B’s On Verge Of Playoffs After Beating Sabres

Zdeno Chara, sporting a full-cage, had an assist in the Bruins' 3-1 win over Buffalo.

With Ryan Miller sitting on the bench for Buffalo along with Tim Connolly, Patrick Kaleta, and Thomas Vanek out of the line-up, and the New York Rangers breathing down the Bruins’ neck in the chase for the playoffs, the B’s knew these were two points that simply had to be had on the home ice of the TD Garden. An unforgiving place for the Boston Bruins in 2009-10, the B’s responded to an at-points overanxious crowd by scoring three goals and getting key goaltending from Tuukka Rask in their 3-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres.

It didn’t start off good for Boston, who stumbled greatly on their first power-play opportunity of the night coming at the 2:01 mark of the period, and things didn’t get any better when Derek Roy tapped the puck past a spinning Dennis Wideman and went top-shelf on Rask to notch his 25th goal of the season and give Buffalo a 1-0 lead midway through the first period. Wideman, who has unmercifully been booed relentlessly by the home crowd this season as if he was an opposing player, was simply beat by a lack of a knowing where the puck was near him on the play.

In the dwindling minutes of the first period, in a battle for the puck behind the net, B’s enforcer Shawn Thornton took exception to what he believed was a cross-check from Paul Gaustad and tried engaging in a fight. Unwilling to dance with #22 in black, Gaustad kept his gloves on and covered up as Thornton tried throttling him, goading Thornton into a two minute penalty for roughing.

Despite some four-on-four play after a penalty to Boston College alum Nathan Gerbe, the B’s were unable to answer with a goal in the first after twenty minutes and looked lost on the ice.

Continuing his recent hot streak, Miroslav Satan puts on an absolute display on how to deke a back-up goaltender out of this planet by dancing with the puck, beating defensemen Tyler Myers and Henrik Tallinder with ease and potting a goal five-hole past by Patrick Lalime to knot the game up at one a piece just over two minutes into the second period. Tallying his ninth goal of the season and third in his past three games, Satan’s connection with David Krejci seems to be getting better since being moved to his line.

While the Bruins had numerous chances throughout the remaining 17+ minutes of the period, the best perhaps coming on a Vladimir Sobotka mini-breakaway where Lalime executed a perfect stick-check to foil the Bruins’ chances for their second goal of the period, the Sabres and Bruins were tied up at one after 40.

The subject of boo’s throughout the entire game, Dennis Wideman answered his critics in the form of a wrist-shot from the point that blew by Lalime and into the back of the net for his sixth goal of the season. Scoring a goal in consecutive games for the first time since February 1st through the 4th last season, Wideman now has four points in his last three games, but fans still boo?

Unknowing? Showing their unwillingness to move on from his mainly disastrous season? Or just plain disdain for #6?

Either way, it’s beginning to bother two general managers, one of them being a GM-turned-pundit and the other the current head-hancho of the Bruins’ front office.

Mike Milbury, the NESN analyst throughout the season for Boston, told fans to “sit down and shut up” when it comes to booing Wideman while Peter Chiarelli had some telling comments on the issue to the Globe’s Fluto Shinzawa.

“Tim Thomas has been booed too,” said GM Peter Chiarelli. “These guys are world-class players. They’re not having years as good as expected, for whatever reason. But I don’t like when guys are singled out. Tim’s won a Vezina. He was on the Olympic team. Wides was a candidate for the Canadian Olympic team. He had a hell of a year last year. It’s everybody’s fault we’re not playing to expectations. But it pains me when they get booed.”

Giving the Bruins their first lead of the contest and some of the fans off the back of Wideman for the time being, the pressure to add an insurance goal was on for the Bruins. Fans in attendance were able to let out a sigh of relief when Zdeno Chara ripped a bullet of a slap-shot on a one-timer fed from Milan Lucic which was (apparently) tipped by Mark Recchi on its journey to the back of the net to put the B’s up 3-1 and earn a dire two points in the Hub.

Ty’s Take

OK–Now I understand the joy that comes with a victory, but let’s not put too much stock into last night’s win as to how the Bruins will fare if they are to play against the Buffalo Sabres in the first round of the playoffs. Firstly, and mainly, Ryan Miller didn’t start for Buffalo in net and if you don’t know this by now, let’s put it this way: Marc Savard has a better chance playing in the playoffs than Patrick Lalime. Also, the Sabres were without Connolly, Kaleta, Vanek and captain Craig Rivet. Certainly you can’t be upset with inching closer towards the dance that is the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs, but man, I certainly pray those “plan the parade” chants leaving the arena were in jest.

But hey, in Boston, you truly never know.

A Tip of the Cap To…

A tip of the cap to Zdeno Chara, who played great, tallying an assist and finishing with a +2 despite playing in his first game wearing a full-cage after breaking his nose on a high-stick from Alexander Semin. Unable and likely unwilling to miss any time due to the Boston blue-line that’s been decimated with injuries to Andrew Ference, Dennis Seidenberg, and Mark Stuart, no glaring weaknesses in Chara’s game were evident and the 6’9″ mammoth was still as physical as he always is.

Goat of the Game

Did Shawn Thornton look foolish or am I crazy? Firstly, I think Thornton was a little oversensitive when nicked by Gaustad and in taking the two minute roughing penalty. Logging under five minutes and finishing with a -1, does Thornton seemed primed to lose his roster spot to Brad Marchand?

What’s Next?

The Boston Bruins will conclude their regular season with a visit from the Carolina Hurricanes. The Hurricanes, who sat in dead last in the NHL, look to play the role of spoiler to the Boston Bruins, who can clinch a playoff berth with a point in the event that the New York Rangers beat the Philadelphia Flyers tonight.

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