Final score: Bruins 3, NY Islanders 2
Campbell/By S. Bradley
For much of the first couple months of this season, Gregory Campbell’s line was setting the standard for the Bruins’ other trios to aspire to in terms of work ethic and creating offensive chances.
Well now it looks like the line of Campbell, Shawn Thornton and Daniel Paille in the role that was once filled by Brad Marchand, is finishing the season the same way.
Campbell and Thornton both scored goals in the Bruins’ 3-2 win tonight over the New York Islanders at TD Garden. The victory keeps alive the chance for the Bruins to finish second in the Eastern Conference.
Thornton made his return to the lineup after three games out with a 40-something-stitch cut above his right eye. His goal was the 10th of the year, giving the Bruins two players (along with Campbell) with double-digit goal and fight totals.
Campbell and Paille were plus-2 on the night, while Thornton was plus-1.
Here’s a look at the rest of the box score:
•Dennis Seidenberg scored the Bruins’ third goal with the help of Chris Kelly’s line. Kelly made the pass back to the right point and Rich Peverley and Michael Ryder screened goaltender Rick DiPietro. However, later in the game head coach Claude Julien shook things up by swapping Kelly and David Krejci’s spot in the lineup.
•Goaltender Tim Thomas continued his assault on the all-time save percentage record with 30 saves on 32 shots. His save percentage stays at .938. Dominik Hasek’s single-season record is .937.
•Peverley won seven of nine faceoffs.
I like your idea Ben!
Time to make a statement with sitting Krejci. Put Seguin up there for a game and see what the kid can do on a REAL offensive line. Division is clinched and there’s not much hope moving up any more. So sit him for his rest and for poor play. Give Seguin a chance to redeem himself and mae a real statement about poor play!
Spencer I kind of wonder though if the KHL line hasn’t opted to dial it back on purpose to save some for the play offs and even more so, I wonder if it they are avoiding more physical play because they don’t want an injury at this point.
Either way-they are invisible lately and you don’t want that from a #1 line-so I am just hoping that maybe they are saving it for the play offs and will show up in full force, because if they don’t I don’t think we are going to win too many games relying on the 4th line or hoping Thomas bails them out.
The NHL is different than other sports, you CAN turn it on for the playoffs. Look at the #7 vs #8 Conf finals last year. For years the B’s gave it everything they had in the Reg Season and then had no extra gear left for the post, they’ve approached it differently under CJ.
I agree with MCK. Not strong enough. I hope they can swith to playoff mode when it´s time.
@ Mark – tough to blame Kaberle for PP whoas when he’s 1/10th of the personnel. How about blaming the forwards for each finding a nice comfy spot in the offensive zone to set up camp and then staying there for the entirety of possession?
I think we need to be concerned with the lackadaisical play of Lucic, Krejci and Horton lately. When Looch was pushing for 30, and Horton was trying to regain his goal scoring form, they both played in your face, physical skating games. They were mean, tough, and flat out difficult to spot, and both of them put point on the board, and krejci had more space to operate. Now they are coasting into the post season and are ineffective. I have never seen a team that is SO much better when they play physical, and so mediocre when they dont. I hope they can flip the switch for the playoffs. Tom, I agree that McQuaid has really struggled the past couple weeks after over a month of solid, physical play. I would say he’s wore down, and to give him a little time off. Hopefully he can be a beast in the playoffs and have another 2 months stretch of solid, physical hockey.
On to the Seguin topic, whether hes scratched the first game or not, he’s gonna end up playing. Injuries will happen, and we are going to need him to step up. I think its time to call up Hamill and Sauve, or whoever they feel will step in do to injury. The back end has depth with Hnidy and Kampfer, and Bartkowski if despereate. I think its tough to play Seguin, although he does boost the 2nd powerplay unit, he can be a liability and has not played playoff hockey.
I agree with Tom on McQuaid. I haven’t been impressed with him since, and including, the Toronto game. I think it is important to give Kampfer some game time experience to get his feet back up to speed before the playoffs start.
As for line changes, do what you want with the middle lines, but I say keep Krejci Lucic and Horton together, and keep Paille Thornton and Campbell together. I think Seguin looks better than anyone, except for Bergy, on the powerplay, as far as forwards are concerned, so he should not be the one who gets scratched. I would ask around the dressing room to see if anyone has any lingering bugs or injuries so that they can rest and we can experiment with those middle lines.
I don’t want Ryder to sit cause it looks like he could find the back of the net very soon, and we know that once he pops he just can’t stop. At the same time, I want Seguin in the line up as well. His play wasn’t the reason for him sitting. It’s just you don’t wanna sit any of the new forwards, or Recchi, he still needs to pass Chelios for games played, and you want to test out Ryder, so he was the only choice really.
I just want to say that a lot of teams do not have this big a problem of who deserves to play and who does not. Most teams would rather not play their13th or 7th, but we always seem to have more confidence in whoever is benched than someone actually on the ice. I think that says a lot about our depth, which is something we will need if we wanna go deep.
4th line was great, but everyone else was on and off. I don’t know why Kelly got moved up and Peverly didn’t? Peverly was a center, he certainly would make an interesting line with Horton and Lucic.
McQuaid is starting to get brutal, he did make up for it in the third.
Bring on the pussyfart Habs.
I am not over confident that the Bruins will pull it together for the play offs and all the teams in the 6 to 8 spot seem to know our weaknesses and are able to capitalize on them.
The team needs to start skating-the Krejci line was all but silent last night and I hardly noticed Bergeron or Marchand-and normally I do. But that 4th line was rocking and skating and playing hard-looks like the 4th line is ready, but I have doubts anyone else is going to show up for the play offs.
Not a good effort last night. That powerplay continues to be a growing concern. It is great that the 4th line is clicking and Thomas looked far better than he did against the Rangers, but if we are going to be successful in the playoffs we need our top players to be our best players and for the powerplay to be a weapon. I almost wish our last two games were against more desperate teams who were already in playoff mode rather than against teams with nothing to play for. These last two games are more about showing they are a playoff threat rather than about picking up points. Anyone else ready for some playoff hockey? Let’s go Bruins!
Last night was the same weak effort as against NYR except against a weaker team. Apparently they are going to flip the switch next week. We shall see. If they play the way they have been for the last 10 days then they are out in 5
I wanna see some intensity. They should have won 7-0 last night.
Matt, Im glad someone was actually seeing the same game I was. I was watching the NESN comments and all I was reading about were lines for next year. Now if only the other lines could match that work ethic and play 60 minutes of hockey the B’s would be a formidable match for anyone.
mark, check out the box score and look at faceoffs. krejci sticks out like a sore thumb.
normally a team doesn’t win when the 4th line is the best line, but boy, were the merlot boys clicking.
the 1st 4-4 goal of the season makes up for the 2 min 5-3 shutout.
Thomas shouldnt see the ice again until the first game of the playoffs. If he does, Claude has som splainin to do.
PP blows.
Hello Kaberle…anyone home?
Time to wakey, wakey.
Swapping Kelly and David Krejci.
looks like Krejci is on someone’s shit list.
OK I take it back. A few days ago I advocated playing Seguin and Ryder and scratching Thornton for the Playoffs. dumb