Kalman: Another Win, But Bruins' Ugly Play Might Catch Up To Them
BOSTON (CBS) --The Bruins recently announced a partnership with O.R.G. packaging of China as part of an effort to grow the sport worldwide.
So it's ironic that the way they're playing right now is not anything you'd want people in emerging hockey nations to watch.
Of course, there aren't style points in the NHL – just standings points that often are awarded to losers – and the Bruins are making the most of their hard-on-the-eyes performances by doing just enough positive things to win the majority of the time.
After grinding out a 2-1 overtime win against Buffalo, with help from a generous penalty-shot call by referee Brad Watson, at TD Garden on Saturday, the Bruins are now 7-2-1 in their past 10 games and they're tied in points for second place in the Atlantic Division. Tampa Bay is technically ahead in the standings based on points per game.
Brad Marchand's overtime penalty-shot goal, the first in Bruins history, was the difference, as the Bruins played a one-goal game for the fifth time in six outings and won for the fourth time in those five nail-biters.
Although it might not be kind on the eyes, the way the Bruins are playing is the way they claim they want to perform, especially the way they're not blowing games in the third period anymore. Just two games ago they lost a 3-1 lead in the third period to the lowly Toronto Maple Leafs. Now they've swept a home-and-home from the improved but still lottery-bound Sabres.
"Yeah, you know we talked about that. I mean after that Toronto game, we really wanted to tighten up defensively, you know, and eliminate the mistakes and scoring chances," said Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask, who made 37 saves against Buffalo. "These last two games we've done that for the most part and been able to get the wins. But hopefully our confidence keeps building and we're going to be able to make more plays from our end and in the offensive zone."
The Bruins peppered Buffalo goaltender Robin Lehner with 37 shots before Marchand clinched the win with the 38th. They missed the net 12 times. When they actually got the puck into the Sabres' zone, they created some chances. But most of the night they were chasing the puck as almost every attempt to rush up ice was broken up at their own blue line or was short circuited in the neutral zone. It seemed like the Sabres knew where the Bruins wanted to go with the puck every time possession went Boston's way. And the Bruins, despite their youth and inexperience on the back end, seemed reluctant to use the side glass to help them escape the defensive zone or make harder plays with the puck when approaching Buffalo's blue line.
Bruins coach Claude Julien gave the Sabres credit for playing hard, despite their spot in the standings, in both the Bruins' wins on Saturday and Thursday (a 3-2 shootout win). But it was the Sabres' inexperience and talent deficiencies working to spoil that work ethic that kept the Bruins alive in the games long enough to earn two points.
Julien conceded that the Bruins still have work to do. However, with the Eastern Conference standings so bunched and so many of his players learning on the job, Julien has decided to take on the persona of Stuart Smalley rather than Dean Wormer. Smiley faces for everyone, as long as they're trying and winning.
"I don't think we need to be negative here all the time on the hockey club," Julien said. "We come back from a two-goal deficit in Buffalo, we don't get that many accolades. But when we blow a two-goal lead we hear about it. I'm managing my team the way I need to manage it and that's making sure that what we're doing well is positive and we build on that and what we need to fix. We definitely approach that in our room between games."
As long as the bounces and calls are going the Bruins' way, and Julien keeps raising his pompoms, the Bruins might be able to slip into the playoffs. But one has to wonder how much of a grind these one-goal contests are on the Bruins and what their effects will be now that they play a game every other day, or more, for the next month. It's like they're already playing playoff games even though we're still one week from Valentine's Day.
Marchand's been Julien's pupil for a long time and the player was in a similarly positive mood after the win.
"I think if anything it helps us," he said. "The one-goal games are more of a playoff style and playoff feel, so if we can learn how to win games like that now, it's only going to help us going down the road and that's the kind of hockey we want to play. We want to be in those 2-1 games, 3-2 games, not the blowout games. That's not our style and we take pride in low-scoring games."
You have to give the Bruins credit for bearing down and focusing at least long enough to win these games, even if 60-minute efforts have still been elusive. Whether they'll be able to get these results with similar effort when the competition improves, remains to be seen. And it's unlikely they can keep up this pace for the next six weeks and still have anything in the tank to make the playoffs or put up much of a fight once it starts.
The Bruins are embracing their ugliness now, but they better pretty up soon.
Matt Kalman covers the Bruins for CBSBoston.com and also contributes to NHL.com and several other media outlets. Follow him on Twitter @TheBruinsBlog.