Nov 6, 2014; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Bruins right wing
Loui Eriksson(21) is congratulated by center
Carl Soderberg(34), center
Chris Kelly(23) and defenseman
Dougie Hamilton(27) after scoring a goal during the third period against the Edmonton Oilers at TD Banknorth Garden. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports
The Boston Bruins played some rough hockey in their first forty minutes last night. The Edmonton Oilers earned a 2-1 lead going into the third period, and for a while it looked like the Oilers might break the B’s three game win streak. The Bruins picked themselves up in the final period and went on a rampage in the final ten minutes of the game. They were able to get past Ben Scrivens three times in under three minutes, courtesy of two power play goals. Milan Lucic finished it off with an empty netter in the final seconds of the game to give the Bruins a 5-2 win. Here are the big talking points from last night’s game.
The ref needs to relax on that whistle. The Boston Bruins lost two potential goals thanks to an overly anxious referee. Seth Griffith was robbed during the second period, and David Krejci‘s goal was shot down due a ref not being able to see where the puck was. I’m not accusing the ref of malfeasance, but there seemed to be an air of negligence in the air. All over the league, it just seems the quality of officiating has taken a turn for the worst.
Puck Prose
History was on the Bruins’ side. The last time the Black and Gold lost to the Oilers, Raymond Bourque was on the team. The Bruins have not lost to Edmonton since October 17th, 2000. The last time the Bruins lost to the Oilers in Boston, the arena was called the ‘Fleet Center’. The Bruins win streak against Edmonton at home is now ten games (9-0-0-1) since November 7th, 1996.
The B’s played up and down hockey last night. The Bruins played decently in the first, scoring once on the Reilly Smith goal. The Bruins had a rough second period where they didn’t play to their strengths. The Bruins came alive in the third, scoring three goals in a span of 2:34 to fly past Edmonton. The Black and Gold totally outperformed and outshot the Oilers (14-6) in the third period, and the Bruins just dominated in the last ten minutes of the game.
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Dougie Hamilton has stepped up big time in Boston. When Zdeno Chara was injured, the Bruins and the fans knew that Dougie Hamilton would have to soak up some serious minutes for the B’s. By and large Hamilton has been the defensive key for the Black and Gold. It has been six games since Zdeno Chara got hurt. In that time Dougie Hamilton has eight points (two goals) and is a +5 while playing around twenty five minutes a game. Once again, Hamilton was everywhere he needed to be last night. Hamilton had another three point night against the Oilers. Hamilton earned assists on both the tying goal and go-ahead goal for Boston, and his own power play goal just shut the door on the Oilers. He had four shots on goal, was a +1 and spent five plus minutes on special teams last night. Hamilton is now tied for second (with David Krejci and Brad Marchand) in scoring with ten points.
“It definitely doesn’t feel like our best hockey. I think when we’re playing our best, it’s pretty easy hockey and we’re grinding them down. We just gotta keep focusing on those little things of defensive parts and then chipping the pucks in and getting the pucks on net. I think we’ve definitely improved on it so we just need to keep improving.” -Dougie Hamilton
David Krejci probably shouldn’t have played last night. Krejci certainly wasn’t at one hundred percent last night. He was off the ice for part of the third, and it looks like he’s going to be battling with this ‘lower body’ injury for the next week at least. Krejci certainly wasn’t terrible last night, but it might have been wiser just to let him sit the game out. He only played sixteen minutes last night, and racked up six minutes in penalties. He did earn a point on the Lucic goal, but that one was an empty netter.
We felt the need for Swede. The Bruins’ third line, centered by Carl Soderberg put on a clinic in the last ten minutes of the game. They crashed the net, they made time and space, and they made life miserable for Ben Scrivens. A lot of teams third defensive pairs are having a tough time dealing with Soderberg’s 6’3″, 216lb frame. The third line started out as the most consistent line for Boston this season, and they’ve kept pace the entire season. Loui Eriksson is playing some of his best hockey in a Bruins uniform, and the Chris Kelly-Carl Soderberg-Loui Eriksson (the ‘Need for Swede’ line) combination keeps providing dividends for the B’s. Carl Soderberg currently leads all Bruins in scoring with twelve points (four goals).
The Bruins are 5-1 without Chara. Who saw this coming? While the Bruins opponents have not been of the highest quality (Sabres, Panthers, Maple Leafs, and now Edmonton), the young defensemen have picked up the slack, and the Bruins top lines are coming around to produce. The Bruins have kept their opponents under thirty shots on goal in the last four games, and Tuukka Rask has shaken off the early season rust. Rask is now 7-4. His goals against average is back under two and a half goals (2.48), and his save percentage is climbing back up (.907).