(Hello, welcome to a depressing monthly feature that'll recap what we've missed thanks to the NHL Lockout. I certainly hope that this column doesn't last much longer, 'cause I've learned that it's incredibly depressing to write. Cry with me.)
On the heels of an unexpected first round elimination at the hands of the Washington Capitals, the Boston Bruins head to the 2012-13 season with some major changes.
Beginning in net, the reins to the Boston's crease have officially been handed to the 25-year-old
Tuukka Rask due to the sabbatical of two-time Vezina winner
Tim Thomas. In Rask's place as Boston's No. 2, the B's will go with the underrated
Anton Khudobin. On defense, the loss of
Joe Corvo,
Mike Mottau, and
Greg Zanon will be lessened by the arrival of the organization's top prospect,
Dougie Hamilton, and a healthy return from one
Adam McQuaid, who missed all of last season's playoff run with a concussion. Up front, it's more of the same from a Boston roster that scored the second most goals in the NHL last year, with the biggest addition coming by way of a healthy
Nathan Horton, who experienced a worry-free training camp despite missing 42 games last year with concussion woes.
Given the offseason progress of the Northeast Division this summer, headlined by major toughness upgrades in both Buffalo and Montreal, the road to a third straight Northeast Division title won't be easy for Boston, but is expected to travel through the raucous TD Garden once again.
But standing in their way is an October schedule that's left the B's with their hands full early and often. Let's see what we missed out on...
(For the record, this isn’t done via NHL13 or anything other than what my brain and crystal ball have told me. I swear it’s good.)
Oct. 11, 2012: Boston Bruins vs. Philadelphia Flyers
What better way to ring in the Tuukka Rask era than with a trip to an arena that’s haunted him for a matchup against a team that’s haunted him? Rask, who still hasn’t faced the Flyers in the two years that have passed since the Bruins’ epic 2010 playoff collapse against the Black-and-Orange, gets the nod in net for Boston, while the Flyers counter with 2011-12 headcase
Ilya Bryzgalov.
But while facing off against the best player in the NHL, forward
Claude Giroux, provides a tough matchup for the Bruins’ top-four, it’s the club’s second line featuring agitator
Brad Marchand,
Patrice Bergeron, and last year’s leading scorer,
Tyler Seguin, that combine for three goals against a battered Flyer defense and seal the deal for Boston in a 5-3 victory on Philly ice.
What you wish you didn’t miss? That fight between the Bruins’
Shawn Thornton and Philadelphia’s animalistic
Zac Rinaldo.
Oct. 13, 2012: Boston Bruins vs. New Jersey Devils
The dreaded Stanley Cup hangover doesn’t just have an effect on the winners of Lord Stanley, but also the runner-ups, and with a Parise-less Devils squad taking to the ice, it’s hard to imagine this one being a tough one for Boston to handle.
Given their 2011-12 season sweep of New Jersey, outscoring them 18 to 8 in those four games last year, it’s more of the same from Boston, with
Milan Lucic carrying the offensive load with a goal and two assists in a 4-1 win.
The win also gives Boston fans less to fret about when it comes to the health of Nathan Horton, who scored the putaway goal midway through the third period.
Oct. 16, 2012: Boston Bruins vs. Montreal Canadiens
Everybody in Black-and-Gold knows that the Montreal Canadiens are not a team poised to be a cellar-dweller, and they certainly know that traveling to the Bell Centre is among their least favorite things to do, so it honestly comes as no shock to anyone when the B’s stumble out of the gate in front of Montreal’s most rabid.
Finishing the first period in an 0-2 hole, with power-play goals coming from Max Pacioretty and defensemen P.K Subban, the B’s answer with one of their own in the second period off the stick of Chris Kelly, but can’t compete as the Habs end it with a Tomas Plekanec breakaway goal early in the third period.
3-1 is your final in Montreal while all of Boston continues to be baffled by perceived ‘hometown calls’ that the Bell Centre crowd, undeniably on top of referees, seem to draw. Round one advantage goes to the Habs, and it’s off to the Hub for the home opener.
Oct. 18, 2012: Montreal Canadiens vs. Boston Bruins
Playing with a bee under their bonnet, and finally in front of a Boston crowd, the B’s come out absolutely flying for the second leg of this home-and-home against the Habs.
Striking with a first period marker from
Patrice Bergeron, the Bruins continue their assault on Carey Price with a second and third goal in the second period, both coming off the stick of David Krejci, while a late-period marker from Erik Cole seems to give the Habs life heading into the third. Killing off two third period penalties, the Bruins add an empty-net score from winger Rich Peverley and hang on for a 4-1 victory, splitting the home-and-home with the home team coming out as the victor in both.
"Ole that," they'll sing.
Oct. 20, 2012: Dallas Stars vs. Boston Bruins
Holding a 3-1-0 record entering play, and with the Western Conference Dallas Stars in town, coach Claude Julien gives the nod in net to Anton Khudobin for just his second start in a Boston uniform since joining the B’s at the 2011 trading deadline.
However, given the loss of one Steve Ott, this game lacks the intensity Boston fans had become accustomed to in Dallas’ previous two trips to the Hub.
But in Michael Ryder’s return to Boston, it’s a Dallas onslaught that leaves the B’s reeling in what becomes a hard-fought 4-3 loss. Ryder strikes with two goals while Jaromir Jagr and Loui Eriksson strike with a goal of their own.
Oct. 23, 2012: Carolina Hurricanes vs. Boston Bruins
Hey, it’s the team that the Boston Bruins can never beat, for whatever completely unknown reason. And guess what? It’s more of the same from those pesky Whalers-turned-Hurricanes!
Ending the first in a 3-1 hole thanks to goals from each Staal and the enigmatic Alexander Semin, the B’s can’t respond until (it’s too) late in the first when
Danny Paille beats both Cam Ward and the post (!) for his first goal of the season. Striking with their fourth tally midway through the first, paving the way for a Khudobin relief appearance, the B’s can’t engage nor intimidate Carolina en route to a 5-2 win for the ‘Canes.
You guys think Tuukka still wants to fight Ward?
Oct. 25, 2012: Anaheim Ducks vs. Boston Bruins
In what’s likely to be Teemu Selanne’s final trip to Boston, the Bruins chase Jonas Hiller with three goals on just 13 shots in the first, and cruise to a 6-2 victory, ending the club’s two-game skid.
Oct. 27, 2012: New York Islanders vs. Boston Bruins
Turning back to Khudobin for a matchup against the upstart Islanders, the goals don’t come easy for the Bruins against the Isles’
Evgeni Nabokov.
Jumping out to a 2-0 edge with two off the stick of
Matty Moulson, Nabokov shines by way of 20 straight saves before the Boston power-play breaks through with
Dougie Hamilton’s first NHL goal. Sending the Garden into a frenzy, with everyone teaching everyone how to Dougie, the B’s knot things up with a goal from Horton, and force overtime. Forced to kill off the remaining 1:30 of overtime shorthanded when an attempted Dennis Seidenberg clear goes sailing over the glass, the B’s muck their way to a shootout, where Tyler Seguin plays hero in the top of round three.
Boston survives a scare, and steals this one in a shootout, 3-2.
Oct. 30, 2012: Buffalo Sabres vs. Boston Bruins
This is the game everyone’s been waiting for, baby. The Sabres, anchored by the nastiness that comes with the addition of
Steve Ott and
John Scott, are in town for a near-Halloween matchup against the division rival B’s.
(Get excited -- then get depressed when you realize that this is all in your imagination.)
Trading goals in the first, second, and third a 3-3 draw paves the way for overtime, and a power-play game-winner off the stick of the Bruins’
Tyler Seguin, but that’s not the story of the night.
We’re talking about the Sabres and Bruins, man! McQuaid takes on Scott, every Bruin tries to get a piece of Ott, and the two clubs combine for over 70 minutes in penalties as the intensity ramps up and sends October out with a major bang, with the B’s in sole possession of first place in the Northeast by way of a 6-3-0 record.
Storylines you missed out on...
- Yo, how come Dougie Hamilton’s not playing more?! Well, he’s a rookie in the Claude Julien system. Hamilton, the Bruins’ star pupil, skates on the club’s third defensive pairing, skating alongside seasoned veteran
Andrew Ference, struggles offensively, but finally gets on the board with a power-play goal in late-Oct., but still doesn’t see ice-time in the club’s next game against Buffalo, prompting forum outrage.
- Tuukka Rask has his moments, and finishes the month of Oct. with a .922 save-percentage, good for a spot in the league’s top 10. But that doesn’t make people forget about Tim Thomas, whose $5 million cap-hit rests as an albatross on the Boston books.
- Jordan Caron’s struggling on the Bruins’ third line, prompting talk of a call to Providence for the services of
Ryan Spooner,
Jared Knight, or
Max Sauve. But in crunch time, No. 38 strikes with an equalizer, quelling some of his potentially unfair criticism.
- Top line forwards David Krejci and Milan Lucic actually play like they care while Nathan Horton's healthy return has shushed some of B's fans concerns about the productivity of the team's first line.
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