I want to start off this weeks recap a little differently than I normally do. I’m starting this week off with some music, because after this first game of the week it is absolutely needed. So without further ado, I really think you should let this play while you read on.
12/22 Bruins 5 – Predators 2
Yes the rumors are true. HE is back. HE is back in black….and gold. Patrice Bergeron makes his return after a shoulder/sternum injury, and what a return it was for Bergy. He had a huge part to play in four of the Bruins five goals in this game as he scored two, assisted on another and started the play for the fourth goal on a great defensive play causing a turnover that immediately led to Pastrnak’s goal.
Looking back to the first goal of the game, Patrice Bergeron netted his 299th career goal and his 10th of the season giving the Bruins the 1-0 lead.
After the Predators tied the game in the second period, the Bruins exploded for four goals in the third period while allowing the Pred’s to get another back for their second goal. However, the Bruins were able to hold the lead as it was started in the third once again by Patrice Bergeron. He got his 300th career goal early in the period on the power play when the puck was loose just in front of the crease and he attacked the net, skying the puck past the diving Pekka Rinne to give the Bruins the lead once again.
The Predators were once again able to tie this game, but the Bruins went back on the power play and once again recaptured the lead when Brad Marchand was able to bury a one-timer of the cross ice pass from David Pastrnak and Patrice Bergeron.
Shortly after Marchand’s goal, David Pastrnak got his 23rd goal of the season off a feed from Brad Marchand. Patrice Bergeron started the play in the Bruins defensive zone as he got his stick in the way to poke the puck free where Marchand picked it up and took it down ice. He set up Pastrnak for the one-timer and he buried a changeup shot past Rinne to extend the lead.
Sean Kuraly eventually sealed the win for the Bruins with an empty netter to make it 5-2 with under a minute to play. While the Predators have been facing some injury problems themselves, the Bruins are starting to get healthy just as they turned their play around and started coming on strong. Having the top line of the Bruins back together will be massive down the stretch especially if they can get back to being one of the best lines in hockey, and after this game it looks as if they will pick up where they left off.
Jaro Halak got his third straight start as he has been really hot coming into this game allowing only one goal in his last two. While he did let up two goals in this one he continued to make big saves, and held the Predators out of reach.
12/23 Bruins 3 – Hurricanes 5
Well for people from Connecticut, it was an emotional night. The Carolina Hurricanes donned the classic Hartford Whalers jerseys we saw in Hartford not too long ago. The only thing to make it worse is that the Bruins couldn’t put a beating on the team holding the naming rights of the Whalers. They had a strong start in this one as Ryan Donato put the Bruins ahead just over two minutes into the game. They were able to get a two goal lead when Steven Kampfer banged home a slap shot.
From there it was all Hurricanes, or should I say Whalers as the Brass Bonanza blared from the speakers of the arena they now call home. They went on to score four unanswered goals to jump out to a 4-2 lead late in the second period. Ryan Donato then got his second goal of the game to make it a one goal game heading to the third period. From there it was all Whalers as they held on and scored their fifth goal of the night shorthanded with 12:40 to play.
It was a pretty bad loss for this team especially coming off a win against Nashville. It seems to be the story this year for the Bruins as they continue to play the good teams, tough, and the bad teams, mediocre. Things will change as the team looks to get back to being healthy anytime now.
12/27 Bruins 2 – Devils 5
After a really poor first period, the Bruins found themselves down in this one 2-0. New Jersey is a stronger team than they have been in the past, but they are still not one of the great teams in the NHL. This is one of those games that I talk about so much as being a “must win”. After the first period that didn’t look too good.
Then the 2nd period started. The Bruins looked like a much better team in the second as they were able to get a goal back to lower the deficit to one as Chris Wagner buried a one-time shot off the feed from John Moore.
Then the third period came around. It was more like the first period for the Bruins as they allowed New Jersey to score two more goals to open it up to a 4-1 game. With just under three minutes to play Patrice Bergeron deflected a puck off his skate into the net to bring the game closer. Ultimately the Bruins would fail to make the comeback as the Devils put one into the empty Boston net to end it.
After a great start to the week of getting guys back healthy and into the lineup, the Bruins lacked in the next two games and dropped 4 points. Next week they will look to take all 6 of the possible points available for the taking and here’s who they play.
The Week Ahead
As we head out of 2018 and into 2019, the Bruins will start with a tough week. They next play on Saturday the 29th in Buffalo against the Sabres who the Bruins find themselves behind in the standings. Puck drops at 7pm. Then the fun begins as they B’s will head to South Bend, Indiana for the Winter Classic. The Bruins will be up against the Chicago Blackhawks at Notre Dame Stadium on Tuesday the 1st, at 1pm. This is going to be such a great watch as two original six teams take the game to where most guys grew up playing with friends, outdoors. The Winter Classic is a spectacle every year and this year should be no different as we get a rematch of the 2013 Stanley Cup Finals. They then end the week on Thursday the 3rd at home against the Calgary Flames at 7pm.
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