kobasew-Yelle line skates it into the zone. Kobasew centers it to Lucic and Yelle. Yelle trips over a guy, Lucic shoots. GOAL

3-1. You’re still thinking the Pens could come back.

In the third, Malkin and Fedotenko define “pretty redirect play.”
3-2. You’re even more worried about a comeback.

Then Jordan Staal gets stood up on the blue line by tiny little Vladimir Sobotka.

Jack Edwards talks about the height and weight difference.

With a minute left, you can tell Sabourin is trying to get to the bench. But the Bruins keep it in the offensive zone for about 30 seconds. Finally the pens get it out, and the net empties. Savard gets the puck and ices the puck…into the goal.

4-2. 2 seconds left. You’re not worried about a comeback anymore.

Game.

WIN!

Record: 29-5-4 (W10)
Home: 14-1-1 (W14)
L10: 10-0-0
January: 1-0-0
GO BRUINS!

TV: NESN

Radio: WBZ

vs. Pittsburgh Penguins 

Notes:

• Check the preview and recap from the last game.
• Ference is skating, could be back soon.
• Thomas in net.
• One of these days the Pens are going to start playing better.  Might be today.
• Winter Classic was awesome.

Other Previews:

<———————-

Stats:

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.

• 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

• There’s a story in the Pittsburgh Gazette about Ryan Whitney watching the Bruins while he’s been hurt.
• Stanley Cup of Chowder is in the HHR Iron Ref Finals. Go vote for Evan!
• Also vote for Jack Edwards in the ongoing Puck the Media Tournament of Announcers.
• Michael Ryder has 7 GWG, leading the league. That’s half of his goals so far this year. It’s also half of his goals for all of last year. Can he play for anyone other than Claude? We may never know.
• Hal Gill has been out for the Pens, he’ll be back tonight.  With 7 defensemen, rookie sensation Goligoski is expected to Brent Burns a little.
• The Penguins are in a bit of a slump right now. I expect them to try to use the Bruins as a bounce-back springboard.
• The Pens, Wild, Flames, and Rangers all have winning records against the Bruins so far.  The Bruins play all but the flames at home in January.
• The Bruins had a hard practice yesterday, because they haven’t been playing that well but still luckily are still beating the weaker teams they’ve been playing recently.
• Thomas in net.  Lashoff a likely scratch.  Chara-Ward is backed up by Wideman-Hunwick.  I like the Bruins defense.  
• Ference is skating again, patrice is still getting headaches, but isn’t on the IR just yet.
• The NYTimes Slap Shot blog has 2009 all figured out.

Jack Edwards is up against Bob Cole in the tournament of announcers.  For your consideration:

GO VOTE FOR JACK!

Oh, and Stanley Cup of Chowder over at Hugging Harry Reynolds is in the Iron Ref finals.  Vote for him, too.

But really, Jack Edwards.  Together, we can beat Bob Cole.  8th seed from USA vs. Canadian top seed…..

End of the first period, Atlanta Scores. You’re watching the Jets lose.

Beginning of second, Wideman-Savard-Kessel. Goal.

1-1. The Jets are still losing.

6 minutes to go in the game. defense chips it up to Blake Wheeler. Wheeler feeds it to Krejci. Krejci sends it through the middle of the zone to Ryder on the doorstep. Ryder does what he was born to do. GOAL.

2-1. Jets lose. Jags never had a chance.

But that season’s over. Krejci’s is not. And what a pretty pass by him.

GAME.

WIN!

vs. ATL: 4-0-0 (Season Series Sweep!)
Record: 27-5-4 (W8)
Away: 14-4-3 (W5)
L10: 9-1-0
December: 11-1-0
GO BRUINS!

Notes:

Previous Games:

• Game 8: Bruins win 5-4 at home, Lucic gets a hat trick.
• Game 29: Bruins win 7-3, there are 4 fights. Bruins chase backup backup goalie Pavelec on 3 goals in 4 shots, including a Chara wraparound goal.
• Game 30: Bruins win 4-2 and Chara gets 17 minutes in the Penalty Box for sticking up for Kessel. After the Game, Coach Claude says he thought it was a good decision.

Other Previews:
<——Click those—–
NESN First Shift: “Manny Fernandez (11-2-1, 2.09) vs. Johan Hedberg (6-7-2, 3.56)”

Stats:

GO BRUINS!

For your consideration, Blake Wheeler:

Get to it, internet!

First Period: Canes score 1. Bruins score 0. Jack Edwards knocks it out of the park:

End of your career, Jack? I’m not so sure.

Second period
Blake Wheeler nearly falls over swiping at the puck in the slot. GOAL.

1-1. You’re happy that the Bruins scored, they aren’t looking so good.

~Less than 5 minutes later~

Blake Wheeler hits the puck from the corner up to Wideman, who slaps it in. Conn Smythe Trophy-winning Cam Ward makes the save, but the rebound ends up in the opposite direction to where he’s lying on the ground. Blake Wheeler makes an understated tap to get it in the GOAL.

2-1. Yeah, we’re going to have to start calling that a Wheeler-Trick.

Babchuck rains on everyone’s parade.
2-2.

Third period.
Axelsson is framed for a high-sticking, then gets out of the box and gets right back in with another penalty. C’mon, Per-Johan, you’re better than that.

7 minutes to go, Savard passes through the whole Carolina bench to Ryder, who one-times it over Cam Ward’s shoulder into the GOAL.

3-2. You’re wondering if you’re going to watch overtime.

1:08 to go. Cam Ward goes to the bench.
Dennis Wideman knocks down a high dump into the Bruins zone, gives it to Savard. Savard sees the open net and passes to Kobasew, who gets it in.
4-2. You’re happy Kobasew scored, and that Jack Edwards is making fun of the Carolina fans leaving with 15 seconds left.

GAME.

WIN!

Record: 26-5-4 (W7)
Away: 13-4-3 (W4)
L10: 9-1-0
December: 10-1-0
GO BRUINS!