Canucks 1, Bruins 0

The Bruins have allowed 6 goals in 5 games, they're getting stellar goaltending from Tim Thomas, outstanding defensive play, an unbelievable penalty kill, and they're down 3-2 in this series. Why? The defensive designs of Claude Julien are being executed well by Chara, Seidenberg, Ference and McQuaid. Boychuk's also improved compared to last series. And of course, there's Thomas. These guys are doing exactly what they need to do to put this team in a position to win.

But the offense is missing. The Power Play sucks, only looking good in that 8-1 drubbing that saw the Bruins dominant no matter what the manpower situation was. Kaberle doesn't deserve PP time, let alone the 4:08 he got in Game 5. He has no shooting ability. His passes only compound one of the Bruins' biggest problems on the PP: they pass the puck too much instead of moving bodies.

I'd rather see Boychuk out there (0:00 PP time in Game 5), as he actually has a decent shot that other teams need to respect. He moves his feet, he's physical.

And I'd like to see Bergeron and Recchi playing in the high-slot, almost in between the two defensemen (or even replacing them, especially replacing a pinching Chara). These guys can shoot from up there, they can drive to the net, they can force the Canucks to either defend high or low. Peverley would also be a good guy to have up there. He might be the best net-driver on the team.

And why no Seguin? He's the most offensive-minded player, the most naturally talented shooter on the team, he can pass, he can skate, he's always moving with or without the puck. 0:12 of Power Play time in Game 5. Why? Why doesn't Julien get interrogated for that?

The Bruins had three Power Plays in the 1st period. Those were golden opportunities to get ahead, to instill some doubt in Luongo, and maybe most importantly: to make Vancouver think twice about physical play. The Canucks matched then surpassed the Bruins in physicality Friday night. They out-hit the Bruins 47-27. And in the 1st period, they were a bit too eager to play physical. Torres tripping Campbell, Sedin punching Boychuk in the back, Alberts going after Thornton. These were all stupid penalties, and had the Bruins made them pay for them on the scoreboard, some Canucks might have eased off the physical play for the rest of the game.

But they didn't. They continued the intensity and were the better team. The Bruins hurt their own offense with giveaways. Every time Krejci tries to toy with the puck by the blue-line, I get nervous. He really needs to learn the geography of the ice. You can do that fancy crap deep in the zone, but not by the blue-line. Location, location, location.

Ryder went from having one of his strongest games in Game 4, to one of his weakest. That's been a theme for him in this series, in the postseason, in the regular season, in his career.

Kaberle doesn't deserve to dress. Dress Hnidy, or Kampfer, and play them in an emergency. He's awful. He's a negative influence on all aspects of the game. He was born to be a Maple Leaf.

This was a great opportunity to win the series. Had the Bruins won out there, I have no doubt that they'd win the Cup. Now, the task in front of them is pretty tough. They had Luongo on the ropes, but allowed him to build confidence in that 1st period, and now the overrated, greasy, Quebecois prima donna is feeling cocky. Here's what he said about the goal Thomas allowed:

"It's an easy save for me, but if you're wandering out and aggressive like he does, that's going to happen. He might make some saves that I won't, but in a case like that, we want to take advantage of a bounce like that and make sure we're in a good position to bury those."

Wow. A goalie criticizing another goalie. Goalies are in a unique brotherhood, they're all comrades out there, even on different teams. You remember that farcical "fight" between Thomas and Price? Thomas and Rask, despite being in direct competition with each other, are buddies. But Luongo's arrogance goes beyond the Fraternal Order of Goaltenders.

And who is he to criticize Thomas' style? Thomas has stopped 102 of the last 104 shots he's faced. The goal was perhaps a result of Thomas' aggressiveness, but the 165 shots he's stopped in this series weren't goals because of his aggressiveness. Luongo has stopped 141 of 155.

Luongo tried to qualify his remarks the next day:

"I said he might make some saves that I don't. I was just saying, on that particular play, I would have played it different. That's the difference between me and him. I have been pumping his tires ever since the series started. I haven't heard one nice thing he had to say about me. That's the way it is."

So has Roberto been spending his off-days scouring the media for Tim Thomas saying nice things about him? Thomas' response to this sums up how much more character, quiet confidence, and sheer dignity the Bruins goalie has compared to his counterpart:

"I guess I didn't realize it was my job to pump his tires. I guess I have to apologize for that. I still think I'm the goaltender on the union side and I stick with all the other goalies. In being one and knowing what it takes to perform at this level and with this amount of pressure, I understand to a certain extent what every other goaltender is going through. I guess that's that."

There's just so much not to like about the Canucks. I didn't hate them before this series, but I guess that's because I didn't know them. Burrows' biting, then his trying to draw a call by stepping on Lucic's stick. The Aaron Rome hit on Horton. The Sedin twins falling down with ease. Maxim Lapierre's taunting. Pretty much everything Lapierre did in Game 5. His dive was vintage Canadien. Once a Hab, always a Hab.

It's gone beyond wanting to see the Bruins win. An extra incentive would be to rob these Canucks of glory. Game 6 tonight in Boston.

-The Commodore

Lightning 5, Bruins 4

So many playoff games seem "stolen." Games are so closely fought, every inch contested. The smallest edge can be the difference in a shift, a period, a game, and ultimately a series. Tim Thomas' goaltending stole Game 5 for the Bruins. Tampa Bay's special teams "stole" Game 6.

The Bruins' struggles on the Power Play had been tolerable before last night. Because they don't need their Power Play to win. And while the B's weren't scoring with a man advantage, neither were the Lightning. Tampa Bay entered Game 6 with a Power Play that was 2 for 18. That changed last night. The Lightning were 3/4 with their Power Play.

Give credit to the Lightning for having excellent special teams. Give credit to the ref for that interference call on Peverley, which was a play I've seen go uncalled several hundred times this postseason. Give credit to some poor Penalty Killing before Teddy Purcell's goal, as all 4 Bruins committed to a battle below the goal-line.

I do like how the Bruins played in the 3rd period. They were frenzied. If not for that late breakaway goal (which was partially Boychuk's fault as he made an unwise pinch), the game goes to OT. Krejci wound up with a hat-trick, the first playoff hat-trick for a Bruin since Neely did it in '91. And the 3rd period reminded Dwayne Roloson that the Bruins have his number.

One silver-lining to this game is that the Bruins were nowhere near at their best, yet they were only a few plays away from winning. They didn't value the puck, they didn't make plays, they committed some silly penalties, like Ference's cross-check on Stamkos. But they were still close to victory.

Why is it that Michael Ryder's quality of play deteriorates, and Tyler Seguin pays for it by seeing his ice-time curtailed (fancy word for reduced)? Why is it that Kaberle continues to get so much ice-time, especially on the Power Play? Maybe he's the problem with that unit. The Power Play has been awful since he was acquired. Yet we see him out there every time.

Kaberle truly is a Toronto Maple Leaf. He's a moderately talented guy that disappoints when it matters. He's a regular season player whose reputation far outweighs his actual worth. I'm tempted to kidnap him for Game 7, Celtic Price style, just to ensure that Julien can't play him for 19:46 like he did last night.

Game 7 is Friday night. The Bruins need every player to bring their absolute best game. Ryder needs to stop trying to handle the puck through 4 guys. Recchi needs to contribute. Kaberle needs to get kidnapped. To be honest, this is the Bruins' game to lose. Would you rather have Tim Thomas or Dwayne Roloson start between the pipes in Game 7? Would you rather have Chara-Seidenberg or Hedman-Brewer? Would you rather be the best 5-on-5 or on special teams?

-The Commodore

Bruins 2, Lightning 0

In Game 2, the Bruins beat the Lightning at their own game. It was wide open, up and down, fast-paced hockey played in the middle areas of the ice. Game 3 was played against the boards. It was played from zone to zone, a little slower, a lot tougher. This is the type of game the Bruins are built to win. Game 2 was a toss-up, even a loss, if not for Seguin. But last night's game had a black and gold stamp all over it.

The B's played their game well in all three zones. They cycled the puck in the offensive zone, didn't take shots unless they had a shooting lane (the Lightning only blocked 9 shots). They were patient. They kept the puck near the boards where they'd have the advantage. So even when Tampa won the puck back, they had to expend all their energy just to get it. Most importantly, the B's extended their posessions.

A defensive miscue resulted in Krejci's goal in the 1st. Victor Hedman got a bit too eager to help his teammate against Lucic. Krejci wisely stayed in the slot and collected the easy goal. It was also a hyper-aware pass from Lucic.

The second goal was thanks to guys like Kelly and Seguin keeping the puck from squirting out of the zone. Ference got the goal, but it was a team effort by all 5 skaters on the ice.

In the neutral zone, they slowed Tampa down just enough to prevent breakaways from turning deadly. What really helped was not turning the puck over in dangerous spots. The Bruins got the puck in deep to the offensive zone, and even when Tampa collected it, the B's were able to fill the neutral zone with bodies to slow down the Lightning just enough.

And the Bruins controlled the defensive zone. Thomas didn't have to face many second chance shots because defensemen pounced on loose pucks. There were some heart-pounding moments, but considering how good Tampa is, the Bruins did one hell of a good job in their own zone.

The return of Bergeron was huge. He won over 64% of his faceoffs, which mostly came against faceoff expert Lecavalier. And he was his excellent defensive self. He didn't look or play any differently.

Ference and Boychuk continue to play well, supporting Chara and Seidenberg very nicely. The first line is clicking. Krejci's goal was his 4th game-winner of the playoffs, tying Cam Neely's Bruins' playoff record. Seguin didn't have breakaway chances, but he did the little things. His assist on Ference's goal was simple fundamental hockey: keeping a play alive in the offensive zone, continuing the cycle.

The Power Play struggled with entry. And the Bruins were offsides too often. That's about all there is to gripe about from this game. All and all, it played out exactly as you'd draw it up.

Game 3 Saturday afternoon on NBC.

-The Commodore

PS: What is up with Guy Boucher's scar? I did some legitimate research and couldn't find an answer. Boucher says it's not hockey related, but also said he hasn't even told his family where it's from. I don't like to make fun of people for scars and/or deformities, but when they keep the mystery alive by being all shifty about it, it peaks my curiosity. My guess is that it was a second mouth that's been sewn shut.

Bruins 6, Lightning 5

Have you caught your breath yet? The Bruins' 6-5 victory over Tampa had enough action to fill two games, with enough left over to start a third. So many big goals, big saves, big hits. And a little bit of luck for the Lightning. They got some favorable bounces, maybe even a few favorable calls and non-calls that helped keep them in this game. But also give credit to them for taking advantage of such opportunities.

Tyler Seguin is an assassin; an errand boy sent by grocery clerks. To collect a bill. He finally got a chance to play, and play with some skilled players. And it worked out. His speed, his skills, his shot. He's only 19, but he's the fastest skater and best shooter on the Bruins. He is simply a stud. Thank you, Mr. Kessel, wherever you are.

He was assisted by Michael Ryder, and he also assisted Ryder. Ryder was excellent in all three zones. His defensive play was actually better than his offensive play, even though he scored twice with an assist. I've never doubted Ryder's skill or his potential. It's just the inconsistent application of that skill. When he's motivated and focused, he's a top-flight player in this League. He just needs to maintain that effort and focus for an extended period of time.

David Krejci had one of his best games in a Bruins uniform last night. The stat-line shows that he scored and was -1. But he played over 24 minutes. And he played 24 tough minutes. He was called on to replace Bergeron on the Penalty Kill, and he did a good job of it. No other Bruins forward came close to him in ice-time (Lucic had just under 21 minutes, Horton was under 19, then Kelly had 16:28).

Lucic and Horton were keys to turning the Power Play around. Their net-front presence disrupted Roloson enough to allow that first PP goal. And of course Horton had a 3 point night.

Even though he allowed 5 goals, Tim Thomas had a good game. He allowed one or two softies, most notably a big 5 hole goal in the 2nd period. But he also stoned many Tampa Bay breakaways.

Tampa's first two goals came thanks to funny bounces. One off the boards, one off Boychuk. Tampa also scored a goal that rebounded off Timmy's face, which is why his sweater and face had blood stains on them for the remainder of the game.

I don't know the NHL's review rules by heart. But I do know that there are several things that can be reviewed "in theory." For instance, in review, a play can be deemed dead before a whistle was blown, if the reviewer deems that the referee "intended" to blow the whistle before it was blown. Also, goals can be allowed even if the goal slips off its pegs, if it's deemed that the puck would have gone in anyway, and the goal was dislodged by a defending player.

Typically, refs blow the whistle when a goalie's helmet comes off. And while the ref may have missed Thomas' helmet being removed, the replays showed that he was without a mask when the puck went in (after ricocheting off his face). Then again, I can't find any rule stipulating that a whistle should be blown if a goalie's mask comes off. Maybe there should be one as the unwritten rule has been enforced for some time.

The Bruins still struggled with neutral zone giveaways, although nothing on the level of Kaberle's in Game 1. Mark Recchi, of all people, seemed to be unable to get the puck deep into the Tampa Bay zone.

But the Bruins showed discipline in the post-whistle scrums. And I actually think they were unfairly penalized more than once when they held their temper. Ference, for instance, sprayed Roloson with some snow (which I've seen countless forwards do countless times in the playoffs), then he gets decked to the ice, but somehow winds up with a matching minor. Steve Downie blatantly antagonized Chara. Chara kept his hands down, until Downie face-washed him and Chara returned the favor. And to be frank, the fact that Downie survived the confrontation is evidence that Chara didn't intend any significant harm. But again, there were matching minors.

The Bruins did take some stupid penalties. Horton took an interference, and an elbowing call, that were both unnecessary. The B's are up against the best Power Play left in the playoffs. They don't need to be doing Tampa any favors.

One thing that helps is the penalty killing of guys like Daniel Paille. Paille only played 8 minutes, and 2:37 shorthanded. But what a 2:37 they were. His PK forecheck in the 1st was highlight reel material for true fans of the game. One man tying up a stellar Power Play for about 25 seconds. Contributions like that can be the difference between winning and losing.

Game 3 is Thursday night, and I can't wait. We saw the Lightning get a little flustered at times last night. We saw the Bruins pin them and the puck to the boards for extended stretches. The best way to stop open ice breakouts is to keep the puck and the opponent up against the boards. We also saw the emergence of Tyler Seguin as a weapon.

-The Commodore

Lightning 5, Bruins 2

The 5-2 score is a bit misleading. The game was closer than that. Although, if not for Tim Thomas, the Lightning would have scored 7 or 8 times. What I'm saying is that the Lightning outplayed the Bruins, Thomas kept them in the game, but foolish blunders took the B's right out of it.

This was a lot like the mistake-ridden start of the Montreal series. Tampa scored their first goal when Seidenberg lost his stick. Neither of the two Bruin forwards in the area (Ryder and Peverley) lent him theirs. And though Seidenberg is a lefty, and both forwards are righties, a defensemen without a stick is pretty useless. Then again, Seidenberg didn't seem to yell or gesture to Ryder or Peverley. None of the Bruins on the ice pointed out that the guy covering the crease had nothing to cover the crease with. The puck found Seidenberg, he tried to kick it out of danger, it went straight to Sean Bergenheim, who had a stick, and it was 1-0 Lightning.

The second Tampa Bay goal saw Michael Ryder utterly fail in neutral zone coverage. There was no effort on his part to play the man or the puck, and Brett Clark leisurely skated past him. The goal itself was a soft one for Thomas to allow, but Clark should have never penetrated the zone with such ease.

The third was the ugliest. An unforgivable giveaway by Kaberle just behind the net. The guy was acquired for his puck-handling skills, and he messes up a dribble right next to the goal. The play surprised Thomas, but not Teddy Purcell, who tapped in the gift goal. 3-0 in an 85 second span.

Seguin gave the Bruins hope with a magnificent breakaway goal toward the end of the period. Despite this, we didn't see much more of Seguin. He only got 9:38 on the ice. Shawn Thornton, for comparison, got 8:29. Seguin scores, yet Michael Ryder, whose lack of effort helped Tampa score, gets 11:55 on the ice. Not only that, Ryder got 4:55 of Power Play ice time. Tyler Seguin got 0:00.

But I guess when you're PP unit is 2 for 41, you don't mess with a good thing.

I understand the philosophy that's kept Seguin on the bench and scratched this season. You have to earn your time on the ice. And that's sensible. But what has Michael Ryder done to earn his ice time? His effort has been intermittent for the last 2 years. But Julien loves him. Why is it okay for Ryder to fail for weeks even months on end, and yet Seguin doesn't get a chance to play one shift on the Power Play?

And look at what Ryder's done this postseason. He had one great night in Montreal with 2 goals and an assist. But in 12 playoff games, he's totalled 2 goals and 4 assists. He gets nearly 5 minutes of Power Play time, Seguin gets 0 seconds.

The Power Play unit continues to fail. They struggle to get the puck into the zone. Once in, they struggle to keep it in. Once they keep it in, they struggle to generate good scoring opportunities. It's a complete and comprehensive set of problems.

The Bruins had three Power Plays in the 2nd period, when it was a 3-1 game. Scoring in one of them would have completely redirected the course of the game. By the third PP chance, they were doing well, and finally someone had an excellent scoring opportunity. Unfortunately, it was Kaberle, who has never been known as a shooter. He's a passer, a "puck mover," which is a euphemism (nice way of saying) for someone who plays bad defense and can't shoot.

The Lightning's fourth and fatal goal came in the 3rd, after Boychuk took a stupid penalty. He'd just leveled Simon Gagne with a clean hit. Lecavalier came over to give Boychuk the business, and Boychuk punched him. In the playoffs, you don't bring a fist to a shoving match unless you want to end up in the box. Lecavalier's been around for awhile and was smart enough not to punch back.

I have no problem with Boychuk shoving Lecavalier around. But don't punch him. It's going to get penalized. Then you have to hope the other guy is dumb enough to punch back. Lecavalier is an 11 year veteran with over 50 career playoff games under his belt and his name on the Stanley Cup. He's not going to do Boychuk any favors.

On the resultant Power Play, the Lightning scored, and the game was over. It's a shame because the Bruins had been surging nicely up until the penalty. Boychuk killed all their momentum, and handed Tampa Bay the dagger with which they finally killed the Bruins.

The Bruins didn't do much well in this game. Thomas was their best player, despite the 4 goals he allowed. He kept them in it, though.

The Bruins attempted over 60 shots, but only 33 got to the goal. 17 were blocked, the rest missed the target. Roloson was never tested, and probably never broke a sweat. No traffic in front of him, nobody made him move side-to-side, no rebound opportunities.

Give credit to the Lightning. They're good. They're fast. They can score. It's a simple, yet effective formula. In my preview of this series, I said that the Bruins had to limit turnovers, and not take stupid penalties. Saturday night, they turned the puck over (in extremely dangerous places), and took stupid penalties. They dug themselves a big hole then had to fight uphill all night.

Against Montreal, the Bruins were able to screw around for 2 games, recover, and win the series. Tampa Bay isn't going to give them the same opportunity. The Bruins need to get their act together NOW.

Game 2 Tuesday night in the Garden.

-The Commodore

Bruins Plans With No Bergeron (UPDATED)

Patrice Bergeron is going to miss at least the first couple games after suffering yet another concussion. That is a big blow to the Bruins, as Rob wrote before, he is the key to the Bruins power play, and the best defensive forward the Bruins have. For now it seems Kelly will take his place on the 2nd line. Kelly has been playing really well, but I hate that they are having to break up these lines.

"Chris Kelly moved into the second-line center slot where Bergeron was, between Brad Marchand and Mark Recchi, while Tyler Seguin was playing right wing on the third line with Rich Peverley at center and Michael Ryder on the left wing (ESPN)."

This still open a roster spot, and that seems like it is going to be filled by Tyler Seguin. I like this just because I want to see how this kid reacts to playoff hockey. Who knows maybe he can help out this awful power play. Plus the Lightning are a juggernaut on offense, and the Bruins could use some guys that are fast and goal scorers. It'll be real interesting to see how he plays.

As for Bergeron, I really doubt we see him again in these playoffs.

***UPDATE***

Bruins center Patrice Bergeron was at TD Garden Tuesday, and while he did not practice with his teammates, his mere presence is something the team is taking as a positive sign for the concussed the25-year-old.

"He's doing better," coach Claude Julien said. "He's here and he's doing better, so again, he's dealing with the concussion symptoms and everything else, the protocol of it. He's here today because he's feeling better. I think we're getting some positive feedback from him (WEEI)."