Bruins Shutout By Kings in LA, Drop To Last Seed In East
No, he didn’t score here. Because this…
For the second time in two nights in Southern California, the Bruins came up with a late effort that was all for naught. A night after dropping a 3-2 decision in the OC (bitch), Jonathan Quick turned aside all 30 Bruins shots in a 2-0 Kings win as Boston now has just one win in its last five games and has scored a measly six goals in those games. They’re now the second Wild Card team in the East with 29 points, three points ahead of the Florida Panthers—who have three games in hand on the Bs. Not good times for the Black and Gold.
The Kings dominated play in the first, outshooting the Bs 16-8 and it if wasn’t for the stellar play of Niklas Svedberg, the Bruins would have been down a few goals instead of just 1-0. Boston picked things up in the second to give us a more entertaining game, thanks in part to Svedberg’s effective-yet-palpitation-inducing style when there’s action at his crease. Unfortunately, the Bs looked like they were paying tribute to former checker P.J. Axelsson as they continued to fire pucks high and wide all night. And when they did get it on net, well, see the above video.
The Bs carried play in the third, outshooting the Kings 12-6, or as much as they could on what looked to be pretty shitty ice. But Quick gobbled up everything or at least got a piece of it, like Zach Trotman’s slapper from the top of the slot that the former Zoo-Mass goalie just got a piece of with his glove. The Bs pulled Svedberg for the extra attacker but Tyler Toffoli’s long ENG with :50 left put two in Boston’s hat.
Though they were able to tread water for a stretch of games, it’s clear more than ever that they miss Zdeno Chara (knee) and David Krejci (hip). The team, as currently constituted, just isn’t getting it down right now. They’re not scoring. Mental errors are more commonplace. And the overall team cohesiveness we’ve been used to is MIA right now. Frankly, we don’t if both top players will be back this season. If that’s the case, the Bruins have much bigger problems.
The Bs are back at it tomorrow night in San Jose. But another ‘good effort’ just isn’t gonna cut it. The team needs to turn things around and quick. Or they’ll be on the outside looking in before Christmas.
A few more buds for your bowl…
*Some veteran scoring would certainly help out if Peter Chiarelli decides to pull the trigger on a move. The GM was in Buffalo last night, ostensibly to check out Sabres RW Chris Stewart. Though he carries a $4.15M cap hit through next season, the Bs would have space if they needed to keep Z on LTIR or put Krejci there instead. Or if they somehow got Buffalo to take equal salary back. Though there’s only been one trade between the two teams (Dan Paille for a 3rd rounder), the Sabres may be more likely to deal given that they’re years from contending and Stewart’s contract expires after the ’15-’16 season.
*Nobody misses Krejci more than Milan Lucic. #17 has just four points in the last 15 games and often looks lost without his set-up man. Here’s a great read by Boston Sports Desk’s Kevin Flanagan about Lucic that wonders, among other things, if the burly winger even belongs on the top line. Also, Blue Jacket Dalton Prout received a shitload of congratulatory texts for dropping Lucic a couple weeks ago. Including props from an official. Ouch. Rough few weeks for Looch.
*It’s been a shitty week or so in the hockey world. Last week, Pat Quinn and Russian legend Viktor Tikhonov both passed away within a day. And last night, Jean Bèliveau, one of the most legendary of the many legendary Montreal Canadiens, died last night at the age of 83. The epitome of class on and off the ice, there was nary a bad word written or said about the HHOFer. Condolences to family and friends of the three legends.
*Loui Eriksson never got a crack at his old spot with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand because Reilly Smith essentially swiped his job while he was concussed. But team had no issue putting eye-catching rookie David Pastrnak in that slot to see what he can do/demote Smith. This after Loui was never given a real shot with Lucic and Krejci (supposedly due to Krejci not liking a left-shooting RW). And as much chemistry as he has with his fellow Swede Carl Soderberg, I wonder if the team is putting him in the best spot to score goals. Even so, he is fourth in scoring with 3-10–13 totals.
*Hey NESN, ditch the ticker, will ya? Or at least don’t leave it up all fucking game. We all have the Internet at our fingertips so your 15-minutes-old score is already irrelevant when it shows up on our TVs. Besides, it annoys us and distracts us from the game. There’s no need for it to run during the whole game. Do something about it.
*Pastrnak has been the Bs most eye-catching rookie in a year in which they have iced more than they’d like to. He’s also the youngest player in the league. Before he was called up, he was the youngest player in the AHL. The youngster has speed and some slick hands. Curious to see if he goes back to Providence. Same goes for steady D-man Joe Morrow. I wouldn’t be surprised if neither do.
*Speaking of Morrow, @Maxx_Snow nailed it…Thunderlips!
*Non-Bruins Blog Item of the Week. If you’re looking for a futuristic thrill ride with an eclectic cast and crazy plot, give “Snowpiercer” a whirl (Netflix streaming). Starring Chris Evans, an unrecognizable Tilda Swinton, and Octavia Spencer, the movie is about a train that constantly travels around a frozen planet Earth and contains the only survivors. But the survivors are stuck in the same section of the train they originally boarded on. Needless to say, the caboose gets antsy. Tension and great fight scenes ensue in this entertaining flick. If you’re a fan of awkward workplace comedies in the same vein as “The Office”, then you ought to be watching “Getting On” on Sunday nights on HBO. Set in a geriatric medical facility, the show centers on the hospital’s wacky staff that can dole out cringes like a Dunder-Mifflin veteran but also healthy doses of heart. I know, it didn’t sound like it was up my alley either. But now I’m hooked because I’m guaranteed to laugh my balls off a few times every Sunday. Catch up on Season One first either via HBOOD or HBOGO.
*Finally, I want to say farewell to my favorite sax man ever, Bobby Keys, who died yesterday at 70. Keys was the Rolling Stones brassiest brass man ever since he joined them on the “Let It Bleed” sessions and made his first incredibly memorable impression with his ass-shakin’ solo on “Live With Me”. He’d go on to add his fiery work to “Brown Sugar”, “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking”, “Rip This Joint”, and many others. He also played for Buddy Holly and John Lennon. I was fortunate to see the fan favorite Keys ply his trade in person dozens of times and he always blew the roof off the place. Thanks for the memories, Bobby. You were the best. My sympathies to his family, Keith, Mick, Charlie, Ronnie, Mick, and the rest of his many friends.
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