Wheeler

BOSTON — A patch of adversity was inevitable for the Boston Bruins as a noreaster hitting the Hub this February and people complaining about the All-Star voting.

But the Boston Bruins’  two-game losing streak — their first in regulation of the season — isn’t all that important. They still have a cushy lead both for the Eastern Conference and Northeast Division leads. No, the important thing will be how the club now responds to dropping consecutive games on home ice to Buffalo and Minnesota.

The 1-0 loss tonight to the Wild was everything you’d expect from a game against the team that practically invented the trap. And it didn’t help that the Bruins seemed to be panicking every time the puck came within shouting distance of their stick. This is the payback a team gets after it rips through 10 straight games without a win, defends the home ice 14 times in a row and makes the month of December its own personal “win-a-polooza.” This is the diet you have to go on after a week of eating fine steak and seafood on a luxury cruise.

To a man, the Bruins seemed to understand that, including rookie Blake Wheeler –  who sounded wise beyond his years after the game. (more…)

For the first time this season, the Boston Bruins have lost two in a row in regulation, as they dropped a home date to the Minnesota Wild, 1-0, at TD Banknorth Garden tonight.

For a recap, you can check out Yahoo!

The Bruins were also shut out for the first time this season, as Wild goaltender Niklas Backstrom recorded his second straight blanking.

BOSTON — The Boston Bruins took the TD Banknorth Garden ice led by Manny Fernandez, who’ll get the start in net tonight against his former team the Minnesota Wild.

Defenseman Matt Lashoff and forward Petteri Nokelainen are both on the ice, while defenseman Aaron Ward is not. Lashoff has been a healthy scratch the last four games, while Nokelainen has missed the last 10 games with an upper-body injury. UPDATE: Martin St. Pierre still warmed up as the Bruins’ fourth-line center flanked by Vladimir Sobotka and Shawn Thornton.

Check back after the game for complete coverage.

St. Pierre

BOSTON — Center Martin St. Pierre today was named to the Canadian AHL All-Star Team for the AHL All-Star Game scheduled for Jan. 26 in Worcester.

While a fine honor, it’s not exactly the prize St. Pierre wants for his recent strong play. He obviously wants to stick with the Boston Bruins beyond his current emergency recall, which will end once fellow forward Petteri Nokelainen is healthy enough to re-enter the line-up and the Bruins are able to suit up 12 forwards.

But there’s no doubt that in his short time with the parent club, St. Pierre has done enough to establish himself as an NHL regular. In seven games, he’s potted one goal and notched two assists while posting a plus-1 rating. He’s ably centered the fourth line flanked by Vladimir Sobotka and Shawn Thornton, and been sprinkled in for penalty killing and power play duty during his tenure. (more…)

Lemaire

BOSTON — After his team went through its morning skate at TD Banknorth Garden in preparation for its match-up with the Boston Bruins, Minnesota Wild head coach Jacques Lemaire — like most visiting coaches — was asked what he has liked about the Bruins’ play this season.

He echoed the sentiments of many of the other opposing bench bosses — commending the Bruins’ speed and skill and depth.  But then I asked him what he thought of the job head coach Claude Julien, a fellow former Montreal Canadiens coach, has done. And Lemaire really started to turn on the praise. (more…)

Fernandez

BOSTON — Manny Fernandez was the first Boston Bruins goaltender to leave the ice after the club’s optional morning skate today at TD Banknorth Garden, so you can expect him to get the start against his former team, the Minnesota Wild, tonight.

Fernandez also faced Minnesota in the Bruins’ second game of the regular season Oct. 11 in St. Paul. He took the loss that night and let up a couple soft goals during his four-goal, 22-save performance in a 4-3 defeat. But that was the Fernandez who was still trying to find his comfort level in his return from knee surgery, not the one that’s currently won five straight starts and lost just once in regulation since that night in Minnesota.

•Defenseman Andrew Ference, who had to leave practice 10 minutes early Monday, did not skate today. I would say the best way to describe Ference’s status in his attempt to return from a broken foot is not as far ahead of schedule as he first thought.

•Defenseman Aaron Ward, who left Saturday’s game in the second period and didn’t skate the last two days, said his status is up in the air after he did skate this morning.

In describing the play where he got injured, Ward said: “I tried to hit him with  my upper body and the only thing that got him was my thigh.”

BOSTON — Boston Bruins head coach Claude Julien opted to make this morning’s  pregame skate optional — but it was still well-attended.

Every player made it out onto the ice — including Aaron Ward and Petteri Nokelainen — minus Zdeno Chara, Andrew Ference, Shane Hnidy, P.J.  Axelsson and Stephane Yelle.

Will have more updates throughout the day.

BOSTON — Without injured forwards Patrice Bergeron and Marco Sturm, two members of the Boston Bruins’ top power play unit from the start of the season, the club went through a three-game stretch in late December where it went 0-for-12 with the man-advantage.

But with Dennis Wideman admirably filling Bergeron’s slot at one point and P.J. Axelsson holding his own up front in Sturm’s spot, the Bruins’ power play is finding the right chemistry again, and over the last three games it has clicked at a 4-for-19 clip. The power play will be of utmost importance tonight when the Bruins go head-to-head with the league-best penalty kill of the Minnesota Wild at TD Banknorth Garden. (more…)

Yelle

As a member of the Colorado Avalanche and Calgary Flames for entirety of his NHL career before this season, Boston Bruins center Stephane Yelle has been in his share of tangles with the Minnesota Wild since they came into existence as an expansion team in the 2000-01 season.

So he knows all too well that no matter how much the personnel changes or the rules of the NHL change, the Wild under head coach Jacques Lemaire (the only coach in franchise history) play the same way — structure, tight defense, strong goaltender and … the trap. The Bruins will have their hands full with the Wild Tuesday night at TD Banknorth Garden. (more…)

You’ve just got to watch this to believe it … defenseman Mark Stuart and some of his Boston Bruins teammates rocking out at Sunday’s Wives Carnival.

Julien

WILMINGTON — Although thebruinsblog.net proved that he cannot be passed in the race to be the Eastern Conference All-Star head coach, Boston Bruins bench boss Claude Julien declined comment on the matter today after his team’s practice at Ristuccia Arena.

“Not officially,”  Julien defiantly said when asked his reaction to coaching the All-Stars.  “There’s no announcement, I’m not talking about it.”

The coach is selected based on the team with the best points percentage after games of Jan. 10 and no team in the East can catch Julien and the Bruins. The game will be played in Montreal Jan. 25.

Ward

WILMINGTON — Although defenseman Aaron Ward did not practice with the Boston Bruins today at Ristuccia Arena, there was good news on the veteran from head coach Claude Julien.

“Aaron’s actually doing a lot better. It was a mild charley horse; his motion of range today was pretty good,” Julien said after his team’s one-hour practice.

The coach also added that Ward will try to take the morning skate with the club tomorrow at TD Banknorth Garden and then determine his status.

Elsewhere on the Bruins blue line, Andrew Ference — out since mid-November with a broken foot — left practice with about 10 minutes to go and did not participate in the 1-on-1 center-ice battle drill. Julien said it was just a precautionary departure and Ference is still day-to-day.

Julien also said that he’s crossed paths with Patrice Bergeron (concussion) since the center started his light biking. Julien described his own attitude about Bergeron’s return as cautiously optimistic.

“He’s feeling better and every day I talk to him it seems to be going on the positive side. I’m just a little cautious because those kind of injuries, sometimes there’s setbacks and we don’t want to get too far ahead of ourselves and make some big comments and then there’s a setback. Right now, all I can say is it’s going in the right direction,” Julien said.

The Bruins expect Bergeron to make himself available to the media for the first time since last month’s concussion some time over the next week or so.

WILMINGTON — The Boston Bruins are on the Ristuccia Arena ice at this hour going through the first of their practice drills without defenseman Aaron Ward.

Ward left Saturday night’s game with Buffalo in the second period with what head coach Claude Julien said after the game was a “slight charley horse.” So far, there have been no updates on the veteran blueliner. I hope to get one today.

Everyone else that’s healthy is on the ice, with the forward lines the same from Saturday (with Petteri Nokelainen mixing in the with the fourth-liners) and the D pairs feature Mark Stuart/Zdeno Chara, Matt Hunwick/Dennis Wideman, Andrew Ference/Shane Hnidy, with Matt Lashoff the extra.

Axelsson

It stands to reason that in a week when something unlikely happened — an actual Boston Bruins regulation loss for the first time since Dec. 10 — an unlikely player should have a solid all-around week.

Defensive stalwart P.J. Axelsson potted one goal, assisted on three others and posted a plus-2 rating in three games for the week ending today — solid enough numbers to earn him the Bruin of the Week title.

While Axelsson, like most of his teammates, was quiet during the club’s loss to Buffalo Saturday, the forward made plenty of noise during the team’s two victories. He notched two assists, including one on the go-ahead power-play goal by Zdeno Chara, in the win at Pittsburgh Tuesday. And then back home he scored the go-ahead goal (albeit by awkwardly sticking the puck out of the air into the net) Thursday against the Penguins.

Other contenders for the title were defenseman Dennis Wideman (1-3-4, plus-3) and center Marc Savard (2-4-6, plus-2).

Ward

Boston Bruins general Peter Chiarelli had no update on the status of defenseman Aaron Ward today. Ward left Saturday’s game one shift into the second period after he hit Buffalo center Matt Ellis. Head coach Claude Julien called the injury a “slight charley horse” after the game. Chiarelli said the club should have more info Monday.

Chiarelli also reiterated what he said about winger Marco Sturm in a published report today — the veteran will have knee surgery soon. Sturm has been out since he last played Dec. 18. When asked about the seriousness of the injury, Chiarelli would only say, “He’s going to have surgery and when it happens we’ll give you an update.”

As for the report that center Patrice Bergeron, out since Dec. 20 with a concussion, is doing light exercise and riding the bike, Chiarelli confirmed that the biking has taken place both at TD Banknorth Garden and Ristuccia Arena in Wilmington — a good sign for Bergeron because he’s been able to get out and about. As for the next step on his road to returning from his second concussion in as many seasons, Chiarelli said that there’s a protocol in place — as there is for all head injuries — but at the end of the day the team defers to the feelings of the player.

When Bergeron begins to feel able, he’ll have to do “activity at a certain heartbeat rate for a certain period of time over a certain number of days. And then there’s a certain period (he has) to be symptom-free,” according to Chiarelli.