The Bruins came out of last night's game with a 4-2 win, putting us 5 points ahead of the Habs in the division and 3 points ahead of the Penguins in the conference. We're also now on a 4 game winning streak.
The Oilers started the game out struggling, giving up three goals in the first period. They were slowly able to find their momentum in the second, where Perron managed to get two past Johnson, but that was the end of that. They did manage to create some great chances throughout the game it just came down to capitalizing on them. But you have to give it to them: for a group of young guys they played a relatively solid game. Granted, it may have been a bit shaky for them but it definitely wasn't anything to be ashamed of.
The Oilers started the game out struggling, giving up three goals in the first period. They were slowly able to find their momentum in the second, where Perron managed to get two past Johnson, but that was the end of that. They did manage to create some great chances throughout the game it just came down to capitalizing on them. But you have to give it to them: for a group of young guys they played a relatively solid game. Granted, it may have been a bit shaky for them but it definitely wasn't anything to be ashamed of.
The Bruins on the other hand looked much more solid. I mean come on we came out flying with those three goals in the first. We may have looked a little sluggish in the second and the third but were able to rally in each period from that relatively quickly and it wasn't a game changer in any sense. We did have some trouble keeping the puck out of our zone (a little bit more trouble than I thought we should have considering the nature of their defense).
That rally in the second was probably due to that Milan Lucic vs. Luke Gazdic bout early on in the second. Lucic not only won the fight but he successfully managed to wake the team up from that minor slouch they were in. On Gazdic's end, he was trying to keep up the momentum the Oilers were beginning to find that period in hopes of lessening the deficit. Although he definitely didn't win, Gazdic did put up a great fight because let's be honest, Lucic is a terror when he's angry.
We can't forget Johnson's role in the win last night though. Johnson faced 41 shots last night and walked out with a .951 SV% and a improved record of 6-1-0. I have to admit I had my doubts about Johnson in the beginning but he's proved to be a great pick for a back up goalie. These kinds of stats are exactly what we want to see in someone we have to rely on when Rask needs a break. His game is very controlled, kind of subdued and calculated. You don't see too much movement out of Johnson, who stays in net and uses those pad slides to his advantage. This is in comparison to Tuukka's style, which is known for being more aggressive. Tuukka has a tendency to come out of his crease to shut down scoring opportunities and does a lot more in the acrobatic realm. Having these two as our goalies works out great since their styles balance out so well.
But outside of the sluggishness, there isn't a whole lot to be said about the way the Bruins played. We've been playing better than some people have expected all things considered. Our AHL turned NHL players are holding their own and are beginning to find their niches in the pre-existing structure. They're meshing really well with our veterans and our style of play hasn't changed that much because of it. So although their game may not be perfect, it's solid enough to keep the Bruins on top despite a laundry list of injuries, and that in itself is impressive.
That rally in the second was probably due to that Milan Lucic vs. Luke Gazdic bout early on in the second. Lucic not only won the fight but he successfully managed to wake the team up from that minor slouch they were in. On Gazdic's end, he was trying to keep up the momentum the Oilers were beginning to find that period in hopes of lessening the deficit. Although he definitely didn't win, Gazdic did put up a great fight because let's be honest, Lucic is a terror when he's angry.
We can't forget Johnson's role in the win last night though. Johnson faced 41 shots last night and walked out with a .951 SV% and a improved record of 6-1-0. I have to admit I had my doubts about Johnson in the beginning but he's proved to be a great pick for a back up goalie. These kinds of stats are exactly what we want to see in someone we have to rely on when Rask needs a break. His game is very controlled, kind of subdued and calculated. You don't see too much movement out of Johnson, who stays in net and uses those pad slides to his advantage. This is in comparison to Tuukka's style, which is known for being more aggressive. Tuukka has a tendency to come out of his crease to shut down scoring opportunities and does a lot more in the acrobatic realm. Having these two as our goalies works out great since their styles balance out so well.
But outside of the sluggishness, there isn't a whole lot to be said about the way the Bruins played. We've been playing better than some people have expected all things considered. Our AHL turned NHL players are holding their own and are beginning to find their niches in the pre-existing structure. They're meshing really well with our veterans and our style of play hasn't changed that much because of it. So although their game may not be perfect, it's solid enough to keep the Bruins on top despite a laundry list of injuries, and that in itself is impressive.
Let's recap those 4 goals we got last, shall we?
1. Dennis Seidenberg's Wrist Shot: The German Hammer strikes for the first time this season all on his own as he took the shot right below the blue line and buries it under Dubynk's stick side.
2. Jarome Iginla's Slapshot: With Lucic screening Dubynk, Krejci grabs the puck, passes it behind the net to Krug who cycles it back for Seidenberg who centers it up to Iggy, who takes the shot from the top of the circle and buries it for his 7th of the season.
3. Brad Marchand's Shorty: Well well well look who decided to show up last night. After Bergeron takes the puck and creates a two on one situation on the penalty kill, he waits until the shot blocker is down to pass to Marchy who shoots it past Dubynk's stick side in the middle of Dubnyk's attempt to reposition himself. That was Marchy's 5th of the season.
4. Jarome Iginla Empty Netter: And Iginla reappears! With help from Krejci and Miller, Iggy gets the puck and fires a rocket from the center line and scores the GWG. This one was Iggy's 8th of the season.
1. Dennis Seidenberg's Wrist Shot: The German Hammer strikes for the first time this season all on his own as he took the shot right below the blue line and buries it under Dubynk's stick side.
2. Jarome Iginla's Slapshot: With Lucic screening Dubynk, Krejci grabs the puck, passes it behind the net to Krug who cycles it back for Seidenberg who centers it up to Iggy, who takes the shot from the top of the circle and buries it for his 7th of the season.
3. Brad Marchand's Shorty: Well well well look who decided to show up last night. After Bergeron takes the puck and creates a two on one situation on the penalty kill, he waits until the shot blocker is down to pass to Marchy who shoots it past Dubynk's stick side in the middle of Dubnyk's attempt to reposition himself. That was Marchy's 5th of the season.
4. Jarome Iginla Empty Netter: And Iginla reappears! With help from Krejci and Miller, Iggy gets the puck and fires a rocket from the center line and scores the GWG. This one was Iggy's 8th of the season.
Overall, this team has been doing phenomenally all things considered. Granted, it is to be expected that the guys we bring up from the AHL should be able to perform, but I don't think anyone can honestly say they expected a 4 game win streak to come out of all this. It's definitely something to be proud of and, if we keep seeing the kind of cohesion we've seen and a little bit more consistency, we should see a great game against the Canucks tomorrow.
Until then,
Keep Calm and Bergeron!
Until then,
Keep Calm and Bergeron!