Tuesday 26 February 2013

Boston @ Tampa Bay Lightning

On Thursday night, Boston took on Tampa Bay, at the Tampa Bay Times  Forum Arena. This is the longest road trip for BOS since the season started on January 19th.

1st Period 

BOS started off the best and the quickest as BOS's Nathan Horton, scored in the first two minutes of the game. Horton fired into the wide open net from the left faceoff circle. TB were sloppy at times in their play and BOS picked up on that, and within four minutes were 2-0 up, BOS's Patrice Bergeron. It was a great feed from behind the goal by Brad Marchand who then slide the puck to Bergeron who then slotted the puck home. With 4:07 on the clock BOS's Dougie Hamilton went to the box for a hi-sticking call. 

It took nearly 5 minutes for TB to get into the game and in  8:13 TB scored. TB's Teddy Purcell could not get the stick on to the puck with the BOS defense in front, so TB's Steven Stamkos stepped into the slot and fired it over BOS's Tuukka Rask's glove to make the score BOS 2 TB 1.

After TB scored they had a few chances and the best one was when TB had the open net but it came back off the post and BOS's Tuukka Rask denied the follow up attempt by gloving right off a TB's stick. TB's Victor Hedman and BOS's Adam McQuaid got tangled near the boards in the trapezoid and they were a few shoves back and forth but nothing prevail. 

With just over a minute to go in the period and BOS's Rask had been the busier of the two goaltender with another great save this time on TB's Alex Killon, as Nate Thompson forechecked  and fed him right on front. 

The horn sounds to bring the 1st period to a close. BOS were still leading 2-1. 

2nd Period 

With two minutes gone in the 2nd TB had three more shots on Rask and BOS with the only one on TB's Andreas Lindback. There was a nice play by BOS's Milan Lucic, to use Hedman as a screen before firing a shot on Lindback and with Tyler Sequin working to draw defenders in front.  With nine minutes gone in the 2nd TB scored to tie the game 2-2. TB's rookie Cory Conacher from the left faceoff circle as his shot beats Rask and BOS's Rask was unlucky as it went under his glove. 

5 minutes after the tieing score BOS regained the lead. Seguin's shot got broken up and BOS Brad Marchand immediately jumped onto the puck at the harsh marks and rocketed the puck past TB's Lindback . 

 Sequin celebrating Marchand's goal to take a 3-2 goal lead. 

Rask stopped TB's Marty St Louis breakaway, just before BOS's rush for the go ahead tally. With less than a minute to go in the 2nd TB's Conacher drew a roughing penalty on BOS's captain Zdeno Chara. 

Not too sure what happened but it looked like TB's Conacher said something to riled up Marchand and Chara, a few shoves were involved and Chara went off. 

The horn sounds to end the 2nd. Boston leading 3-2 heading into the 3rd.

3rd Period 

With less than 3 minutes into the 3rd period BOS increased the lead to 4-2. Horton scored his 2nd goal of the night. It was perfectly executed deflection as Horton got his stick point shot from Chara.

Chara noticed that he did not have a clear shot, so he set up Horton for the redirected goal. There was some nice puck movement from David Krejci and Dougie Hamilton. Hamilton who then gave the puck to Chara, to set up the goal.

Not long after BOS scored, TB had a terrific chance to score, as TB's Benoit Pouliot's shot was saved by Rask in the crease. There was a nice pass from Seguin after a battle along the boards lead a chance in front of Lucic but TB's Lindback with a good pokecheck to deny.  With less than 6 minutes to go in the game, BOS's McQuaid went to the box for a tripping call.  With under a minute to go, TB pulled their goaltender Lindback. The last penalty of the game went to TB's Vincent Lecavalier went for a tripping call.

The horn sounds to end the game. Boston won the game 4-2..

The 3***s of the Game went to:

1* Nathan Horton
2** Teddy Purcell
3*** Patrice Bergeron


Boston now play Florida Panthers on Sunday in Sunset with a 3p start.

I would like to dedicate this report to a very good friend of mine Joey McDougall, who sadly passed away on Saturday and TB was his last game he saw....

THIS IS FOR YOU BUD...RIP..........





















Friday 15 February 2013

Boston @ Buffalo

On Sunday night, Boston played Buffalo in the First Niagara Center, after the unfortunate postponed game from Saturday against Tampa Bay. BOS had a extra rest after they played in the Bell Center on Wednesday night. This is the first of two meetings when the two teams face each other, on Friday night, in First Niagara Center.  

1st Period 
In the first six minutes of the game they were loads of changes for both teams. But BOS's were 7 shots to BUFF's 3 to the good.But BUFF did have a few chances to take the lead especially when Marcus Foligno skirted the puck past an open net. There was a scuffle in front of BOS's Anton Khudobin, and BUFF's Patrick Kaleta was making his presence felt as he had big hits on BOS's Adam McQuaid and Daniel Paille. 

BOS's Gregory Campbell and BUFF's Kaleta squared off just inside the blueline, near to the penalty box.  

BUFF's Kaleta and BOS's Campbell, fight during the 1st

BUFF's Kaleta finally went with a BOS player and Campbell gave a great effort. BUFF's Kaleta went to the box for a 5 min fighting major however that was not the same for BOS's Campbell as he was charged three penalties, fighting 5 minutes, game misconduct 10 mins and a instigator, but with BOS's Campbell with already having the 15 major, BOS's Shawn Thornton will serve the 2 mins penalty in the box.

With 2.5 minutes remaining  in the period BUFF's Cody Hodgson, went to the box for a slashing call, as he slashed BOS's Chris Kelly on a breakaway. BOS head for their first Power Play (PP) of the game.

The horn sounded to bring the 1st to a close. BOS were 16 shots to BUFF's 13 on goal.

2nd Period 
BOS started the 2nd on a PP for the first 2 mins, but BUFF managed to kill that penalty, however BUFF went right back on the Penalty Kill (PK), as BUFF's Steve Ott went to the box for a unsportsmanlike conduct call, BOS on their 2nd PP of the period. For 41 secs BOS had a 5-on-3 advantage as BUFF's Alexander Sulzer went to the box for a cross-checking call. BOS were leading shots on goal (22-14,SOG). 

With 8 minutes gone in the 2nd BOS took the lead, BOS's Andy Ference with a great play, to fake a slap shot, then to pass the puck to BOS's Brad Marchand at the left of the faceoff circle. BOS's Marchand then beat BUFF's Ryan Miller's glove side. 

BOS's Marchand with the first goal of the game

In the 11th minute of the 2nd, BOS's Marchand went to the box for a faceoff violation. This is a new rule, as BOS's Marchand pushed the puck with his hand at the faceoff circle. With less than 5 minutes to go BOS went on their PP of the game as BUFF's Mike Weber went to the box for a tripping call as BUFF's Weber tripped up BOS's Chris Bourque. BUFF tied the game with less than 2 minutes to go. BUFF's Drew Stafford's forecheck worked along the boards and then got the puck to a wide open BUFF's Tyler Ennis. 

The horn sounded to bring the 2nd to a end. 

3rd Period 
Through the first couple of minutes of the 3rd, there was some back to forth action. With 8 minutes gone in the 3rd BUFF's Weber went to the box for a delay of the game call. BOS were on their 5th PP of the game. BOS's Patrice Bergeron won a faceoff and the puck went to BOS's Bourque, who fired a shot that deflected from the boards and it went right back to BOS's Bergeron fired a shot and the puck ended up in the BUFF's net. BOS leads 2-1. But with that PP goal (PPG), nobody saw BOS's Bergeron got kicked off the faceoff and it was indeed BOS's Rich Peverley who won the faceoff and then he started the play.  

 BOS's Bergeron with the 3rd goal of the night and BOS's 2nd goal.

BOS's Milan Lucic added a 3rd goal, as BOS's Lucic's goal was a open netter, as just before BUFF pulled Miller out of the net. BOS ended the game on a PK as BOS's Ference went to the box for a hi-sticking.

The horn sounded to end the game.

The three stars of the game were:

1*          Khudobin
2**        Miller
3***      Bergeron

BOS now head back to Boston to play New York Rangers, at the TD Garden with a 7.30p start.

















Friday 8 February 2013

Boston @ Montreal

On Wednesday night Boston travelled up to Montreal to take on their biggest rivals. Who will come out on top in this top of Conference and Division Game.

1st Period
Boston's David Krejci won the opening faceoff. The first shot of the game went to Montreal's Colby Armstrong, as he drove the puck to the net nearly passed Lars Eller to put it past BOS's Tuukka Rask but it did not convert. MTL's Tomas Plekanec nearly put the puck past BOS's Rask, on the door step but could not poke in the rebound. BOS's Rask made some nice saves right after. 

In the 5th minute BOS got their first Power Play (PP) as MTL's Rene Bourque went to the box for a goaltender inference call. BOS's Tyler Sequin went to the box for a holding call. For 10 seconds it was 4-on-4 and then MTL had their first PP of the game. MTL's Eller had a breakaway down the middle but BOS's Rask made another save. 

BOS's Rask had been the busier of the two goaltenders as MTL Carey Price had not one single shot at that point in the game. For every MTL shot BOS's Rask had been in the right spot. Under the 4th minute BOS started to keep the puck in the o-zone more and started to create more chances down low. With less than 4 mins left in the 1st, BOS had their 2nd PP of the game, when MTL's PK Subban went to the box for a hooking call. 

The horn sounded to bring the 1st to a close with the score at 0-0. MTL's were leading 11 shots to BOS's 4 on goal.  

2nd Period
With 55 seconds of the start of the 2nd BOS's Johnny Boychuk went to the box for a tripping call, as he tripped up MTL's David Desharnais at the back of the goal. MTL's Plekanec had the best chance to score when he went on a breakaway up the middle but the puck rolled off his stick and went the harsh marks. BOS went on their 3rd PP of the game as MTL were called for having too many on the ice so MTL's Brendan Gallagher sat on the bench. 

BOS's Rich Peverley had a great chance to open the scoring after being planted in front of MTL's Price, not long after that chance BOS's Milan Lucic went to the box for a hi-sticking call, halfway through the 2nd. 

MTL did not have a single shot on goal with nearly 10 minutes gone in the 2nd and BOS had 5. In the 11th min MTL took the lead. MTL's Subban, fired a shot that looked it deflected of MTL's Bourque. But the assists went to Plekanec and Andrey Markov.  


 Subban celebrates his teams first goal. 

That MTL's goal was on the PP, which Rask nearly gloved but unluckily he could not keep it out of the net.  With 6 minutes left of the 2nd BOS went on a penalty kill (PK) as Lucic went to the box for a slashing call.  


BOS's Adam McQuaid exchanged with MTL's Travis Moen, after Moen hit BOS's Patrice  Bergeron along the boards, but no fight came out of it. 

The horn sounded to bring the 2nd period to a end. How will Boston react to the MTL goal.

3rd Period
BOS's Seguin tied the game with just 20 seconds into the 3rd after BOS's Krejci fed Sequin behind the goal line.  

 Seguin celebrates with Krejci

In the 3rd minute of the 3rd BOS took a 2-1 lead. BO's Krejci had a great net drive to tip in pass from crashing the crease.  


 Krejci scoring BOS's 2nd goal, 3rd goal of the game. 

Both of the BOS's goals were, scored down low and both of them with goal line passes thrown towards the front of the net. 

In the 6th minute of the final period BOS's Chris Kelly went to the box for a hooking call. BOS's McQuaid and MTL's Brandon Prust wrestled a bit and both exchanged words after a scuffle in front of Rask's goal but did not come to blows. Both McQuaid and Gallagher went to the box for a unsportsmanlike conduct and a roughing call. 4-on-4 in the midpoint of the 3rd period. 

Desharnais had a chance on Rask's door step, but Rask done the splits and made him self big in front of the goal and the puck skirts passed left pad. 

BOS's Lucic with a huge block and then drove the puck down left and nearly generated a chance in front of the goal. Less than 2 minutes to go in the final period Subban went to the box for a slashing call. MTL pulled Price out of the net with under 1 minute to go in the game.  Krejci went to the box for a hooking call with 34 seconds left of the game. 4-on-4 hockey for the remained of the regulation. 

The horn sounded to bring the game to a end. Boston won the game 2-1, and now leads the Eastern Conference. Boston now heads to the TD Garden where they welcome Tampa Bay Lightening with a 7p start. 







Monday 4 February 2013

Boston @ Toronto

On February 2nd Boston (BOS) travelled to the Air Canada Center to play against Toronto Maple Leafs (TOR). Both teams had a strong start to the season, but lately TOR have lost a few games. Who will come out on top in this division Game?

1st Period
There was a good tempo start to the game and within three minutes of the start, BOS's Lane MacDermid And TOR's Mark Fraser squared off just inside the blueline. It was a pretty even fight as they both gave effective jabs but it was TOR's Fraser's as he got the takedown. The both players go to the box for a 5 min fighting major.

  Fraser and  MacDermid's fight in the 1st.

Through the first eight minutes of the first, the shots on goal were tied at 5-5. Nathan Horton had a great chance after a takeaway but the puck was deflected high.

With nine minutes gone of the first BOS scored the opening goal of the game. BOS's Chris Bourque scored his first goal for BOS.

 Bourque celebrates with his teammates after the goal.

BOS's Rich Peverley fed the puck to Chris Kelly behind the goal, and then Kelly backhanded a centering pass to Bourque, who then turned the puck into the TOR net. That was Bourque's first goal in a BOS's uniform. After his goal Bourque pumped his fist just like his father, a former BOS legend Ray Bourque.

TOR's Cody Franson with a high slap shot went into the net but the goal was not given as BOS's goaltender Tuukka Rask was knocked out of the play by TOR's Nazem Kadri.  BOS's David Krejci had a great vision fed a puck to a trailing Adam McQuaid in the slot but the rebound pops out and Milan Lucic nearly tips the puck into the goal mouth.

With four seconds left of the first BOS's Kelly went to the box for a hooking call on TOR's Nikolai Kulemin,      after Jay McClement nearly got a breakaway down on the the right wing.

The horn sounded to bring the first to a close. BOS's were still leading 1-0 thanks to Bourque's first goal for BOS. BOS were leading 12 shots to TOR's 7 on goal. 

2nd Period

BOS's started the 2nd on a Penalty Kill (PK) with Kelly in the box. BOS's McQuaid blocked a hard shot and he was slowly getting off the ice. However he stayed on the bench. TOR's Phil Kessel  had a chance down the right wing after a takeaway in the neutral zone but the shot glanced off the cross bar.

BOS's Brad Marchand started the play, drove towards the net down the Left Wing and got tripped up at the goal and slid into the boards.  BOS's Patrice Bergeron's shot deflected of Tyler Seguin's skate and the puck went into the TOR's net. But it was ruled that there was contact on the TOR's goaltender James Reimer.

With twelve minutes gone of the 2nd BOS had their first Power Play (PP) of the game after TOR's captain Dion Phaneuf went to the box for a delay of the game call. The PP came after a great chance by Nathan Horton flew up the off wing and then followed by two big shot blocks by Johnny Boychuk. BOS's Boychuk had another big block as he slide in front of the crease near the faceoff circle, as TOR had a good chance down low.

Less than 5 mins left of the 2nd, BOS's MacDermid and TOR's Fraser immediately dropped the gloves. Fraser did not like the MacDermid's hit on Kessel. After a quick few jabs by MacDermid and Fraser was taken down.

The horn sounded to bring the 2nd to an end. BOS still leading narrowly 1-0. BOS's leading 24 shots to TOR's 14 on goal.

3rd Period

Two minutes gone in the 3rd , TOR's Leo Komarov went to the box for a boarding call and BOS's Zdeno Chara went to the box for a roughing call. BOS did not allow a shot on goal by TOR until the seventh minute into the 3rd. When Phaneuf sent a shot that Rask easily cradled against the spooked B.

TOR went on a PP when BOS's Dennis Seidenburg with an interference call, went to the box in the eighth minute. Gregory Campbell with a diving sweep to clear the puck on the PK. earlier in the PK Campbell with a stickhandled with puck down near Reimer to kill time.

BOS still leading 1-0 with less than 3 minutes to go in the game. BOS's Seguin went to the box for a slashing call on TOR's McClement. Near the end of the game TOR pulled Reimer out of the game. There was 4 on 4 hockey as TOR's Michael Kostka trips up BOS's Kelly.The horn sounded to end the game.

Boston won the game 1-0 and are now 6-1-1 for the season. Boston finished the game with 34 shots to Toronto's 21 on goal. 

Boston now head to the Bell Center in Montreal on Wednesday 7.30p start.