When the Bruins headed for Florida it was expected that they would return with four points. Mission accomplished. The Bruins were able to pound the lesser competition of Tampa Bay and Florida by a total of 7-1.
Tonight's message was clear, get off to a good start and don't be forced to play from behind. With 11:02 remaining in the first period the Bruins passed this test as well.
It was Michael Ryder who was able to pot the Bruins first goal of the evening on a great effort. Ryder warded off a hard stick check and snapped a shot through a screen past Craig Anderson giving the Bruins the lead for good.
Early in the second period, Phil Kessel struck again. Kessel was able to fly through the Panther defense and snap a wrister over Anderson's left shoulder and it was 2-0 Boston.
The Bruins kept their foot on the pedal in the third period and an unlikely Bruin gave them the three goal advantage. Shane Hnidy was able to wrist one top drawer from the blue line and you knew it was the Bruins night. Just for good measure Blake Wheeler netted his ninth of the season on a nice feed from Chuck Kobasew to give the Bruins a 4 goal victory.
On the other end it was another great night for goaltender Manny Fernandez. Fernandez made some difficult saves and was able to pitch his first ever shutout as a Bruin. The shutout may have been his first but it sure wasn't his first when it came to wins. Fernandez is red hot, snapping off seven straight victories. The guy is finally healthy and is showing that he is not the bust that Boston credited him as.
Some final notes here as Dennis Wideman was back in the line-up after his one game absence after sitting out with a middle-body injury. Marco Sturm missed his eighth straight game with whiplash and is listed as day-to-day. By the talk around the room Sturm doesn't sound so confident about a quick return but we shall see.
With the win the Bruins are in sole possession of first place in the Eastern Conference.
No comments:
Post a Comment