However, for as good as the Black and Gold looked on Sunday, they looked equally as bad on Wednesday night in Buffalo. In what was an evidently poor effort all night long, the B’s were shellacked by a hefty 6-0 margin at the First Niagara Center last night. The Sabres would score a pair of goals in each of the game’s three periods, en route to their biggest victory of the season, one I am sure they hope will help turn their season around.

It was Christian Ehrhoff and captain Jason Pominville who would get the scoring started in the first frame as each took advantage of a Boston defensive zone collapse to get their team on the board. Sophomore forward Tyler Ennis would chip home his fourth of the season less than two minutes into the second period, ending the night of B’s netminder Tuukka Rask. Unfortunately for Boston, Tim Thomas would not fare much better as he would allow Patrick Kaleta to score his fifth of the season as the second frame drew to a close. Jason Pominville would add his second of the night and Bruins-killer Drew Stafford would notch his ninth of the year as Buffalo ended the night with a commanding 6-0 win.

In what’s become a trend the B’s are struggling to kick, team defense has become a glaring issue during the team’s most recent slump. Tonight’s six-goal spot was a season worst for a Boston squad that has allowed three or more goals in six of their last eight games. Another alarming statistic for Black and Gold supporters: eleven of the B’s seventeen regulation losses this season have been against teams that are not in the playoff picture. If the B’s hope to have any chance at catching the New York Rangers for first place in the Eastern Conference, they will need to quickly work the kinks out of their game and learn to not play down to inferior squads.

They must regain the killer instinct that was so instrumental in their success during the months of November and December.

KEY STATS

Goals–                BOS (0)   BUF (6)

Shots–                BOS (36)   BUF (29)

Power-Play–    BOS (0-0)   BUF (0-2)

Penalty-Kill–   BOS  (2-2)   BUF (0-0)

Ben’s Three Stars….. 3.) Tyler Ennis …..2.) Jason Pominville …..1.) Ryan Miller

What’s Next?

The B’s are off until Saturday when they will host the red-hot Nashville Predators at TD Garden for a 1 PM matinee contest that will be broadcast on NESN. The Preds employ one of the best “team defense” philosophies in the entire NHL and will pose a tough challenge for the B’s.

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The Boston University Terriers and the Boston College Eagles will meet in the Beanpot tournament finals for the fourth time in the past seven years when the two squads hook up next Monday at the TD Garden.  Both teams secured their spot in next week’s championship game with victories over Harvard and Northeastern.

In the first match-up of the day it was the heavily favored BU Terriers who would flex their muscle by way of a 3-1 victory over former Bruin Ted Donato’s Harvard Crimson. Backstopped by 29 saves from netminder Kieran Millan (Colorado Avalanche), the Terriers received offensive contributions from Matt Nieto (San Jose Sharks) and budding power forward Wade Megan (Florida Panthers).

Nieto’s goal opened the scoring at the 8:14 mark of the first frame and Megan followed by adding two tallies in the second period to take over the team lead in goals (10) , and build a 3-0 lead for BU. Harvard would answer on a power-play late in the second when Tampa Bay Lightning draftee Alex Killorn solved Millan with a top-shelf wrister. However, it would be too little, too late for a Crimson squad that couldn’t muster much offense in the third period. The 3-1 loss would put the Harvard Crimson into the Beanpot consolation game for the fourth consecutive year.

One player who particularly stood out during the early game, despite being on the losing end of the contest, was Harvard blueliner and captain Ryan Grimshaw. He seemed to be in the right position all the time and made quite a few fantastic defensive plays throughout the duration of the game.

In the nightcap, the Boston College Eagles proved why they are widely regarded as one of the best teams in the nation. Jumping out to an early 2-0 lead, thanks to goals from Paul Carey (Colorado Avalanche) and Johnny Gaudreau (Calgary Flames) the Eagles looked to be in complete control. The Huskies were able to get one back midway through the period when Anthony Bitetto (Nashville Predators) blasted a slapshot past BC netminder Parker Milner during a 5-on-3 Northeastern power-play.

It was in the second period that the Eagles would assert their dominance, tilting the ice completely in their favor, firing 13 shots on Husky goaltender Chris Rawlings. Short-handed tallies from Stevan Whitney would sandwich Johnny Gaudreau’s second of the night as Boston College entered the second intermission with a commanding 5-1 lead.

Senior forward Barry Almeida would add another midway through the third period and Paul Carey would notch his second of the night soon after to seal a 6-1 blowout victory for the Boston College Eagles.

The results of Monday’s action sets up what should be a riveting final day of the tournament next week when we are treated to two more exciting college hockey contests. Harvard and Northastern will meet in the consolation game, beginning at 4:30 PM, and of course (#5) Boston College and (#1) Boston University will meet for the Beanpot Title at 7:30. Both games will be broadcast on NESN and the championship game will also be broadcast on 98.5 The Sports Hub.

This will mark the fourth time these two cross-town rivals have met this season, with the Terriers taking two of the previous three match-ups.

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5.) Tommy Cross (D) #4 Boston College (Boston Bruins)

 – The captain of the Boston College Eagles, senior defenseman Tommy Cross will be playing in his final BeanPot tournament this month after spending four seasons under legendary coach Jerry York in Chestnut Hill. Taken in the second round of the 2007 Entry draft by the Boston Bruins, Cross is a card-carrying veteran of the B’s summer development camp. The 6’3″ blueliner is strong in his own end and often shows great puck-handling abilities. If he can avoid the injury bug, it wouldn’t be farfetched to suggest that Cross could project as a Dan Girardi-type player in the NHL.

4.) Alex Killorn (F) #19 Harvard (Tampa Bay Lightning)

– Also taken in the 2007 Entry Draft, Killorn was selected 77th overall (3rd Round) by the Tampa Bay Lightning. The 6’2″ senior has always been skilled with the puck and been able to put the puck in the net, but he biggest knock against the Montreal native has been his deficiencies in his own end of the ice. From all reports, Killorn has done nothing but impress during their annual summer development camps and is expected to compete for a roster spot with the big club next season.

3.) Kevin Hayes (C) #12 Boston College (Chicago Blackhawks)

 – Spending much of his freshman season on the shelf after suffering an early-season knee injury, Hayes has truly emerged as an offensive force this season, contributing 19 points (5G/14A) in 27 games played thus far. Hayes was taken in the first round of the 2010 draft because of his rare combination of size and speed. The Dorchester, MA native plays more of a finesse type game and his best asset is his uncanny awareness in the offensive zone.

2.) Adam Clendening (D) #5 Boston University (Chicago Blackhawks)

– The undersized, offensive defenseman from Niagara Falls, NY may be the most exciting player to watch in this entire tournament. Leading the charge on the Terrier blueline, Clendening has posted two goals and added twenty assists in only 23 games this season. Taken early in the second round of the 2011 Entry Draft, Clendening has proven that he has the talent to make a serious bid for a roster spot in Chicago sooner rather than later.

1.) Chris Kreider (F) #19 Boston College (New York Rangers)

– Taken with the 19th overall selection in the 2009 draft, the offensively gifted Kreider has done it all at Boston College and could be playing in his final BeanPot tournament this year. A prototypical power forward with speed, Kreider has reportedly contemplated forgoing his senior season for a chance to go pro with the Rangers next fall. The 6’3″ Boxford, MA native has scored 16 goals and added 14 assists in 27 games this year.

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When things are going your way, everything seems to be clicking, you play with confidence, you tend to get the breaks here and there. You feel as if nothing is ever going to go wrong.

However, when you’re struggling it’s a completely different ball game. All of a sudden you’re not catching the breaks, nothing is going your way. It seems like you’ll never get things back on track.

Unfortunately for Boston, after a two month stretch of dominating the competition, the Black and Gold just can’t seem to get much going as of late. That trend would continue on Saturday afternoon when they hosted Evgeni Malkin and the red-hot Pittsburgh Penguins.

After what most would consider a rather lifeless first frame from both sides, the Pens would take advantage of a late-period power-play opportunity as Malkin would knock a rebound past Tim Thomas to put Pittsburgh ahead with only 0:09 seconds remaining on the clock. The 6’3” Russian forward once again re-asserted himself as the best player in the game today, picking up his 28^th goal and league-leading 60^th point of the season as he continues to run roughshod on the rest of the NHL .

“He’s been the catalyst for our group all year. It’s amazing sometimes. When you don’t think he can do it anymore, he goes out there and scores another goal. He’s been great for us and hopefully we’ll keep him going.” – Joe Vitale

The B’s where not able to muster up many real offensive chances throughout the entire second frame despite being given a four-minute power-play chance courtesy of a Pascal Dupuis double minor for high sticking.

Early in the third Pittsburgh would tack on an insurance tally when the villainous Matt Cooke out-worked two Bruin defenders in front of Thomas and knocked in his 9^th  goal of the season. The man Bruins’ fans love to hate has now scored two goals in as many games against Boston this year and has put up sixteen points in twenty-five career games against the Black and Gold.

Atoning for his earlier mistake, defenseman Joe Corvo would find the back of the Penguins’ net as his wrist shot made it through a Marchand screen and past Marc-Andre Fleury to cut the deficit to one.

“Marchand did a great job of standing in front of him until the last minute until it kind of got to the net. It was the right height to where the goalie was kind of staying low and trying to see it and it just went in.” – Joe Corvo

Unfortunately for Boston, the rest of the third period would simply be more of the same for a Bruins  squad that simply cannot find it’s groove right now. They unloaded nine more third period shots against Fleury but were still unable to tickle the twine and tie the score.

“You’ve got to give credit to the last two goalies we’ve played. They played really good games I think, and the last two teams we’ve played have played a pretty solid 60 minutes of defense.” – Tim Thomas

Boston has now only managed one goal on their last 81 shots through their last 132:51 minutes of play.

“The last two games, we’ve had almost 80 shots and only one goal showing for it. It’s frustrating right now, but thankfully we got a game tomorrow to focus on.” – Daniel Paille

Boston hasn’t managed to beat the Penguins at TD Garden since November 10….. of the year 2009. Today’s loss marks the B’s fourth defeat in their past six games and their record has dropped to 4-5-1 over their last ten games.

KEY STATS

Goals–                PIT (2)   BOS (1)

Shots–                PIT (28)   BOS (29)

Power-Play–    PIT (1-3)   BOS (0-2)

Penalty-Kill–   PIT  (2-2)   BOS (2-3)

Ben’s Three Stars….. 3.) Matt Cooke  …..2.) Evgeni Malkin …..1.) James Neal

What’s Next?

It’ll be a quick turnaround for the Black and Gold as they depart from Boston this afternoon for a 12:30 PM Super Bowl Sunday matinee contest with the Caps at the Verizon Center in Washington tomorrow. The Pens will also be on the move fairly quickly as they are scheduled for a 1 PM contest in New Jersey tomorrow afternoon.

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Despite being mired in the Eastern Conference basement with the league’s worst road record, Kirk Muller’s bunch of hard-working Hurricanes had managed to amass a 3-0-0 record against the Northeast division-leading Boston Bruins thus far this year. “It seems like they bring out the best in us” said Cam Ward of the Black and Gold. Much to the dismay of the 17,565 that packed into TD Garden, that trend did not change on Thursday when the ‘Canes invaded TD Garden for the fourth and final showdown of the season for these two Eastern Conference foes. Backstopped by 47 saves from netminder Cam Ward, Carolina again bested the B’s, this time via a 3-0 shutout.

The ‘Canes would get on the board first as Jiri Tlusty would find a wide open Eric Staal in front after taking down Johnny Boychuk in the corner.  The Carolina Captain made no mistake, blasting it past Boston’s goaltender Tuukka Rask for his 12^th goal of the season. Despite an early Boston surge, including a 22-shot onslaught in the first frame, the ‘Canes stood their ground and entered the first intermission with a 1-0 lead.

 ”As the period went on they got a lot of shots, took a lot of point shots, and Wardo (Cam Ward) was really sharp. And then we adjusted well after the first, tightening up defensively and limiting some of the shots, and then putting pucks in areas where we can get them back and create some offense at the other end. – Eric Staal

“To walk away out of the first period with a 1-0 lead, we felt good about that and improved our play in the second period.” – Cam Ward

In what became an unfortunate theme for Boston, the ‘Canes were able to cash in once again after a defensive zone breakdown by the B’s and extend their lead to 2-0 at the 16:41 mark of the second period. Completing a solid two-point night it was durable pivot Brandon Sutter who would tack on an insurance goal for Carolina when he went upstairs with a wrister on Rask after a beautiful centering feed from Tuomu Ruutu.

The three tallies would be more than enough for Cam Ward who was in top-form all night, denying each and every scoring chance that the Black and Gold could throw his way. The first overall selection in last year’s all-star game fantasy draft, Cam Ward has been absent from the national hockey scene for quite a while now. Often overlooked by many across the league – perhaps due to his playing in a non-traditional hockey market on a struggling team—Ward may be the most underrated goaltender in the league. The 27-year-old Saskatoon native admittedly felt great between the pipes tonight, and it showed in his 47-save shutout performance.

“I felt really comfortable. I felt like I was seeing the puck well and for the most part I was really happy with my rebound control and we had to get off to a good start because we know that they play extremely hard, especially in their building.” – Cam Ward

With the loss the B’s dropped their record to a pedestrian 6-5-1 since their 4-3 loss to Vancouver in a Stanley Cup Finals rematch back on January 7. B’s players have recognized the errors in their play over the past month and are aware of what they must do in order to right the ship. An especially disgruntled Shawn Thornton had this to say during his post-game media scrum:

“Not good enough, – same thing we’ve been talking about for the last however long. Absolutely fell asleep in the second period – not good enough at all. I don’t think we had everyone going again. Seems to be the same old story – we’re not that good that we can come out and go through the motions and expect to be successful. When we were on top of our game, it’s because everyone was working and that’s not happening right now.” – Shawn Thornton

That about sums it up for the way the B’s have been playing lately. It won’t get any easier for the Black and Gold as they prepare for weekend matinees with Malkin’s red-hot Penguins and Alex Ovechkin’s Caps.

KEY STATS

Goals–                CAR (3)   BOS (0)

Shots–                CAR (31)   BOS (47)

Power-Play–    CAR(0-4)   BOS (0-2)

Penalty-Kill–   CAR (2-2)   BOS (4-4)

Ben’s Three Stars….. 3.) Eric Staal …..2.) Brandon Sutter…..1.) Cam Ward

What’s Next?

Boston will finish up their current three-game home-stand on Saturday afternoon when they host the red-hot Pittsburgh Penguins at TD Garden before heading to Washington for a Super Bowl Sunday Matinee with the Capitals. The Hurricanes will return home to the RBC Center for a Saturday evening tilt with Anze Kopitar and the Los Angeles Kings.

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Tonight’s Line-Up (Subject To Change):

FORWARDS

Marchand–Bergeron–Seguin

Lucic–Krejci–Peverley

Pouliot–Kelly–Hamill

Paille–Campbell–Thornton

DEFENSE

Chara–Boychuk

Seidenberg–Corvo

Ference–McQuaid

GOALTENDER

Rask

Thomas

Scratches– …… Kampfer (Healthy) , Caron (Healthy) , Horton (Concussion)

NEWS & NOTES

– This season the lowly ‘Canes have thoroughly dominated Boston this season, outscoring the Black and Gold by an 11-5 margin en route to a 3-0-0 record. This will be the second game played at TD Garden between these two squads. The first took place back on October 18 when Joni Pitkanen’s three point night lead the Hurricanes to a 4-1 victory.

– The last-place ‘Canes currently sport a conference-worst 5-13-6 road record as well as the NHL’s 29th ranked goal differential, an astoundingly low -32.  On the other end of that spectrum, the Bruins have recorded a 17-7-2 mark from the confines of TD Garden and amassed a whopping +70 goal differential.

– This one could be a sneak preview for a few Carolina players who have been rumored to be available at the deadline. As I suggested in my piece last week, free-agents-to-be Tuomo Ruutu and Bryan Allen are two guys I could see as perfect fits for this Bruins’ squad.

– In the three games against Carolina this season the B’s have accumulated an astounding total of 78 penalty minutes. That number is good for the most surrendered by Boston against any Southeast division team this year.

– Nathan Horton is expected to miss his third straight game this evening after suffering a concussion last Sunday. Defenseman Andrew Ference will also make his return this evening after serving his three game suspension for boarding Rangers’ blueliner Ryan McDonagh.

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Recovering from a 1-0 deficit after allowing a Zdeno Chara power-play goal, the Sens would quickly adjust and build a 3-1 lead by the mid-point of the second frame.

The goals were scored by three men who are sure to be integral pieces of the hockey scene in Ottawa for many years to come; rookie Colin Greening, sensational sophomore Kyle Turris and all-star blueliner Erik Karlsson.

However, late in the second period the B’s were able to cut the deficit to one and more importantly swing the momentum back into their favor when Milan Lucic took a slick cross-ice feed from Rich Peverley and wristed one past Craig Anderson to make it a 3-2 game as we entered the final frame.

“We know we played a terrible second period, they scored on us a few times on breakdowns in the neutral zone and the defensive zone and for us to get momentum going into the third definitely helped us come back in this game.” – Dennis Seidenberg

The third and final frame would not be too kind on the Senators as Boston would jump all over them, out-shooting Ottawa 13-7 and scoring the only two goals of the period. “We started playing like ourselves in the third, we did a great job finding a way to win and at the end of the day that’s what matters” quipped Brad Marchand. After a Karlsson penalty put Boston on the power-play, it wouldn’t take long for the undersized winger to knot the score at three when he outworked a couple of Sens’ defensemen and poked a rebound into the Ottawa goal.

The fourth Boston tally was without doubt the least spectacular of them all as it was Dennis Seidenberg who would wind up and blast one past Anderson….. from the red line. The goal was far from pretty, but as they say “it’s not how, it’s how many”.

“It skipped and it turned and it twisted. Those things are going to happen, we can’t point any fingers about that. Every once in a blue moon, that’s going to happen.” – Paul MacLean

Boston would salvage this one-goal lead and hold one to secure their third victory in three tries against Ottawa this season. In what’s becoming more and more of a trend here in the Hub, the B’s are relying heavily on strong third periods to bail them out of games in which they haven’t been at their best. While being able to win games in which you don’t have your best stuff is obviously a fantastic trait that many teams would love to possess, members of the Black and Gold know that they must improve their game and come out with more sixty-minute efforts.

“It almost feels like we’re waiting for the third to come around. If we can just stay close and play our standard third period then we’ll win the game. But like I said, that type of play doesn’t last very long.” – Joe Corvo

Playing their third consecutive hotly contested tilt against the B’s, the Senators proved tonight that they should be taken seriously in the Eastern Conference.  Being able to hang with the defending Stanley Cup champions is no small feat, especially for a young Ottawa team trying to make a name for itself.

“I think we played good throughout most of the game but we just didn’t play good enough for sixty minutes.  That’s why we lost this game. I think that when we’re at the top of our game we can compete with any team in this league.” – Erik Karlsson

KEY STATS

Goals–                  OTT (3)        BOS (4)

Shots–                  OTT (33)      BOS (30)

Power-Play–      OTT (0-0)    BOS (2-4)

Penalty-Kill–      OTT (2-4)     BOS (0-0)

Ben’s Three Stars– ….. 3.) Milan Lucic ….. 2.) Erik Karlsson  ….. 1.) Brad Marchand

What’s Next?

The B’s will be back at it on Thursday as they continue their home-stand against Eric Staal and the Carolina Hurricanes. The Sens will make a return home to ScotiaBank Place where they will host the New York Islanders on Friday evening.

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Tonight’s Line-Up (Subject To Change):

FORWARDS

Marchand–Bergeron–Seguin

Lucic–Krejci–Peverley

Pouliot–Kelly–Hamill

Paille–Campbell–Thornton

DEFENSE

Chara–Boychuk

Seidenberg–Corvo

Kampfer–McQuaid

GOALTENDER

Thomas

Rask

Scratches– …… Ference (Suspended) , Caron (Healthy) , Horton (Concussion)

NEWS & NOTES

– Nathan Horton, who was absent from practice on Monday, is expected to miss his second straight contest after suffering his second concussion in eight months on Sunday against the Flyers. Also, defenseman Andrew Ference will be serving the third and final game of the three game ban he was given for his boarding incident against the Rangers’ Ryan McDonagh.

– Tonight will mark the third of six match-ups between these two squads and the second of three to be played here in Boston. The Black and Gold have won both contests thus far by a combined 10-5 margin. The first of which was back on November 1 when the B’s pulled out a come-from behind win at TD Garden that sparked an impeccable 12-0-1 streak. The second match-up was back on December 14 when a pair of Daniel Paille goals lead Boston to a 5-2 win at ScotiaBank Place.

– Team captains Daniel Alfredsson and Zdeno Chara will go head to head once again after leading their respective all-star squads into action this past weekend during the annual All-Star Weekend up in Ottawa. Alfredsson’s team dominated Saturday’s skills competition, but Chara’s team won the game 12-9 on Sunday night thanks to big performances from Marians; Gaborik and Hossa.

– B’s forward Patrice Bergeron has scored two goals and added one assist in the two games against the Sens this season, the year after scoring his first career hat-trick against the team hailing from Canada’s capital. Boston’s alternate captain has always fared well against Ottawa and it’d be wise for one to look for him to have yet another big performance against the Red and Black in this evening’s contest.

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5.) —–> To Chicago: Hal Gill, Travis Moen, 5th Round Pick

—–> To Montreal: Kyle Beach, Brandon Saad, 2nd Round Pick

– Seemingly going nowhere this season it may be time for the Habs and GM Pierre Gauthier to start thinking about unloading some pieces in an attempt to build for the future. Both Gill and Moen are set to become unrestricted free agents this summer and could provide a Cup-hunting Blackhawks team with some added depth and grit for a playoff run this spring. Neither Moen nor Gill give you much in the way of flash or skill, but both are very durable players who have a Stanley Cup on their resume. For Montreal, both Beach and Saad fit the mold of what the Habs need the most: big, strong power forwards who can put the puck in the net. While neither will give Montreal much in the way of immediate assistance, they both have the potential to become cogs in the Canadiens’ lineup for years to come.

4.) —–> To Boston: Tuomo Ruutu, Bryan Allen

—–> To Carolina: Jordan Caron, Matt Bartkowski, 2nd Round Pick

– For a team that has simply run roughshod on the Eastern Conference since the start of November there really aren’t many glaring holes on a roster full of Stanley Cup winners. However, like we saw last February, GM Peter Chiarelli isn’t afraid to tinker with his team in order to add the necessary depth to make another run at Lord Stanley. This trade makes perfect sense for a Boston team that still relies on an inexperienced Steven Kampfer as it’s seventh defenseman. The hard-nosed Bryan Allen isn’t known much for his offense (0G/7A in 51 games this season) but can provide a solid defensive presence in his end of the ice, as well as log some valuable time on the penalty kill. Like Allen, the 28-year-old Ruutu will be a free agent on July 1. The Finland native seems to have been cut from the same mold as Boston winger Rich Peverley in the way that he can be trusted in any situation. Ruutu has posted fifteen goals and added eleven assists in 51 games this season while being shuffled up and down the Carolina lineup.

3.) —–> To Philadelphia: Ryan Suter, 3rd Round Pick

—–> To Nashville: James Van Riemsdyk, Brayden Schenn, Andrej Meszaros, Jody Shelley, 1st Round Pick

– Now, I’d put this trade as the least likely to happen, at least not until this summer. A deal like this makes perfect sense for a Flyers team that will be without captain Chris Pronger for the remainder of the season. Ryan Suter is perhaps the most underrated defenseman in the entire NHL. Often overshadowed by Shea Weber, Suter has quietly stacked together one all-star season after another and is slated to finally cash in this summer when he becomes an unrestricted free agent. The question still remains as to if the cash-strapped Predators can re-sign Suter to a long term deal to keep him in Nashville. However, if GM David Poile comes to the realization that he will not be resigning with the Preds, he would be better served to deal him now than let him walk for nothing this July. The package I’ve presented seems like quite a hefty price for one player but keep in mind, true number one defensemen simply do not grow on trees. While I really can’t see this one happening before the deadline, if Suter is adamant about not re-upping in Nashville, I can’t see any better scenario for the Predators’ franchise both now and into the future.

2.) —–> To Toronto: Jeff Carter, 3rd Round Pick

—–> To Columbus: Luke Schenn, Nikolai Kulemin, 2nd Round Pick

– There’s no question that Jeff Carter’s brief stay in Ohio’s capital is coming to an early end. Reportedly frustrated by the entire situation, the former Flyers star has put up only seventeen points (10G/7A) in 30 games this season while playing for the league-worst Columbus Blue Jackets. While many teams would be skeptical of accepting any player with ten years left on his contract, the Leafs have been on a league-wide search for a true number one center since Brian Burke took the helm in November of 2008. It’s my belief that if Carter is surrounded by a talented team (like he was in Philadelphia) he will once again be able to return to his elite form. While many could think of this as an overpayment for Carter, I would argue that while Schenn still looks like a future all-star, he seems to be the odd man out on a Leafs’ blueline already manned by Dion Phaneuf, Mike Komisarek and John-Michael Liles — all of whom are signed to lucrative contracts. Kulemin is a young player with loads of skill and potential who seems to be struggling under the hockey-crazed pressure cooker that is Toronto. Perhaps a change of scenery would do him a world of good. In Toronto, Maple Leafs’ fans may be foaming at the mouth with the thoughts of putting an elite pivot in between all-star wingers Phil Kessel and Joffrey Lupul.

1.)  —–> To Minnesota: Zach Parise

—–> To New Jersey: Devin Setoguchi, Charlie Coyle, Jonas Brodin, 2nd Round Pick

– This trade simply makes too much sense. With Parise still unsigned and the Devils’ ownership situation still uncertain, it’s easy to suggest that New Jersey will be unable to retain Parise at year’s end. Recent speculation has suggested that the 5’11″ Minneapolis would like nothing better than to return to his home state to continue his career, making him a perfect fit for the Wild. However, a former 40-goal scorer with extensive leadership qualities simply does not come cheap. With this package the Devils pick up a solid return for a guy who will likely be gone for nothing on July 1. Devin Setoguchi is a solid young winger who can play top-six minutes and provide some pop playing across from Ilya Kovalchuk. In Coyle and Brodin New Jersey receives two former first round selections who look to be sure bet NHL contributors in the near future. Parise should provide the right type of boost for a Wild team trying to work themselves off of the playoff fringe.

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5.) Jackets Fail For Nail

– Without question the worst team in hockey through the first half of the season, the Blue Jackets have been an unmitigated disaster all year long. Entering the season most hockey journalists (including myself) had Columbus pegged for their second post-season appearance in franchise history. However, the aforementioned NHL pundits could not have been more wrong. With the acquisitions of Jeff Carter and James Wisniewski not panning out, look for the Blue Jackets to deal one of the two before the deadline. Purely based on Wisniewski’s massive contract, my guess would be Carter moves on for greener pastures elsewhere. The former Flyers’ standout should bring GM Scott Howson a decent haul and will help them continue to build for the future as they trudge along on the “Fail For Nail” campaign.

4.) Kessel Posts 90 Points, Finally Quiets Critics

– Perhaps the most talked about trade in recent Boston sports history, the Bruins–Leafs swap of September 2010 sent crafty winger Phil Kessel to the epicenter of hockey in exchange for three draft selections. Bruins’ GM Peter Chiarelli then used those picks to select forwards Tyler Seguin and Jared Knight as well as defenseman Dougie Hamilton. While Seguin has exploded onto the scene in the Hub, amassing 19 goals and 24 assists through 46 games this season Kessel has truly emerged as one of the league’s most prominent scorers. With 51 points (26G/25A) in 49 games, he and linemate Joffrey Lupul (20G/32A) have completely turned the Toronto franchise around, leading them to a top-eight position in the Eastern Conference. In the second half of this season, I believe that Kessel will easily reach the 40-goal marker and surpass his career high of 64 points to finally justify this trade and quiet the throngs of critics who have harassed the Minnesota native ever since he arrived on the scene in Toronto.

3.) Hitchcock, Blues Continue Magical Run

– Without doubt the biggest positive surprise of any team in the league this season has taken place underneath the Gateway Arch in St. Louis. The Blues, who struggled mightily to begin the season under former coach Davis Payne, have been given new life since the arrival of veteran bench boss Ken Hitchcock. With no players in the NHL’s top-50 scoring leaders, the Blues’ team-first philosophy has shown through this season, leading them to the fifth seed in the Western Conference — a comfortable eleven points ahead of ninth place Colorado –. Captain David Backes seems to have his team — a seemingly perfect blend of youth and experience — poised for a deep run through the post-season. In the shocker of the season, I can see the Blues becoming this year’s NHL Cinderella story, upsetting a team or two and making it to the Conference Finals this spring.

2.) Sabres, Habs Continue Rapid Fall From Grace

– Mired in the basement of the Eastern Conference, this season simply has not gone the way fans in Buffalo and Montreal had once thought it would. Currently sitting eight and ten points out of the playoff picture, the Sabres and the Habs have been absolute train-wrecks on ice the entire season. In Montreal, things went awry immediately out of the gate and have only been trending downwards since then. In a year that’s seen the departure of both an assistant coach and a head coach, an unheard of mid-game trade and continuous public outcry for a French-speaking bench boss, the city of Montreal has been an absolute circus all year long. In Buffalo, fans and players alike had Stanley Cup aspirations after new owner Terry Pegula’s ill-advised off-season spending spree. Unfortunately for the hockey-mad folks in Western new York, it just hasn’t quite worked out this season as their beloved Sabres sit tied for dead last in the Eastern Conference. What’s worse? GM Darcy Regier is handcuffed by the insanely generous contracts of Christian Ehrhoff and Ville Leino.

1.) Bruins, Rangers Will Battle For Eastern Conference Crown

– Now I could be getting ahead of myself a bit here but right now all signs are pointing towards an Original Six showdown with a spot in the Cup Finals on the line. Without a doubt the two best teams in the East through the first half of the season, New York and Boston have put together the two best records in the Conference through the first half of the season. Armed with gritty, two-way players who aren’t afraid to put the team before themselves, the B’s and Blueshirts almost mirror one another in terms of playing style. After putting together an instant classic earlier this month at TD Garden, it’d be easy for one to expect three more beautifully played contests between these two squads this season. However, I’m going to take it a step further and say that New York and Boston will once again meet in the Eastern Conference Finals this spring for yet another chapter in the Boston  vs. New York rivalry.

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Thanks to the wonder that is DVR, I was able to go back and watch Sunday’s hockey game in it’s entirety. I’m going to go in a new direction here and offer you with my five thoughts on Sunday’s matinee action and the interesting forty-eight hours it has been for the Black and Gold.

5.) Ference Hit With  Three-Game Shanaban

– Prior to Sunday’s matinee contest, defenseman Andrew Ference was slapped with a three game ban courtesy of NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan in the aftermath of his dangerous hit on Rangers’ blueliner Ryan McDonagh on Saturday. As I pointed out in Saturday’s blog, this was the fair punishment for an honest player with no history of malicious hits. No. 21 will not be eligible for a return to the team until a February 2 face-off with the Hurricanes at TD Garden.

4.) Rough Sunday Between The Pipes

– Sunday afternoon was a tough day to be a goaltender. In a contest that saw two all-star netminders square off for the third time this season, one could have expected a low-scoring affair. However, that was not to be as Tim Thomas and Ilya Bryzgalov combined to allow ten goals in regulation and another three in the shootout. That performance good for a pedestrian .866 combined save percentage.

3.) Tom Sestito’s Deplorable Actions

– Twice during Sunday’s action it was Flyers’ forward Tom Sestito who would draw the ire of the B’s by taking a run at a member of the B’s and delivering a high hit directed at the head. The first of which came in the first period against Steven Kampfer, who was possessing the puck behind the Boston goal. The second however had much more impact on the B’s. Early in the second frame, Sestito came across Nathan Horton’s blindside and delivered a clear blow to the skull of Boston’s top line winger after he fired a shot on goal. Sestito, a career minor-leaguer was simply out there trying to make a name for himself, but did so in the completely wrong way. You can check out the video below. In my opinion, Sestito should be given a three-to-five game suspension for the concussion-causing hit he delivered to Nathan Horton.

Click here to view the embedded video.

2.) B’s Not Taking Kindly To Opponents’ Physicality

– Not that this will come as a surprise to any Black and Gold supporter, but the Bruins’ team togetherness and support for one another was once again on full display Sunday. In what’s becoming a trend around these parts, each and every time a player wearing the eight-spoked “B” is met with any sort of hit –whether it be clean or dirty– a teammate takes exception to it. This was evident again this weekend after the Flyers’ Brayden Schenn delivered a beautifully executed clean hit to Steven Kampfer, which sprung Chris Kelly to immediately step in and drop the gloves with Schenn. Bruins’ players going to bat for one another is an honorable trait, but can also help add to the villainous image the B’s have created for themselves nationally.

1.) Thomas skips out on Obama, White House Visit

– Prepare yourselves folks, the remainder of this blog is about to combine politics and sports. Yeah, I don’t believe it either.

On Monday the Bruins were invited to the White House by President Obama in order to commemorate the team’s Stanley Cup championship season of one year ago. However, they would make the visit without one of the biggest contributors to the ending of Boston’s 39-year Cup drought, their Vezina trophy winning goaltender Tim Thomas. No explanation of his absence was reported from the White House, but this statement was left on his official Facebook page earlier this evening:

“I believe the Federal government has grown out of control, threatening the Rights, Liberties, and Property of the People.
This is being done at the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial level. This is in direct opposition to the Constitution and the Founding Fathers vision for the Federal government.
Because I believe this, today I exercised my right as a Free Citizen, and did not visit the White House. This was not about politics or party, as in my opinion both parties are responsible for the situation we are in as a country. This was about a choice I had to make as an INDIVIDUAL.

This is the only public statement I will be making on this topic. TT” – Tim Thomas

Now, this is simply a subject that one has to be very careful with as politics is very much a touchy subject and much like opinions, everybody seems to have their own. The one thing I will point out is this; The very foundation of this country was built on the principles of freedom. That was what separated us from the rest of the world. That is what still sets us apart from countless nations worldwide. On Monday, Tim Thomas simply utilized his right to decline the president’s invite.

For those asking, I do not think Thomas’ decision not to attend the ceremony will have any long term effects on the Bruins as a team. This is because I firmly believe that the players in that locker room are consummate professionals — each and every one of them — and they can understand the importance of separating on-ice performance from personal opinions and conflicts.

As I said before, there really is no right or wrong in this situation, just a matter of conflicting opinions.

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With only 3.6 seconds left in overtime in what was perhaps the best and most hotly-contested Bruins’ home-game of the season –far surpassing that of January 7th’s Finals rematch– it was Marian Gaborik who would play the role of hero as he buried a rebound at the tail end of an extended 4-on-3 power-play. Besting B’s all-star defenseman and fellow countryman Zdeno Chara in the battle for the puck, the Slovakian sniper ended Saturday’s action with his second tally of the day.

“He’s (Chara) one of the best, if not the best defenseman in the league. To be out there every shift against him, it’s a big challenge. He’s a big guy, you just try to get in his face and forecheck him because obviously it’s hard to take the body on him because he’s such a monster, but we took advantage their and won the game.” – Marian Gaborik

The goal lifted the Rangers to yet another victory and moved them into a tie (With Chicago) for the most points in the NHL, with 64.

Goaltender Tuukka Rask made 30 saves for the Bruins, who played most of the overtime period on the penalty kill, after defenseman Andrew Ference was slapped with a five minute major and an ejection for sending Rangers’ blueliner Ryan McDonagh crashing head first into the boards. A dangerous hit that will likely make no. 21 the next recipient of a lengthy suspension, courtesy of NHL discipline czar Brendan Shanahan. McDonagh had to be helped off the ice by the Rangers’ team trainer, and Ference has been informed that he will indeed face a discipline hearing for the hit.

“Well, I’m obviously going as fast as I can to try and get to the puck. I realized I wasn’t going to get there first, he boxed me out, I tried to lean back, but I was going too fast. Obviously it was a dangerous position, so I tried to let up and didn’t let up fast enough.” – Andrew Ference

Despite the notion that McDonagh may have saw Ference coming and turned his body towards the boards, there is simply no defense for a hit like this. In my opinion, it was simply a case of an honest and humble player becoming the unfortunate victim of a bad situation.

“Ference isn’t a dirty player – he’s one of those guys who supports what the league is trying to do as far as minimizing those injuries.” — Claude Julien

However, regardless of such, this type of incident is exactly what the league is trying to eliminate. On a day when the presumably retired Marc Savard was in attendance, it’s next to impossible to find any reason why Ference should avoid a suspension, even for the most die-hard Black and Gold supporters. You can check the video evidence below.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The Bruins were only able to muster up two goals through over sixty-four minutes of action as they were once again stymied by noted B’s killer Henrik Lundqvist. The Rangers’ all-world netminder stopped 32 of Boston’s 34 shots on goal and improved his career save percentage to an other-worldly .947 against the Black and Gold. It was Ference and fellow defenseman Adam McQuaid who would provide the only offense of the day for Boston. Ference on a beautiful backhand move after a slick little cross-ice feed from David Krejci. McQuaid was responsible for the B’s second tally when he fired an off-angle wrister towards the net mouth, where it deflected off Brian Boyle and into the goal.

With the Rangers maintaining their position as top dog in the East, a mere two points ahead of the Black and Gold, Boston players have become fully aware of what to expect from the hard-nosed Blueshirts, now and possibly into the post-season.

“I think the guys they’ve had in the past are maturing as players and are starting to become players in the league, and they have a lot of depth. Not unlike other years, they play a physical game and work hard.” – Adam McQuaid

“I think we were aware that they’re very well-structured defensively, they work hard, they have good goaltending. They work extremely hard, actually, and they’ve got a lot of depth. So no real surprises. It was kind of the game we expected.” – Shawn Thornton

While many may disagree with me on this, I’d be all for it, should these two titans of the East meet up during the great marathon that is the NHL playoffs. Especially if we’re lucky enough to see 4-7 games like this one. Today was an extravagant showcase of hockey at it’s finest, put on by the two clear cut favorites in the Eastern Conference.

KEY STATS

Goals–                       NYR (3)                   BOS (2)

Shots–                       NYR (33)                    BOS (34)

Power-Play–           NYR (1-4)                   BOS (0-4)

Penalty-Kill–           NYR (4-4)                    BOS (3-4)

• Ben’s Three Stars– ….. 3.) Andrew Ference  ….. 2.) Henrik Lundqvist   ….. 1.) Marian Gaborik

What’s Next?

It’ll be a quick turnaround for Boston as they boarded a post-game flight to Philadelphia this afternoon, in anticipation of Sunday’s 3 P.M. matinee tilt with the Flyers. A game that will undoubtedly suffer from poor ratings locally due to the New England Patriots’ AFC Championship game set to be played at the same time. The Broadway Blueshirts will now return home to Madison Square Garden, where they will host the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday evening.

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Tonight’s Line-Up (Subject To Change):

FORWARDS

Marchand–Bergeron–Seguin

Lucic–Krejci–Horton

Pouliot–Kelly–Peverley

Paille–Campbell–Thornton

DEFENSE

Chara–Boychuk

Seidenberg–Corvo

Ference–McQuaid

GOALTENDER

Thomas

Rask

Scratches– ….. Kampfer (Healthy) , Hamill (Healthy) , Caron (Healthy)

NEWS & NOTES

– Today’s contest will mark the B’s first return home to Garden ice since their January 12 victory over the Montreal Canadiens. Over that span the team has concluded a four-game road swing. The Black and Gold were met with a few bumps in the road during the trip while posting a pedestrian 2-2-0 record. However, Boston seemed to have found their stride during a three-goal third period explosion that lead them to a victory in New Jersey on Thursday evening.

– Based on the recent trends showcased during the past few match-ups between these two Original Six foes, it would be wise for one to expect yet another hotly contested low scoring affair. My guess? A 1-0 or 2-1 win for either team.

– Today’s battle will also be a match-up of strength vs. strength as the Rangers’ 15-7-2 road record will be tested by Boston’s 16-7-1 mark on home ice.

– Despite this not being the most intense of rivalries nowadays, the B’s and Rangers always provide sixty minutes (or more) of solid hockey for all those watching. Both squads are built from the same mold; hard-hitting, defense-first hockey, backed up by ever-so-solid goaltending. We should be in for a treat this afternoon.

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11 Gregory Campbell (4G/6A +7) B : Hampered by a broken bone in his foot for most of the second quarter, Campbell hasn’t been the same player. However, no. 11 is still providing a steady presence on Boston’s fourth line.

14 Joe Corvo (2G/15A +15) C- : Thus far it seems like Corvo’s struggles have been overlooked because of the Bruins’ phenomenal play this season. Playing with a stud like Seidenberg also goes a long way in masking Corvo’s issues.

17 Milan Lucic (16G/18A +7) B+ : Aided by David Krejci’s otherworldly play as of late, Lucic has been plugging along at a point-per-game pace, while throwing the body around each and every shift.

18 Nathan Horton (14G/15A +3) B- : While Horton has picked up his game recently, it took no. 18 an awfully long time to get things going this season. Perhaps a lot of that stems from the concussion he suffered in Game 3 of the Finals back in June.

19 Tyler Seguin (17G/23A +23) A : Boston’s phenomenal sophomore has done absolutely everything right this season, proving exactly why Peter Chiarelli dubbed him the second overall choice in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.

20 Daniel Paille (7G/3A +6) B+ : While Paille still struggles to finish around the net, the Welland, Ontario native has been Boston’s most consistent cog on the fourth line this season.

21 Andrew Ference (2G/14A +12) B : Ference has already surpassed his point total from a year ago (15) and has done an excellent job in staying healthy and providing a consistent presence on the Boston blue-line.

22 Shawn Thornton (4G/4A +1) A : The classiest enforcer in the game continues to go above and beyond the call of duty for the B’s, doing everything that’s expected of him by coach Claude Julien.

23 Chris Kelly (13G/10A +21) A- : While Kelly’s scoring hasn’t been what it was early in the season, Boston’s third line center has been an invaluable piece in the B’s success this season.

30 Tim Thomas (18 WINS/1.99GAA) A- : Is it fair to expect anything less than perfection from Thomas after his phenomenal play throughout last season?

33 Zdeno Chara (7G/19A +27) A- : Boston’s captain continues to shut-down opposing forwards at an alarming rate and should once again be in the discussion for the Norris Trophy.

37 Patrice Bergeron (14G/25A +28) A+ : The model of consistency, Patrice Bergeron simply does it all for the Bruins. How this guy is constantly overlooked by the NHL is beyond my grasp. No. 37 should be in the Selke discussion each and every year.

38 Jordan Caron (2G/2A EVEN) D : In only sixteen games played, the B’s rookie winger has done nothing to really separate himself from Zach Hamill as Boston’s go-to prospect.

40 Tuukka Rask (11 WINS/1.61GAA) A : While still facing struggles in the shootout, Rask has been nothing short of fantastic in goal for the B’s this season, while splitting time with Thomas.

44 Dennis Seidenberg (2G/12A +19) B+ : Likely the most underrated player on the Boston roster, Seidenberg continues to be an absolute rock on the B’s blue-line.

46 David Krejci (10G/23A +3) B : Boston’s top-line center has recently emerged offensively, but has been far too inconsistent this season to receive a grade any higher than this.

47 Steven Kampfer (0G/1A +6) I : Kampfer’s only played in seven games this season, but has been hard at work trying to earn another crack at the B’s lineup.

49 Rich Peverley (7G/22A +15) C : Seemingly a down year for Peverley, his outstanding speed has not been on display as much as Boston fans would have liked, and No. 49 hasn’t had a huge impact on the B’s success this season.

52 Zach Hamill (0G/2A +5) C+ : Emerging from the depths of despair in Providence, Hamill has truly challenged Jordan Caron for the right to the 13th forward spot on the B’s roster.

54 Adam McQuaid (1G/3A +16) B- : McQuaid hasn’t done anything truly special this season, but has been every bit the player Claude Julien expects him to be.

55 Johnny Boychuk (3G/6A +24) C+ : Boychuk has been solid on defense for the B’s, but one can’t help but think a lot of the credit their should be attributed to his playing with the best defenseman in the league, Zdeno Chara.

63 Brad Marchand (16G/16A +27) A- : Despite his recent five-game suspension, Marchand has been phenomenal in every zone of the ice this season, while continuing to be an excellent agitator.

67 Benoit Pouliot (8G/8A +17) B+ : Coming to Boston with absurdly low expectations, the Alfred, Ontario native has done a fantastic job in earning himself a spot on the B’s roster.

The biggest thing that jumps out at me here is that none of the twenty-one skaters on the B’s active roster has a minus rating. Also, the goaltenders’ combined 1.80 GAA is beyond impressive, especially in this day and age of the NHL. Now that is the mark of a team with incredible depth and a true championship contender.

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Well, what made the Montreal Canadiens’ trade of top line winger Michael Cammalleri so different was the fact that he was traded during the second intermission of a one-goal inter-division game!

It all started early in the second period on Thursday with an oddly secretive looking group of Montreal management huddled outside their suite in the TD Garden press box. At first glance, one would have thought nothing of it. In fact, it even lead me to cracking a few lighthearted jokes via Twitter.  However, it was early in the third and final frame that things began to get interesting, as the 5’9″ Ontario native was noticeably missing from the Habs’ bench, with no reports of injuries sustained. This coupled with the knowledge of Wednesday’s comments made by Cammalleri, in which he questioned the collective mindset of his Canadiens’ team, and it was enough to get some folks thinking that the proverbial shoe was about to drop.

“I can’t accept that we will display a losing attitude as we’re doing this year. We prepare for our games like losers. We play like losers. So it’s no wonder why we lose.” – Michael Cammalleri

Reports upstairs then broke the news that Cammalleri had indeed been removed from the game and had been sent to a Boston hotel to wait for further instructions. As if this wasn’t enough to tip anyone off about a potential deal, word from TSN in Canada began to emanate the fact that the undersized forward had indeed been traded. It was then that the game concluded, with the host Bruins holding on for a 2-1 victory over the Habs, and every reporter in Boston made a bee line for the Montreal dressing room.

While questions about the game were asked here and there, the elephant in the room was clearly the Habs’ missing first liner. Unfortunately for the large contingent of reporters and beat writers, Montreal players were just as confused as we were.

“Was he traded?  I really don’t know.  This is the first time this has happened to me?” – Tomas Plekanec

“I don’t really know anything so I don’t have a comment right now.” – Hal Gill

“I don’t know if it (a trade) has happened I can’t give much insight.  I can’t really give an opinion.” – Carey Price

It was then, as the media scrum descended on head coach Randy Cunneyworth’s press conference that he revealed the fact that there was in fact a trade that had sent Michael Cammalleri out of Montreal. “Well, obviously there was a trade made” said Cunneyworth when asked about the absence of his first line left winger. The much-criticized interim bench boss went on to explain how he had only learned of the deal at the start of the third period, and that his players where left in the dark completely as to the whereabouts of their teammate.

Finally, as the swarm of media members were consumed by the ever-growing TwitterSphere, trying to be the first to report the trade’s details, we learned that Cammalleri had been dealt cross country, back to Calgary — a city where he played in 2008 and 2009–.

Ending all the hype and confusion  was Habs’ General Manager Pierre Gauthier, when he stood in front of the aformentioned sea of reporters and delivered the news of the deal, first in French and then repeated himself in English. The English portion of the press conference can be viewed in it’s entirety via the video below.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Along with Cammalleri, the Canadiens forfeited the rights to European netminder Karri Ramo and a fifth round pick in the 2012 Entry Draft in exchange for currently-suspended winger Rene Bourque, prospect Patrick Holland and a second round selection in the 2012 Entry draft.

Now, I’ll leave the analysis of this deal to those folks who are closer to the situation and know more about the skills and tendencies of each of these players. However, I would just like to point out this little doozie of a quote, courtesy of the Calgary Flames official Twitter account:

“I might be in trouble… I don’t speak French, even if I have the most French name on that team.” – Rene Bouque

Well there you have it folks, a first hand account of the first ever mid-game trade in NHL history. On what was once thought of as an uneventful night and a boring game between two once-fierce rivals, history was indeed made. It just goes to show, you really never know what is going to happen next in the National Hockey League.

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Unfortunately for hockey traditionalists throughout North America, this rivalry simply isn’t the same anymore. And that’s putting it nicely. One could argue the reasons for this, whether it be Boston’s new-found hatred for the Vancouver Canucks, or simply Montreal’s irrelevance to the Eastern Conference playoff picture.

“Certainly, it doesn’t have the same flare it had maybe a year ago.” – Claude Julien

Regardless of such, it’s simply been just another game on the schedule each time Boston and Montreal have faced off this season. This was no different on Thursday evening when the two squads met for the fifth time this year.

The game began with a bang as the B’s quickly got on the board, thanks to a surprising contribution from an unlikely source. Playing in his first NHL game since a December 10 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena, rookie Bruins’ forward Jordan Caron took advantage of the opportunity given him by head coach Claude Julien as he tapped the puck into a yawning net at the 1:23 mark of the opening frame to give his team an early 1-0 lead.

“I saw Johnny (Boychuk) was going to rim it around and I wanted to get on the forecheck and it bounced in front so I was just there for an easy tap in.” – Jordan Caron

The score would remain this way throughout the balance of a first period controlled by uncharacteristically sloppy play from both sides, with Boston holding the edge as the team’s went to the rooms.

The second period mirrored much of what we saw in the first, neither team was able to muster many quality scoring chances nor come close to putting anything up on the scoreboard.

In the third period the B’s would once again strike quickly as bruising winger Milan Lucic flipped a backhand past Carey Price at the 3:43 mark of the final frame to extend the Boston lead to 2-0. Perhaps the only bit of unsettling roughness came soon after as Habs’ d-man P.K. Subban went up-high for a hit on the B’s top-line center David Krejci. This of course was met my much resistance from the Black and Gold, which resulted in a double-minor roughing call against Andrew Ference. The Habs’ were able to take advantage of the ensuing power-play as utility man Yannick Weber’s wrister found it’s way through a screen and past Thomas to cut the Montreal deficit to one. However, the Habs’ late flurries, in hopes of tying the score, were met by heavy resistance and the Bruins were able to hold on for their third straight victory over their once-hated rivals.

Being able to find a way to pull out a victory on a night when you don’t have your best game is truly an asset for the Bruins’ and is the mark of a true championship team. Forward Milan Lucic expressed his relief in being able to come away with the crucial two points on Thursday.

“It seemed like both teams weren’t really that sharp with their passing – it seemed like the puck was spinning all over the place and jumping off everyone’s sticks. I think (there were) a lot of blocked shots, a lot of shots that missed the net and [it was] just one of those games where you have to fight it through to get to the end and get to the result. For us, I don’t think it was our best effort but we found a way to win.” – Milan Lucic

KEY STATS

Goals–                       MON (1)                   BOS (2)

Shots–                       MON (34)                    BOS (30)

Power-Play–           MON (1-2)                   BOS (0-5)

Penalty-Kill–           MON (5-5)                    BOS (1-2)

• Ben’s Three Stars– ….. 3.) Jordan Caron  ….. 2.) Milan Lucic   ….. 1.) Tim Thomas

What’s Next?

From here the B’s will depart on a four-game road trip that will begin on Saturday evening in Carolina, when they face-off with Eric Staal’s ‘Canes for the final time in Raleigh this season. The trip will also see stops in Miami, Tampa Bay and New Jersey. The Habs will now return home for a Saturday contest with the red-hot Senators at the Bell Centre.

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Tonight’s Line-Up (Subject To Change):

FORWARDS

Pouliot–Bergeron–Seguin

Lucic–Krejci–Horton

Caron–Kelly–Peverley

Paille–Campbell–Thornton

DEFENSE

Chara–Boychuk

Seidenberg–Corvo

Ference–McQuaid

GOALTENDER

Thomas

Rask

Scratches– ….. Marchand (Suspended) , Kampfer (Healthy) , Hamill (Healthy)

NEWS & NOTES

– This afternoon the NHL announced the rosters for their 2012 all-star game that will emanate from Canada’s capital city of Ottawa later this month. As it turns out, the Bruins will send the same contingent to the festivities as they did one year ago; Tyler Seguin, Zdeno Chara, and Tim Thomas. The most notable of snubs was undoubtedly the B’s phenomenal two-way pivot Patrice Bergeron. Despite his 36 points and +27 rating this season, the humble alternate captain was once again overlooked by the NHL brass. Montreal’s lone representative will be goaltender Carey Price.

– As I reported on Tuesday, the Bruins have officially called up forward Jordan Caron from Providence of the AHL. Caron will likely be the 12th/13th forward for the B’s and accompany them on their upcoming four-game road trip to Raleigh, Miami, Tampa and Newark.

– Forward Brad Marchand will once again be missing from the B’s lineup as he sits out game number two of his five game suspension. Former Canadien Benoit Pouliot will continue to skate in his place with Bergeron and Tyler Seguin. In two games on that line, the Alfred, Ontario native has registered a goal and three assists. Following Tuesday’s win over the Jets, Pouliot spoke of his excitement in getting another chance against his former team.

“It’s going to be nice to see the old friends. We’re going to play hard, play well and we’ll be fine” — Benoit Pouliot

– For the second straight match-up between these two Original Six franchises, the Habs will be without their captain Brian Gionta. The Rochester, New York native is out indefinitely while nursing a bicep tear. The much-maligned Scott Gomez is expected to fill his spot in the lineup.

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Through forty minutes of surprisingly exciting action, an injury-depleted Winnipeg Jets squad that saw both Zach Bogosian and Tanner Glass leave the game with differing ailments, held a 3-2 lead over the defending Stanley Cup Champions.

“I mean, they were playing hard they were winning battles they were competing hard and getting many shots on net.” – Tyler Seguin

Powered by deflection goals from captain Andrew Ladd and former Bruin Blake Wheeler, the Jets’ thoroughly out-played a Boston squad plagued by turnovers and the inability to capitalize on a multitude of scoring chances. Despite not playing to their full capabilities through the first two frames, the B’s were held in it thanks to goals from Nathan Horton and Shawn Thornton. The second of which coming on Thornton’s first penalty shot of his eight-year NHL career. A move that drew laughter from teammates Brad Marchand and Jordan Caron, who were perched high above the ice in the Garden press box. The veteran enforcer can now add “penalty shot goal” the long list of things he’s accomplished throughout the duration of his lengthy workman-like career. “I mean that better be on every highlight tonight” said teammate Tyler Seguin of No. 22′s brilliant dangle. Defenseman Dennis Seidenberg stressed how Thornton’s overall game energized his team on Tuesday.

“(Thornton Was) Huge. He had a fight, a great penalty shot on a back-hand toe drag. I don’t know how many guys can do that – I would end up on the ground if I tried that. It was a good play. He gave us a lot of energy.” — Dennis Seidenberg

Kicking off things in the final frame it was Nathan Horton adding his second of the night when he capped off some beautiful break-in work from Boston’s top line by tapping home a back-door feed for his 14th tally of the year. The B’s however were not done their, as they continued to dominate a final frame in which they out-shot their opponents by an astonishing 22-8 margin. It was at the 3:06 mark of the period that Tyler Seguin would show exactly why he was taken with the second overall draft choice in the 2010 Entry Draft. Taking a feed from the red-hot Patrice Bergeron, Seguin used his overwhelming speed to blow past the Jets’ defense and proceeded to dangle goaltender Ondrej Pavelec out of his pants before roofing it on the backhand. The career-high 17th goal of the season for Boston’s stud sophomore gave the B’s their first lead of the night. A mere three and a half minutes later the Bruins would take advantage of their second power-play of the evening when Benoit Pouliot banged one home from the doorstep for his eighth of the season.  The Alfred, Ontario native has done an admirable job in filling in for chief agitator Brad Marchand, tallying four points (1G/3A) in two games while playing alongside Patrice Bergeron and Tyler Seguin. B’s bench boss Claude Julien spoke of Pouliot’s adjustment to his new team and his comfort level playing in Boston.

“The one thing I know is that he (Pouliot) feels very comfortable with this group of guys, that he knows everybody’s got everybody’s back, so wherever he has to go. I think he’s developed that confidence as we’ve moved on here this year.” – Claude Julien

The score would remain 5-3 for the remainder of the night as the B’s would ride a 29-save performance from Tuukka Rask all the way to the victory. The win was good for Rask’s sixth in a row, as the Finnish netminder continues to impress between the pipes.

“He did a pretty good job, but he just continues to play well for us and win some games, and it makes our situation pretty nice.” – Claude Julien

From The Room:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Thorburn (Winnipeg)

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Ladd (Winnipeg)

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Hainsey (Winnipeg)

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Pouliot

KEY STATS

Goals–                       WPG (3)                   BOS (5)

Shots–                       WPG (32)                    BOS (42)

Power-Play–           WPG (0-4)                   BOS (1-3)

Penalty-Kill–           WPG (2-3)                    BOS (4-4)

• Ben’s Three Stars– ….. 3.) David Krejci  ….. 2.) Nathan Horton   ….. 1.) Shawn Thornton

What’s Next?

Next up for the Black and Gold will be another hotly anticipated contest with the hated Montreal Canadiens on Thursday evening at TD Garden. The B’s and Habs have split the four games between them this season, with each squad winning one at home and one on the road. Next up for the Jets will be a return home to the MTS Centre for a Thursday showdown with Joe Thornton and the San Jose Sharks.

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Tonight’s Line-Up (Subject To Change):

FORWARDS

Pouliot–Bergeron–Seguin

Lucic–Krejci–Horton

Kelly–Hamill–Peverley

Paille–Campbell–Thornton

DEFENSE

Chara–Boychuk

Seidenberg–Corvo

Ference–McQuaid

GOALTENDER

Rask

Thomas

Scratches– ….. Marchand (Suspended) , Kampfer (Healthy)

NEWS & NOTES

– The Bruins will be without their star sophomore winger Brad Marchand after he was suspended on Monday evening by NHL discipline czar Brendan Shanahan for his alleged “clip” of Vancouver Canucks’ defenseman Sami Salo on Saturday afternoon. Marchand will miss the next five games for Boston and will not return until the B’s face-off with New Jersey on January 19.

– The Jets will finish off a four-game road trip this evening, before returning to the ‘Peg for a showdown with the Sharks on Thursday. Winnipeg is 1-2 on the trip thus far after salvaging a 2-1 overtime win on Saturday in Buffalo. The Jets (20-16-5) have 45 points on the year and currently sit only one point out of the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference.

– Tonight the Jets will likely see the return of forward Tim Stapleton, who has been sidelined with flu-like symptoms. There have also been rumors that star blueliner Dustin Byfuglien will make a return from injured reserve and be re-inserted into the Winnipeg lineup. The 6’5″ Minneapolis native has been out since December 23 while nursing a lower body injury.

– Expected to fill in for the suspended Marchand tonight will be Alfred, Ontario native Benoit Pouliot. This will be the second time this month that no. 67 will be given the chance to shine on Boston’s second forward unit. With Marchand sitting out Thursday’s contest against Calgary due to the flu, Pouliot was slotted into his spot alongside Tyler Seguin and Patrice Bergeron. The former Montreal winger took advantage of the extra ice time and set a career high with three assists during the B’s 9-0 thrashing of the Flames.

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In fairness to the league, Shanahan and the player safety department have done an excellent job in improving the league’s discipline system from the shambles it was left in after the departure of Colin Campbell. However, this decision is simply one that is indefensible.

Despite Marchand’s well-deserved reputation as an agitator and fire-starter who tends to consistently walk the thin line between what’s right and what’s acceptable in the game, the depth of this punishment far exceeds the impact of the crime.  The B’s 5’8″ second line winger had twice previously faced supplementary discipline. The first came in the form of a two game ban after delivering an elbow to the skull of Blue Jacket’s forward R.J. Umberger last March. The second came with a $2, 500 fine for slew-footing Penguins’ blueliner Matt Niskanen in November of this season.

In this situation, the real problem is that in a league overwhelmed by concussions, it is next to impossible to support a decision to suspend a player who was simply attempting to avoid taking a head-on collision. In addition, as Shanahan pointed out, the Canucks’ revelation of Salo allegedly suffering a concussion from the collision only makes a mockery of the discipline system as a whole. The result of an incident should have no relation to the severity of the punishment. Especially in a league that saw Matt Cooke end Marc Savard’s career and not even get a slap on the wrist for his troubles.

All this without mentioning the incredible inconsistency in the system, that spans back to last year’s Stanley Cup Finals. First, in game one ‘Nucks’ defenseman Dan Hamhuis low-bridged Milan Lucic along the boards as no. 17 carried the puck up ice. Also, in an eerily similar play Mason Raymond up-ended an oncoming Marchand during game five of the Final. In both scenarios, the Vancouver player walked away scotch-free without even a phone call from the league. GM Peter Chiarelli echoed his frustration with the league’s inconsistency in a statement shortly after the announcement of the suspension.

“It is frustrating that there are clear comparable situations that have not been penalized or sanctioned in the past.” – Peter Chiarelli

In any case, the moral of this story is that the NHL has yet to figure out a correct way to handle disciplinary situations. The league’s decision to suspend Calgary Flames’ forward Rene Bourque — who was suspended only 16 days earlier — for five games after his brutal hit to the head of Nicklas Backstrom was once thought of has an acceptable ruling. However, the Marchand incident pales in comparison to what happened between Bourque and Backstrom, yet they were both given the same punishment. In a sense, the league is sending the message that it’s equally acceptable to target an opponent’s head as it is to avoid a hit to defend yourself.  Now that is simply incomprehensible and indefensible.

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It was at the 18:47 mark of the second frame that Canucks’ defenseman Sami Salo took a run at agitating Bruins’ forward Brad Marchand. Vancouver’s veteran Finnish defenseman took a five step run at Marchand from the blueline in an attempt to keep the play in the Boston zone. On instinct, the 5’8″ Marchand ducked the hit, and subsequently flipped Salo over his back. Unfortunately for Salo, it appeared as if he was injured on the play, as he immediately left the ice and did not return for the balance of the game. The hit can be viewed in the video below.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Using the only natural advantage he has, no. 63 reaped the benefits of his small stature by avoiding what could have been a lethal hit from Salo. If you take a closer look at the replay, it’s clear that Salo had picked up steam in charging from the blueline and was leading with his elbow as he approached Marchand. Instinctively, Marchand went low to the ice to avoid taking a hit up high. In any case, it’s impossible to argument with a player taking action to protect himself from injury.  The travesty here is that the Bruins’ winger was not only issued a five minute major for “clipping”, he was also stuck with a game misconduct, resulting in ejection from the game.The fact is, Salo paid the price, in the form of his own concussion, for taking a run at a player he didn’t think would be craft enough to avoid the hit.

What’s worse? The Canucks’ scored their final two goals, including the game winner, during the ensuing five minute power-play.

Throughout the length of his young career, the B’s sophomore winger has been known to “toe the line” of getting under his opponent’s skin and taking things too far. However, head coach Claude Julien seemed to have no issues with the way no. 63 handled himself during the incident in question.

“I always told my players that they need to protect themselves” said Boston bench boss Claude Julien of Marchand’s alleged “clipping” attempt against Salo. Julien went on to point out how he would expect the league to be accommodating of players attempting to avoid being added to the seemingly never-ending list of players sidelined with concussions.

“The last thing I want my players to do is get hit and then end up with a concussion, and they have to protect themselves. Whether it’s the right way or the wrong way, it’ll depend on how the league looks at it. I’d rather have a guy take a two-minute penalty than turn his back to the play, stand up straight, and then get his face knocked into the glass and be out for maybe the rest of the year with a concussion, or maybe end his career like (Marc) Savard. So I think we have to really look at those kinds of things. In my opinion, if guys start protecting themselves the way Marchand did, maybe guys will stop taking runs at other guys because that’s the consequences you end up paying for taking runs at guys, too.” – Claude Julien

In this case, the B’s fifth year head coach is 110% correct. Faced with a decision to take a hit up high, or protect yourself in any way you can, the choice seems fairly obvious to any coherent individual. Especially in a league that has been absolutely decimated by concussions and head injuries.

Furthermore, early whispers from downstairs at TD Garden yesterday said that they may already be expecting NHL Discipline czar Brendan Shanahan to suspend Marchand for the incident.

Now, as news breaks this afternoon, no. 63 will indeed face a disciplinary hearing with Shanahan on Monday afternoon via conference call.

In this situation, I see no way anyone can justify any sort of suspension for Marchand, who was simply trying to protect himself from injury and what looked to be a run at the head by Sami Salo. In many ways, the hit also resembled Dan Hamhuis’ hit on Milan Lucic during last year’s Cup Finals, that rendered no supplementary discipline whatsoever for the Vancouver blueliner.

The bottom line is this: How can a league that consistently preaches the importance of limiting concussions penalize or even suspend a player who takes action to prevent it from happening to himself?

Answer? Amidst rampant talks of how to eliminate the impact of concussions in the sport, a suspension for Marchand would simply reek of hypocrisy and do nothing but damage the credibility of a league still trying to repair it’s (sometimes unfair) image of violence and hostility.

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In a game with such an abnormal amount of calls, including an early first period scenario that saw nine penalties assessed at the same time, it was difficult for the game to form any ebb and flow, or sustain any extended periods of 5-on-5 play. Included in the aforementioned first period scrum, was a since-rescinded game misconduct given to Bruins’ winger Milan Lucic. The penalty was assigned after the officials believed that the B’s hulking winger had illegally left his team’s bench to come to the defense of teammate Shawn Thornton, who was being mugged old-school prison style by six Canuck players. In fairness to the officials, during the heat of the moment, it can be tremendously difficult to make the proper determination, as to if Lucic had indeed left the bench, or not. Bruins’ head coach Claude Julien echoed these sentiments after Saturday’s contest.

“I’m not blaming (the referees) – they’re in the middle of a scrum there – but Looch was on the ice already. It wasn’t an illegal change; he didn’t come off the bench. There are no issues there in my mind; it’s clear.” – Claude Julien

Despite the overwhelmingly absurd number of penalty calls on Saturday afternoon, it was the special teams units of the Bruins that ultimately cost them the game. Albeit on eleven chances, the Black and Gold allowed their Western Conference rivals to put four power-play goals past Tim Thomas during Saturday’s action. The four tallies would be all the Canucks could muster, but was indeed enough for the victory.

“They were making plays, but not necessarily totally by their movement. Like the first goal was a funny bounce, those happen. Especially on good teams with good power plays. Other ones they were utilizing the screen real well.” – Tim Thomas

On the other end of that spectrum, the Boston power-play posted a less-than-motivating 0-7 spot during Saturday’s game, and were completely shut-down by the Vancouver penalty-killers. Credit where credit is due, as the Canuck PKers did an excellent job in keeping the Bruins’ offense to the outside of the proverbial “box”.

Scoring first was Ryan Kesler, who corralled a rebound towards the tail end of a 5-on-3 advantage and fired it past Thomas at the 5:41 mark of the first frame.

“We’ve faced adversity before and normally we try to kill those and unfortunately today we didn’t, we didn’t kill it, but hopefully we improve for the next game.” – Daniel Paille

Not to be outdone, the B’s bounced back just over nine minutes later, when Brad Marchand beat Schneider with a back-hander after a pretty little feed from fellow sophomore Tyler Seguin Boston would take their first and only lead of the day, when Rich Peverley took advantage of an Alexander Edler turnover and beat Schneider with a glove side wrister.

From that point on, the Canucks would dominate most of the action, pinning the B’s in their own zone for a good portion of the remainder of the game. To end the second frame, Vancouver would use tallies from Alex Burrows and Henrik Sedin to grab a 3-2 lead heading into the final twenty.

Arguably the best player on the ice for either team, Canucks’ rookie Cody Hodgson would register his tenth of the season with a blistering slapshot that managed to get past the reigning Vezina trophy winner, and into the Boston net. The B’s would add one more as David Krejci was able to tap home a Joe Corvo rebound on the back-hand only 0:42 seconds later, but were unable to muster up enough to get a tying goal, throughout the remainder of the period, as the Canucks held on for a 4-3 victory.

From The Room:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Cory Schneider (Vancouver)

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Paille

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Henrik Sedin (Vancouver)

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Kelly

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Thomas

KEY STATS

Goals–                       VAN (4)                   BOS (3)

Shots–                       VAN (36)                 BOS (39)

Power-Play–           VAN (4-11)                BOS (0-7)

Penalty-Kill–           VAN (7-7)                    BOS (7-11)

• Ben’s Three Stars– ….. 3.) Nathan Horton ….. 2.) Cody Hodgson   ….. 1.) Cory Schneider

What’s Next?

The B’s will continue their four-game home-stand on Tuesday when they host Dustin Byfuglien and the Winnipeg Jets at TD Garden. The Canucks will head south for a set of games in Florida, with a showdown with the Lightning slated for Monday and a face-off against the Panthers on Tuesday.

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However, something happened on the way to making the NHL more palatable to the masses. You might have noticed that your favorite player or players have been missing in action quite a bit this season.As of Thursday, 51 NHL players have been lost to concussions this season. On that list is the player many believe is the league’s best, Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Crosby has played in just eight NHL games since suffering a concussion on Jan. 5, 2011.

That list has become a gargantuan story this season, much to the alarm of the league and teams, who have in the past attempted to minimize what independent medical experts have been citing for years: hockey has a concussion epidemic on its hands.

< READ MORE ON CBS New York >

Other pieces on CBS by BD:

HOW PLAYERS, NOT THE ISLES COACH WILL WALK PLANK THIS SEASON

PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE? TELL THAT TO NY ISLANDERS FANS! 

All over the Flames early, the Bruins would cash in first as fellow sophomore Tyler Seguin tapped home his 16th of the year after Patrice Bergeron outworked two Calgary defensemen and fed the puck to the front of the net. It didn’t take the B’s long to add to their lead as a mere 2:03 later Milan Lucic was credited with his 14th of the season after his shot redirected off the leg of Flames’ forward Olli Jokinen and past goaltender Leland Irving in what was one of the flukiest goals scored this season.

The Black and Gold did not stop there. After Zach Hamill — filling in for Marchand — drew a tripping penalty to Tom Kostopoulos, the B’s would add their third tally of the night as Rich Peverley connected with David Krejci on a beautiful cross-ice feed that would lead to a Bruins power-play goal. The goal was Krejci’s 9th of the season and extended his point streak to seven games (3-7-10).

In the second, the B’s did nothing but further the onslaught, pouring it on for four more goals as they chased Irving from the net in favor of veteran Finn Mikka Kiprusoff. Wasting little time, it was Patrice Bergeron collecting his third tally in two nights after a spin-o-Rama feed from Tyler Seguin. In what’s becoming a frequent habit for the B’s this season, Boston would score again only 0:47 seconds later thanks to Chris Kelly’s hard-work in front of the Flames’ net. This would mark the 13th time that the Black and Gold have scored back-to-back goals in under a minute.

From there it became the Nathan Horton show. The Welland, Ontario native would poke home two rebound goals in the second after attaining strong position in front of the opposing netminder. Criticized after a slow start to the season, no. 18 has come on strong as of late, scoring three goals and adding one assist in his past two contests.

“He had a good jump tonight and a good battle. He was shooting more – he went to the areas where he excels and because of that he was able to score a few goals.” – Claude Julien

The third period of this game became all about the “quest for ten”, as the 17, 565 Black and Gold enthusiasts began the “we want ten” chants. Unfortunately for Boston, those chants went unanswered as the Bruins were only able to add two more tallies in the final frame, and finished with a 9-0 victory. The win was Boston’s second in as many nights and improved their record to 23-3-1 over their past 27 games.

Undoubtedly the biggest reason for the Bruins’ success as of late has been their incredible depth and relentless commitment to the “team” mentality. B’s forwards Benoit Pouliot and Patrice Bergeron echoed those sentiments on Thursday evening.

“We’ve got depth and we back each other up when we’re missing one of our best players and our goalies have been playing awesome all year long.” — Benoit Pouliot

“I think it’s confidence honestly. I think the depth we’ve been talking about all year has been helping us a lot, and every line wants to contribute and go out there and find ways to score.” — Patrice Bergeron

From The Room:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Seguin

KEY STATS

Goals–                       CGY (0)                 BOS (9)

Shots–                       CGY (25)                 BOS (42)

Power-Play–           CGY (0-2)                BOS (1-2)

Penalty-Kill–           CGY (1-2)               BOS (2-2)

• Ben’s Three Stars– ….. 3.) Nathan Horton ….. 2.) Patrice Bergeron   ….. 1.) Tyler Seguin

What’s Next?

Up next for the Black and Gold is the heavily anticipated Stanley Cup rematch with the Vancouver Canucks that will take place on Saturday afternoon at TD Garden. With a little cooperation from the Rangers (In the form of a Thursday night loss) , Saturday’s matinee could be a battle for first place in the NHL standings. The Flames also have a big match-up slated for Saturday, as they return home to host the division rival Minnesota Wild.

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Tonight’s Line-Up (Subject To Change):

FORWARDS

Marchand–Bergeron–Seguin

Lucic–Krejci–Horton

Pouliot–Kelly–Peverley

Paille–Campbell–Thornton

DEFENSE

Chara–Boychuk

Seidenberg–Corvo

Ference–McQuaid

GOALTENDER

Rask

Thomas

Scratches– ….. Hamill (Healthy) , Kampfer (Healthy)

NEWS & NOTES

– The Flames, losers of four striaght games, haven’t won a game since a 2-1 shootout victory in Columbus on December 27.

– Tonight marks the first and only time that these two squads will face-off this season. Boston won the only meeting last season, taking home a late February 3-1 victory at the ScotiaBank Saddledome.

– Tuukka Rask, who has only allowed one goal in 216:08  of ice time, is expected to get the start in net for Boston tonight, after Tim Thomas was given the nod last night in New Jersey.

– The Flames will be without one of their top-six wingers this evening, as Rene Bourque has been suspended by NHL discipline czar Brendan Shanahan after his elbow to the head of Washington Capitals centerman Nicklas Backstrom on Tuesday evening.

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