The Boston Bruins received two goals from Miroslav Satan, one in regulation, and one in the shootout, to beat their division-rival Toronto Maple Leafs, 3-2. Tim Thomas got the start in net, coming up with a big-time performance, denying 24 shots, and leaving Maple Leafs’ players scratching their heads, as they saw many good chances go by the boards.
Johnny Boychuck also scored for the B’s, when his slap-shot from the point beat Jean-Sebastian Giguere. I must admit, although he didn’t score, Phil Kessel looked pretty good for the Leafs. He was buzzing around all night, and if it weren’t for a few nice stops from Thomas, Kessel would’ve lit the lamp.
This was the Black and Gold’s first win at TD Garden in the new year, hopefully it’s not their last. They will be back in action tomorrow afternoon when they head to Long Island to take on the New York Islanders. The puck drops at 2 pm.
The Boston Celtics dismantled the Charlotte Bobcats last night, 104-80, in front of a sold out TD Garden crowd. Paul Pierce led all scorers with 27 points, including 4-6 from beyond the arc. Nate Robinson continued his exciting play, scoring 16 points in 20 minutes, and joining Pierce in a 4-6 night from downtown. I’m really starting to like the addition of Robinson, he brings a lot of energy off the bench.
The Celts really opened things up in the second half, in large part due to their 3-point shooting, heating up the twine at a 10-16 clip. The Bobcats, on the other hand put up a goose-egg from 3-point range, going 0-9. My only problem, once again, was the rebounding. The C’s were out-rebounded 44-36, giving up 13 on the offensive end. This just can’t happen when they play the iron of the league.
The green will have today off, before heading to Philadelphia for Friday night’s tilt with the 76ers. The Celts also filled one of their two remaining roster spots with the signing of Michael Finley. Finley is coming over since being waived by the San Antonio Spurs, and the 37-year old figures to be a part of the second unit.
Nate Robinson had his best game in a Celtics uniform last night, scoring 14 points on 4 of 5 shooting from downtown, including 3 in the 4th quarter, leading the green to 105-100 victory over the Detroit Pistons. Rajon Rondo continued his impressive play this season, scoring 15 points (7-8 FT), and adding 11 assists.
The story last night belonged to Robinson, who had only played 6 minutes through the first three quarters, before being inserted back into the game with 48 seconds left in the third. Robinson would not exit the game until 3 minutes left in the 4th, making a loud impact, as the Celts appeared to fall back into their 4th quarter woes that have plagued them all season. The Pistons went up by 3, and Boston needed a shot in the arm of some sort, and it was Robinson who willed them to victory with his clutch three-point shooting, and heads-up play on defense.
This was a step in the right direction for the Celtics, who were coming off an embarrassing loss to the 6-53 New Jersey Nets at home. The green needed this, and although it doesn’t mean their back, they may have found a solid product off the bench in the form of Robinson. We’ll see if Boston can make it two in a row as they welcome the Charlotte Bobcats to town. The Bobcats are currently a half game out of the 8th seed, and are led by Gerald Wallace, and Stephen Jackson. Wallace is averaging a double-double this year with 18.7 points per game, and 10.6 rebounds per game, while Jackson leads the team with 21.0 ppg. The Celtics are looking to complete the three-game series sweep of the Bobcats with a win tonight. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 pm.
The 4-game winning streak is over, and the Boston Bruins made sure of that, as their third period performance last night was atrocious. The Montreal Canadiens scored 4 unanswered goals in the third, en route to a 4-1 win, and leap-frogging the B’s in the playoff hunt.
The game went downhill when former Bruin Glen Metropolit, who continues to haunt the Bruins since switching outfits, scored on a beautiful feed that scorched the back of the net to tie the game at 1. Then it was Maxim Lapierre’s turn, who stuffed in a rebound past the sprawling Tuukka Rask, to put Montreal ahead to stay, 2-1. Metropolit would make his presence felt again, as he managed to throw a one-handed backhander on net, Rask made the save, but the puck deflected in the direction of Mathieu Darche, tossing the rubber in the net, and punctuating a come-from-behind victory that had the Boston faithful headed for the nearest exit. An empty-net goal added salt on the wound, and the rout was on. Not a good way for the Black and Gold to return from the Olympic break.
Marco Sturm added the lone goal in the first period, as he was able to muscle his way through traffic and poke in a rebound past Carey price. The B’s would enjoy the 1-0 lead for two periods, only to get hammered in humiliating fashion.
Is there a better way to to come back from the Olympic break than a Bruins/Canadiens game? I think not. The Bruins resume their NHL schedule as they welcome their bitter rivals to the Garden tonight.
The Killer B’s last played on February 13th, defeating the Florida Panthers, 3-2, in a shootout. The win punctuated a 4-game winning streak, and it also happened to be the most exciting shootout the Bruins have ever been involved in. Mark Recchi provided the heroics, scoring in the 8th round of the shootout to preserve the victory. Tuukka Rask made his 6th consecutive start between the pipes, stopping 26 saves, and saving his best for last in the extra frame.
The Bruins 4-game winning streak took place on the road, starting with a 3-0 win over Montreal, now they return to the Bean, where they look to continue their streak. The Black and Gold will be without Patrice Bergeron, who is day to day with a groin injury that he suffered for Team Canada at the Olympics. The puck drops at 7 pm.
The Boston Celtics have quite the week ahead of them. They will be heading down south to jockey for position in the Eastern Conference standings, with trips to Orlando, and Atlanta, and then a return to the parquet to face the Los Angeles Lakers.
This will be a crucial week coming up, and they can send a message throughout the league if they are victorious.
