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Live-Blog: Jose Theodore shutout spoils Boston's night, Hamilton signs

December 8, 2011, 7:51 PM ET [ Comments]
Ty Anderson
Boston Bruins Blogger •Bruins Feature Columnist • RSSArchiveCONTACT
Welcome to the TD Garden for tonight's battle between the Boston Bruins and visiting Florida Panthers.

The future is bright for the Boston Bruins. That much is know. But that future crept a little closer to the present today when the Bruins announced the signing of blue-liner Dougie Hamilton to an entry-level contract just hours before tonight's game. Drafted by Boston with the ninth overall pick this past draft, the signing comes in the midst of a year that's seen the 18-year-old pot 11 goals and 41 points in just 28 games for the Niagara Ice Dogs of the Ontario Hockey League.

"I’m happy at the start that he’s had, but he had a pretty good statistical year and offensive year last year, and he’s obviously exceeding it," Boston GM Peter Chiarelli said. "But the strength of his game is the two-way play, the passing, the closing gaps. He’s going to put up points just because of his skill and his skating, his smarts, but I certainly don’t project him to be a high-end points guy."

The towering defensemen isn't expected to see any time with the big league Bruins this year but can potentially join the Providence Bruins depending on how his juniors team does and how late their season goes.

But looking towards the not so distant future, can Hamilton contend for a spot next year?

"I do," Chiarelli quipped. "Based on what I saw, and based on how I think he’ll develop, I think he will."

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Normally, a meeting between the Boston Bruins and Florida Panthers is what they call a bargain. Tickets are usually cheap, it's often a blowout, and there's no real rivalry between the sides. But a surprising start from the Panthers has pretty much changed everything previously assumed.

The Panthers arrive to Boston as beasts of the Southeast this year, and with one less point than the Bruins this year, Bruins coach Claude Julien is aware that the new-look Panthers are no pushover.

"It's a credit to their coaching staff, their approach and they've put in some, some quality players in their lineup. They've made some changes but they've added some players in there that has given them a little bit more depth," the Boston coach said this morning. "Right now they're just working so hard that their work ethic is good enough that they're winning some games. And once you start believing in those kind of things, it just gets better."

But progression can't change history. Spoiling the Panthers' nights against Boston last year, going a perfect 4-0-0 against the Cats, it was former Panther Nathan Horton that didn't exactly wow in his first year against the club that drafted him back in '03. Posting just three assists in four games, the 26-year-old looks to break out of a rut that's seen him score just one goal in the last eight contests.

On a similar note, tonight will be Marco Sturm's first game against the Bruins since being traded by the club back in Dec. 2010. Since the trade, Sturm has bounced from the Kings to the Capitals, to the Canucks and now onto to the Panthers. He has two goals and an assist in 20 games with Florida this year.

In net, the B's turn to Tim Thomas. Without a loss since Oct. 29, the 37-year-old looks to make it 11 straight wins in his first start against Florida since Thomas' highly successful 3-0-0 run versus the Cats last year. He'll be opposed by veteran Jose Theodore, who has six wins and a 2.13 goals-against-average in nine starts on the road this year.

First Period


18:00 - Boston looks like they have a sure goal off an Adam McQuaid wrister but it goes up and hits the post. Scramble in front of the net but the B's can't jam it home. Great defense by the odd couple pairing of Erik Gudbranson and Ed Jovanovski.

17:43 - Newly acquired forward Krys Barch comes up with a high hit on Boston winger Danny Paille along the glass, sending him down in a heap. The B's don't like that as both Gregory Campbell and Shawn Thornton go at the Florida tough-guy, but it's Thornton who drops the mitt with Barch in a spirited bout. Think you have to give the edge to No. 22 on that one.

17:43 - The Bruins will get a power-play out of the hit. Charging is the call against Barch. And folks, that's how you respond to a hit you don't agree with. Nobody's crying foul.

10:29 - Second Boston power-play of the night coming up. Mike Santorelli for tripping.

9:30 - You can't help but feel it'll be a bad omen if the Black and Gold can't bury one past Theodore by the end of the period. They've had an insane amount of chances, but nothing will go. You can't only miss so many chances before frustration sets in.

5:53 - Brad Marchand gets denied o the doorstep.

1:30 - Some nice stops from Thomas in a period that's seen him do more standing than saving.

THOUGHTS AFTER 20


I always think it's a bad omen when you can't pot one in a period that left the Bruins with as many chances as they had. Theodore's been good, but the post behind him has been just as good, if not better.

Second Period


18:00 - Paille will not return. Looks like that has to be a concussion. He was real woozy after the hit, fell down when trying to get up. Paille has already missed three games this year with a broken nose.

17:09 - Marchand going off for elbowing. Elbow appeared to catch Tim Kennedy on the top of the head but Kennedy's holding his jaw. Confused.

14:50 - B's kill off the penalty.

13:31 - Brian Campbell with a lazy chuck of the puck over the glass. Delay of game the call, Boston going back on the power-play. They're 0-for-2 on the night.

10:18 - One of the Bruins' least memorable power-play efforts of the season paves the way for some offensive mojo for the Panthers, inevitably ending with a Thomas stop on Kris Versteeg's wrister point blank. Versteeg's quite frustrated after that flurry of chances for his club.

9:33 - Barch is back to the box. Holding.

8:04 - How many posts can one team hit without getting one through? Joe Corvo rings iron this time around for the Bruins. Tons of chances for the Bruins but Theodore is saying no.

5:30 - Johnny Boychuk with a big hit on Santorelli. Florida teammate Jack Skille doesn't like that, and he has a go with the Boston defensemen. Skille gets the worst of it, if you ask me, but major kudos to the dude for dropping them. No extra penalty for either player on the fight.

1:00 - B's can't bank in a big Theodore rebound. Story of the night.

Thoughts after 40


Say what you will about scoreless hockey, but this game has been anything but lackluster. The Bruins are undoubtedly getting the better chances, but Theodore has been a wall. And given his 8-0-1 record against Boston since the lockout, it's hard to imagine the wheels coming off any time soon.

Third Period


15:51 - Milan Lucic, alone in the slot, gets ROBBED by Theodore. That's Theo's 31st save of the night. They're getting more spectacular, folks.

12:24 - I have to imagine that tonight's game will have to end with the greasiest goal you'll ever seen. Just absolutely nothing is going to get by Theodore tonight.

9:00 - Each team is trading rush for rush here. The lack of speed on the B's blue-line is getting exposed.

6:37 - B's throwing the kitchen sink at Theodore. He. Won't. Budge. 38 saves now for him. An absolutely unreal performance.

2:32 - Panthers score! Tomas Kopecky bangs home the rebound for his fourth marker of the season.

41.9 - Versteeg with the empty-net tally, and that's your hockey game, folks.

7.8 - Marchand and Gudbranson mixing it up.

0.0 - Panthers win, 2-0.

More from the locker room in a bit.
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