Trying to keep this recap positive because the fans and the pre-game ceremony were A+ tonight. Beautiful stuff, so if you think we're sugar coating the game recap tonight, you're probably right but we don't care.
Tough loss (again) to the Buffalo Sabres and another late third period lead blown. It's been the unfortunate rallying cry of the Boston Bruins all season. But it felt like ol' times, eh?
It would've been great to see the Bruins win because of the Marathon Bombings and all. It would've been a story book moment for the city, but we all know that's not how life really works. Life isn't so simple or neat. But the team played hard. They were emotional and there was a lot of effort coming from the Boston bench. It's not easy to play well while having that much emotion coursing through you and the players were absolutely downtrauden about losing tonight. They wanted to win for the fans. They wanted to give the city something to smile about. And for a few hours the Boston Bruins helped give fans a sense of normalcy again. Thanks, Bruins. We appreciate it.
There was a lot more going on than just a W or L. And don't think that a win or loss tonight defines this city post-bombing. In the long run no one will remember the score but they'll remember everything else that happened tonight. The Bruins are a part of Boston but they aren't the city. We are. And we saw that in the pre-game ceremony montage. We saw that during the US National Anthem. We saw that during the chants during the game. We saw that when first responders and fellow runners sprinted to the aid of their fellow man after the blasts. We saw that when runners kept going to donate blood.
That is Boston. People helping people. People caring. People giving a shit about strangers they may never see again. It's beautiful. Hopefully that feeling can extend past the Boston borders, too.
Yes, the team might've lost but the city won tonight.
After the jump we talk Bruins hockey…
– Interview with Thornton and Ference — two Bruins who truly have adopted Boston as home.
– Everything about the pregame opening honoring the injured and deceased from Monday.
Everything about this was beautiful. Well done.
– The folks who left the ribbon and pins out by Bobby Orr.
– The folks who left a Martin Richard Bruins shersey at the Orr statue.
Class acts.
– The Boston Garden singing in unison.
– Props to Julien for dropping Looch to the 4th line and Horton to the third. He was shuffling all game but message sent anyways.
– Daniel Paille gets his ninth goal of the year. Dude is a workhorse this year. If he doesn't win Seventh Player Award then we just don't know…
Also solid work by Chris Kelly setting that goal up. Nice hustle.
– All the Boston chants. Jesus the Garden was on fire.
I thought the "We Want It" chant was spine tingling a few post-seasons ago but "We Are Boston" takes the cake.
– This save by Khudobin on Porter.
Jean-Claude Van Damme is impressed by Khudobin's splits
– Bergeron in the faceoff circle. My god… 13 for 17 tonight.
Great to have him back.
– Chris Kelly get his 100th career goal. He wins the face off. Paille gets it and throws a pass to Kelly who lifts it over Miller for a goal.
Apparently the key for Kelly to be an offensive force is to have him come back from the IR for some reason.
– Kaleta meeting the wrath of Destroychuk at the end of the second. Can't find video of it on Bruins site but it looked something like this:
– The Bruins PK during the Looch double-minor. Specifically Bergeron and Marchand. Absolute beasts. Paille had a short-handed bid, too.
#PowerKill
– Andrew Ference for the Save of the Night
– Bruins finally clinch a playoff berth.
– Bruins and Sabres getting together to salute the fans at center ice at the end of the game. Great work. Seriously.
Honestly we were just happy to have hockey back in Boston so we're not as nitpicky as usual.
– That "tripping" penalty against Marchand. Doc called it the "10 foot rule."
Pretty sure that rule expands to 25' in Montreal.
– Vanek's hands are so good which is so bad for Boston. What a tip.
Vanek and Subban are two guys you can pretty much bank on ruining Bruins fans evenings with their play.
– Kaleta is a douche. Water is wet.
– LOLucic missing that open net. Seguin with great speed setting Looch up and Moocher can't bury it.
Looch was kinda awful again in general.
– The Sabres for still employing John Scott.
– Ference saves a goal only to take a late delay of game penalty. Bergeron loses one of four faceoffs all night and Sabres tie the game on it. Brutal.
– Bruins PK was great and also awful. Buffalo has league's worst PP and Bos lets in two goals. Yet they also killed a lot of bogus penalties.
Similarly, the refs were awful tonight.
– Will Julien give Lucic a healthy scratch to "rest" before the playoffs?
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