Bruins Nation

Another great win! This time it's against a good team, a team the Bruins have lost a couple times to. This Devils team is going places. They have an amazing top line and a great goaltender. Anyway, the Bruins started off slowly but quickly recovered. They had a very very poor third period, but great teamwork in the defensive zone allowed the Bruins to hang on to the win.

Early in the first period, New Jersey scored a very cool looking goal. A pass by Elias was deflected up. Then Zubris got his stick up and tipped it into the net. After review the stick was ruled to be below the crossbar and the goal stood. It took about ten minutes, but the Bruins recovered and went on fire. With under six minutes left, Axelsson picked up a rebound and got a turnaround shot to go off the post and in. Then with just under two minutes left, Sturm and Kobasew did a great job screening the Devil's goalie (Brodeur's backup), and Dennis Wideman was able to get a drive into the net. With the Bruins up 2-1, some shorthanded heroics took place. While shorthanded, Andrew Ference cleared the puck to Sturm. Sturm then skated up to the net and completely missed with a shot. He was able, though, to get his own rebound off the glass and stuff a shot into the net with 0.6 seconds left in the first period.

Some scoring continued late in the second period when a wide open drive by New Jersey hit off of Chara's skate and went in. That's two goals so far that Tim Thomas had no chance of saving. The Bruins top line immediately answered. With a minute left in the period, PJ Axlesson saved a puck near the blue line, spun around, and whipped a shot toward the goal. Marc Savard tipped it in and the Bruins were up 4-2.

The third period was very bad. The Bruins managed to get off one little shot. In the middle of the third on the power play, Zajac put in a long rebound and the Bruins found themselves only up one. Still though, the Bruins concentrated on defense and only defense. It was a very dangerous way to play and the Bruins almost blew their lead. As the final seconds of the game were winding down, New Jersey started coming up with good hard shots. Tim Thomas is usually the one who makes the big saves, but this time it was Glen Metropolit who got in behind Thomas and lay down on the ice. He made two saves like that and the Bruins came away with the win. As the game ended, however, sparks started flying. All five Bruins started having words with all five Devils. Wideman and the guy he was talking to were the only ones who came close to blows. Andy Brickley had a great line during all this in which he said, "You win as a team, you lose as a team, and you brawl as a team".

With 41 games under their belt the Bruins had 46 points. If they stay at that pace (which they shouldn't as guys start coming back from injury) they would have 92 points. 92 is usually good enough to get into the playoffs. Don't tell that to Colorado fans though.