Unfortunately for Boston, as one streak ends, a new one begins.In tonight’s loss to the Detroit Red Wings, the B’s snapped a loss-win pattern that has plagued the club throughout their first 13 games of the 2009-10 NHL season. However, in the process, the B’s failed to score a goal, rendering them goal-less in their past 133 minutes and 58 seconds of play.
Following tonight’s display in Detroit, is the frustration officially beginning to mount in the Hub?
While the Bruins got shutout by an Original Six team for the second time in the past 72 hours, these Bruins simply don’t appear to be trying out there as a cohesive unit.
Yes, top-liners such Marc Savard and Milan Lucic are both on the long-term injured reserve, but isn’t that extra incentive for players such as David Krejci, Michael Ryder and Marco Sturm to step up?
Tonight, it was more of the same from the black and gold−which simply hasn’t been a good thing this season.
The daggers tonight came from Henrik Zetterberg and Tomas Holmstrom, who both scored late in the first period of the Tuesday night contest in the Motor City. Zetterberg’s powerplay goal seemingly happened instantaneously, so quickly that the VS cable crew was nearly unable to catch it on TV.
Three minutes later, and one Thomas positioning-gaffe later, and Tomas Holmstrom put the Wings up by two, which is more than what Chris Osgood needed to earn the ‘W’ tonight.
Osgood, who came into tonight’s match-up boasting a 4-2-2 record with a 3.10 goals against average, was mechanical, lucky and mechanically lucky for sixty minutes, making 29 saves and getting two lucky post-rings to secure his 50th career shutout.
For Boston, the powerplay-woes continue as the Bruins went 0 for 3 tonight with a man-advantage, worsening to 1 for 20 since being without Marc Savard in the line-up due to a broken foot.
Some good for B’s fans to take solace in is that fourth line cogs, Shawn Thornton and Steve Begin, to continue to play strong and create chances even without 6′4″ Byron Bitz out of the line-up. More good news surrounding the slumping Bruins is that since the team’s acquisition of Daniel Paille, the B’s have killed off 17 out of 18 penalties.
Warning: Phil Kessel Talk Ahead
Tonight marked the debut of Boston’s newest-villain, Phil Kessel, in a Toronto Maple Leafs uniform. The formerly-loved and delightfully dangerous goal scorer, who lit the lamp 36 times in 2008-09 for Boston, who demanded/didn’t demand a trade out of Boston this off-season after the two sides failed to reach an agreement on a new deal.
To the joy of Boston fans, Kessel had an absolutely frustrating night tonight in his Leafs debut. In his return from major shoulder surgery over the off-season, Kessel was on the ice tonight for just under 24 minutes and had a career-high 10 shots, the end result? Zero goals, zero points, and one bone-crunching and bloody-lip inducing hit from Bolts blue-liner Mattias Ohlund. Anyone else want to go out and buy an Ohlund shirt?
Also, honestly what was penalty worthy about that hit? Nothing dirty there, just keep your head up, Ke$$el.
Oh Phil, how Boston will feed off your misery.
Who Got Winter Classic Tickets? Oh Yeah, That’s Right, This Guy!
Honestly, this process was a lot easier than I expected for those of you who have yet to purchase your seats. However, it was still a little questionable to me.
After logging in using my private password and username, I selected the option of “Best Available”. The results weren’t not what I expected. While I knew seats atop the Green Monster, in the left-field grandstands and in the Pavilion Club would be gone, I didn’t expect what I got back.
Two seats, right field grandstand 3, row 13. The view? Here. The price? 225.00 dollars per seat. Errrr, what? For a near-outfield-bleacher view, I simply wasn’t paying this price. I instead opted for seats along the right field line, in right-field box 93, row 7 for 125.00 dollars per seat. My only hope is that I’m not behind Pesky’s Pole.
What’s Next?
On Thursday night in Boston, it’ll be the 700th meeting between the Boston Bruins and the hated Montreal Canadiens. Both Boston and Montreal are coming off losses on Tuesday night. The Canadiens shouldstart Jaroslav Halak for this match-up against the team that eliminated them from the 2009 Playoffs, considering the absolute disaster of a start Carey Price has had to the 2009-10 season. Halak is 5-2-0 with a 2.85 goals against average on the season and has clearly outplayed Price thus far (then again, that hasn’t been hard).
Follow me on Twitter, folks.
Ty
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