Disappointing is the first word that came to mind after watching the Bruins game when I got home from work. OK, maybe not the first word, but the first word that I would want my son to read when he reads my blog. The first line of Krejci, Lucic, and Horton were great all game long and I can’t wait to see what the Seguin, Recchi, and Bergeron line will do will do on the power play as well. Wheeler was another standout all game long, throwing his body around and taking shots, very nice to see. Rask was solid in net even though he gave up 4 goals because it easily could have been worse.
The first period started well for the Bruins, the first line fought hard and moved the puck well but couldn’t get anything going. In fact early on the Bruins offense was moving the puck well and patiently waiting for something to open up, trying hard to take advantage of the Phoenix giveaways. Unfortunately patience is what did them in all night long on offense, at times no one wanted to shoot the puck. The first goal of the game by Phoenix came off of a weird bounce that popped out over the goal from behind on a shot from near the blue line. Vrbata was patient enough to wait for it to come below the top of the net and poked it home. It was a pretty goal and not Rask’s fault. After that Rask was able to stop two different breakaways that came about after giveaways by Chara and Recchi.
Boston got three power play chances in the period and couldn’t get anything going on any of them, lots of passing and dumping but very few shots to show for it. Phoenix was lead by Hanzal, Prucha, and Vrbata as they set the tone for the team and were forces all game long.
If the Bruins played like they did in the first and third periods for the entire game they will have a ton of success all year long. But then there was the second period, lazy play throughout for all but the first line, Wheeler and Rask. The defense couldn’t decide if they wanted to watch the puck or follow the puck and neither was the correct answer. The second goal of the game, this one by Pyatt on a pass from behind the net was way too easy for the Coyotes. Then came another giveaway, this one by Paille, and the third one was the charm for Phoenix as Upshall takes it in on a breakaway and gets it by Rask on the right side. That wasn’t the end of the poor defense, it took just under minute on their first power play for the Coyotes to go up by 4 goals. The Bruins left too much room in the middle of the zone and Belanger just walked in and put it by Rask who had no shot as the puck went from right to left and back again with ease.
The third period saw a new Bruins team come out lead again by the Krejci line and some heavy hitting by Wheeler, Chara and Campbell but it wasn’t enough to get them back into the game. Horton got the first Bruin goal of the year with an assist from both of his line-mates and gives us all something to look forward too. Campbell then tried to get tough but it ended up being a spin fight and he and Fiddler fought, I use the term loosely here, to a draw after they got dizzy and fell down. Horton came through again, this time on the power play and got them within 2 goals with 11 minutes left in the game but the team couldn’t get anything else going.
I liked the energy of the first 10 minutes of the game and the entire third period but a team that only plays half of the game will not be in the playoffs at the end of the year. At least it looked like the team got straightened out in the second intermission so we will have to hope that continues. The Krejci, Horton and Lucic line look like they will be a force and if Wheeler can keep it up that will be a big help as well. Seguin made some pretty passes, that one in the first period to Recchi on the power play was great and should have been put home, but we will have to give them some time to gell. It’s only the first game out of 82 and they won’t win them all but the second period was very disturbing.
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