Halak

I know it seems like lately the second-most popular topic of this blog after the Boston Bruins is Jaroslav Halak of the Montreal Canadiens. I have to admit, I get a kick out of the Canadiens’ struggles with him between the pipes because they obviously overestimated what they had behind Carey Price going back as far as last season.

But the Habs are holding their ground. Pat Hickey in the Montreal Gazette today reports that head coach Guy Carbonneau is going to stick with Halak for tonight’s match with the New York Rangers. Remember, the Habs are at TD Banknorth Garden for a grudge match next Tuesday. It’ll be interesting to see how this all develops over the next week, particularly if Price can’t make it back from his lower-body injury.

And I promise,  barring any major occurences, no more Halak blogs for a day or two.

The Ottawa Senators, the Boston Bruins’ next opponent, aren’t just slip sliding their way toward the bottom of the Eastern Conference. They’re biting mad too. Although he denies doing it, Sens winger Jarkko Ruutu clearly bit Buffalo tough guy Andrew Peters during a scrum last night in a 4-2 Sabres win.

Judge for yourself:

Bruce Garrioch in the Ottawa Sun has Ruutu’s denial. (more…)

Lashoff

As far as returning to the line-up after four games as a healthy scratch, Matt Lashoff couldn’t have faced a more difficult opponent last night at TD Banknorth Garden in Boston than the Minnesota Wild.

With their trapping and neutral-zone clogging, the Wild can make life difficult for any young defenseman, let alone a young, up-and-comer like Lashoff.

Lashoff had his shaky moments in his 13:18 of ice time, but didn’t wind up hurting the club in its 1-0 loss. And after four games on the sidelines, he said the key was getting involved as soon as he could after the first puck was dropped. (more…)

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.

Kolanos

BOSTON — Tonight will mark the first-ever NHL game for Minnesota forward Krys Kolanos back in Boston.

The former Boston College star scored the game-winning overtime goal for the Eagles in the 2001 NCAA championship game. And tonight he’ll get to square off with his former Eagles linemate Chuck Kobasew when the Wild visit the Boston Bruins at TD Banknorth Garden.

“It’s giving me a chill right now just thinking about it,” Kolanos told thebruinsblog.net after his team’s morning skate. “He’s my old linemate and we had a great year there together, nine years ago or whatever. So it’s special to be back here.”

Kolanos enjoyed two solid years at BC before he turned pro. His NHL career, however, has been a roller coaster.  He was a first-round draft pick of Phoenix in 2000, but he’s struggled to live up to those early expectations, particularly in light of a concussion-causing hit he took from Vaclav Varada in ’02. (more…)

Alfredsson

Obviously, they’re clamoring in Ottawa for a major shake-up of the Senators,  who have lost 14 of their last 15 road games and five of six overall heading into tonight’s game at Buffalo.

But Sens captain Daniel Alfredsson says he doesn’t want to see wholesale changes made.

Bruce Garrioch in the Ottawa  Sun quoted the veteran Swede as saying:  “I don’t know when it started last year, but it’s not something that I believe a new coach coming in and changing everything (is going to change anything).”

Alfredsson’s words obviously hold more value because of his longevity and stature with the team. Ottawa will be at TD Banknorth Garden Thursday for a battle with the Boston Bruins, with a reverse in roles because in recent seasons the Sens have usually gone into games with Boston heavily favored and near the top of the league.

MK: Hard to believe the front office will listen to Alfredsson if things continue on their downward spiral. In fact, the front office is a prime candidate for the shake-up. But you have to give Alfredsson credit for his attempt to rally the troops and hold him and his teammate accountable.

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.