Mar 19, 2013; Winnipeg, MB, CAN; Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand (63) shoots the puck during the first period against the Winnipeg Jets at the MTS Centre. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Fedyck-USA TODAY Sports

This story is starting to get repetitive. The Bruins have the lead going in to the third period and then they just run out of gas.  It happened again at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg this evening. The Bruins had held the Jets scoreless in the first two periods. Tuukka Rask was holding solid in goal, and the ‘Little Ball of Hate’ racked up his thirteenth goal (and team leading) of the season by sliding one past Ondrej Pavelec eight seconds into the second to put us up 1-0.

Then, as it has happened in five out of six times, the Bruins blew the lead in the third period. How? A soft goal. That seems to be Tuukka’s kryptonite. Put him in a situation where it will require an Olympic level save to make the magic happen for the Bruins, and he’s there. Have him face down a 2 on 0 breakaway, and he’ll make the tough save. Put a puck right in front of him, and have it sit there for a second or two before the other team just chips it in…. that’s where we have problems.

There are certain factors (in my opinion) cost us this game. First, we shouldn’t have seen Spooner on the first line tonight. Don’t get me wrong, I live in Providence and I’ve seen this kid play. He is no joke. He is a total stud in the AHL hockey world. However, AHL success doesn’t necessarily guarantee NHL glory. We brought him half way across the continent on the eleventh hour. We probably should have put him on the fourth line, moved up Paille to the third, Peverley to the second, and Bergeron to the lead line.

The ‘lead line’ which looked a bit too much like the LEAD line. We were out muscled by the Jets. (Yea, it sounded just as weird in my head.) We edged them out on shots (38-35), kept a slim lead on the face-offs27-24) and we had them 2 to 1 on give-aways. (15-7) Where we failed here was in what we’re good at. The physical game. The Jets out scored us in hits 33-17. When is the last time we got blown out on that category?

Well, we can’t change what has happened. The Bruins are 19-6-3, and thanks to the Buffalo Sabres who beat the Montreal Canadiens in overtime, we’re only down by two points on the Habs. Maybe this is just the hockey gods way of telling us how epic the Boston/Montreal game is going to be on the 27th. I hope so. To me, getting beaten by the Jets feels like being a team that gets moved to Phoenix (sorry Coyotes).

Jan 21, 2013; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Bruins center Tyler Seguin (19) scores a goal during the shootout against Winnipeg Jets goalie Ondrej Pavelec (31) at TD Banknorth Garden. The Boston Bruins won 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

On Tuesday night, the Boston Bruins will visit the division leading Winnipeg Jets at the MTS Centre in Manitoba, Canada. Boston will look to get back on track after losing a tough game against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday afternoon.

The last time these two teams faced off, the Bruins edged out the Jets 3-2. Alex Burmistrov and Evander Kane scored for the Jets but it wasn’t enough. Brad Marchand scored the game winning power play goal just 0:36 seconds into the third period to lift the Bruins to victory, with Tyler Seguin and Danielle Paille adding the other two goals for Boston.

With the short season, any points that can be gained are vital. This game will be pivotal for both teams as they look to secure their spots in their respective divisions. Winnipeg (32 points) currently holds a one-point lead over the Carolina Hurricanes in the Southeast division. The Bruins (41 points) are still second in the Northeast division. They are one point behind Montreal and it seems like they have been one point behind the Canadiens for weeks. Other than the Pittsburgh Penguins, I would say Montreal is the second hottest team in the East right now. The Bruins can’t seem to shake them. With all this being said, this game will be crucial for both teams as they fight for a top spot in the Eastern Conference.

The health of David Krejci is still in question for the Bruins. Krejci took the wrong end of a “Johnny Rocket” in the third period on Sunday’s game. Krejci was unable to put pressure on his right leg as he was helped off the ice by teammates. Coach Julien said Krejci, “came in for treatment and is day to day” also adding, “no broken bones and hopefully he’ll be back soon”. If Krejci is unable to go, it will be interesting to see whom the Bruins put at center. Some people are thinking Tyler Seguin might be the guy but I don’t think that is a good move. Seguin is way to hot right now to move positions. I think it is better to keep him on the wing with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand. Remember, Chris Kelly is still out with his injury so the Bruins will look for other players to step up in their absence.

Game time is set for 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

February 17, 2013

Boston Bruins vs Winnipeg Jets (Boston @ Winnipeg)

Final Score: Boston Bruins 3 – Winnipeg Jets 2

Three Stars of the Game: Third Star: Evander Kane (WIN), Second Star: Brad Marchand , First Star: Alexander Burmistrov (WIN)

Causeway Crowd’s Three Stars of the Game:

Third Star: Tuukka Rask. When the Bruins are playing their zone properly, Tuukka Rask just has to concentrate on guarding the net. His team did that most of the night, and it is why Tuukka shines. He’s got a very respectable 2.06 GAA, and a slowly increasing .919 save percentage. (From Billy) “[Tuukka]made timely saves when needed and got some help on a few close calls. He was solid from start to finish.”

Second Star: Daniel Paille. On several occasions this season, Daniel Paille has been bumped up to third line with Chris Kelly and Chris Bourque. This ‘CDC’ line has worked very well together, and Paille seems to shine when he’s given the opportunity. Again Paille showed his ability to play two way hockey, and was there to get a tip in on a re-direct from a Johnny Rocket shot from Boychuk. That goal stole the fuel out of the Jets and led to the frustration play of  Ron Hainsey. That tripping call set up the power play which brought about the game winning goal. (From Matt)”  recorded his second goal of the year tonight.  It looked like the Bruins were going to go into the locker down a goal but then with just 1.5 seconds left Paille scored on a tip from Johnny Boychuk‘s shot from the point.  Hopefully this goal can give Paille some confidence going forward and hopefully he can put some more goals in the net. ”

First Star: Brad Marchand. (From Matt)”Marchand scored a rare powerplay goal tonight that ended up being the game winner in the third period.  The Little Ball of Hate continues to score goals (8 on the season now) and be productive for the Bruins. His style of play is just what the Bruins are about as he gets under the opponent’s skin. Marchand seems like he is having a good time playing and thats what everyone like to see.”(From Billy) “Marchand was buzzing as usual and scored.” We all agreed that Marchand was one of the big players last night. #63 is our leading scorer, and while he has toned down the instigator role somewhat, he still incorporates part of that into his more mature playing style.

The Bruins remain on the road, this time crossing the continent to take on the Tampa Bay Lightning Thursday night.

Feb 2, 2013; Toronto, ON, Canada; Boston Bruins left wing Brad Marchand (63) carries the puck against the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Air Canada Centre. The Bruins beat the Maple Leafs 1-0. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports