Bruins Nation

SEASON SWEEP!!! 4-0-0 against the Tampa Bay Lightning this season. The Bruins beat the lightning 3-2 in game 2, 6-5 after OT in game 11, 4-3 after a shootout in game 23, and 6-2 tonight.

Coach Lewis went with the same exact lines as he did in Tuesday's game in Toronto, and it worked again. I don't blame him for not mixing anything around. Everyone played well today, and everyone made a difference. There is only one thing that I can think of that the Bruins need to work on, and that is shots taken. The Bruins took only 23 shots. Now if we can score 6 goals on only 23 shots every time that's fine, but that is going to be impossible to do when facing decent teams. Other than that the Bruins played great hockey, and without Murray, Bergeron (who skated but did not play), and Alberts for the second straight game.

Under two minutes into the first period, Marco Sturm scored when his rebound saved Phil Kessel from an embarasing lost puck. Even the NESN guys gave kessel a little crap for losing the puck when he went towards the net. Sturm scored though and the Bruins were up 1-0. A few minutes later, a Lightning slap-shot got by Thomas on a Tampa power play and the game was tied. Then Brad Boyes put a rebound in net after a Bobby Allen shot from the blue line and the Bruins had the lead. Lightning goalie Denis was then promptly replaced.

In the second period a poor TB line change gave Savard plenty of time to set up Brad Boyes, who easily shot the puck between the legs of the new Tampa goalie. A few minutes later, Bochenski's shot from the middle of the ice was saved with a rebound that was right in front of the goal. Phil Kessel had to take a couple swipes but he finally put the puck where it belongs and the Bruins had a 4-1 lead going into the break.

Early in the third period on a Bruins power play, good passing in the Lightning zone led to Brandon Bochenski's shot going into the net, giving the Bruins a 5-1 lead. Two seconds after the Bochenski goal, Jeremy Reich got into a fight with Tarnasky. Reich, knowing that Murray and Bergeron are coming back soon, wants to make sure he stays on the team. However he may be out of luck because it looked like he hurt his wrist pretty badly in the scuffle. The Bruins kept beating on the Lightning as Chistov's shot went through the legs of Holmqvist, the Lightning goalie. The Tampa fans got a little cheer as Kuba's shot in traffic got by Thomas, but the Bruins still won the game 6-2, their fourth straight, upping them to eleventh in the eastern conference standings.

Two Last Notes: One. The Bruins now, with over a month left of hockey, already have more wins than all of last season. Two. The Bruins are now officially at .500 with 30 wins and 30 losses.

Next game is tomorrow night (Saturday) against the Florida Panthers.