Playoff Hockey and a Nervous Cat

Hockey Cat was nervous.

Cats puke a lot. Anyone who has a cat knows this. At first I thought that maybe her food didn't agree with her, so I tried many different brands and textures, but nothing helped. Even a trip to the animal doc revealed nothing.

"Maybe it's anxiety" the vet said, shaking her head sadly after giving Kiki a thorough looking over.  Apparently, cats feel anxiety just like humans do and, according to the Fresh Step cat litter people, it could be tied to any number of factors including, but not limited to, a litter box full of nuggets. But of course they are going to say that.

"Has there been any change around your house? That can cause problems until they adjust."

"Not really," I replied, "Just the freaking Patriots playing like a pack of sloths. We watch a lot of football. But that can't be it."

"Don't be so sure." The vet replied, "Cats are very perceptive and intuitive and are very tuned into their humans' moods and health status. She could be perceiving your anxiety and disappointment with the Patriots."

I thought for a moment. She did seem to do most of her upchucking while my wife and I were busy bitching about the Pats during games. "Thank goodness for hockey season starting up." I laughed, "The Bruins look to be loaded, so maybe I won't be cleaning up as much puke. I don't know how much more my carpet can take."

She laughed. "Loaded or not, hockey is very intense." For the first time I noticed Bruins' memorabilia "She probably feels the intensity out of you and your wife."

And she was right. I started paying attention to our reaction to situations during games, and realized for the first time that I'm like Happy Gilmore's dad watching hockey, so I get the connection. Problem is, she gets it doubly because my wife is just as intense - she's just more physical about it. You know, throwing shit at the tv, slugging me in the arm, bitching about penalties, etc...

It took me back to mid-January when my wife was going nuts over the Bruins taking their first regulation home loss to the Seattle Kraken. She was frustrated that every time the Bruins tried to clear their zone, a Krakens' player kept the puck in - and if Boston did manage to clear their zone, it was like trying to navigate an astroid belt to get the puck into the Seattle zone. 

I remembered saying at the time to her that I thought the Kraken had just given the rest of the National Hockey League a blueprint for slowing down the Boston Bruins' juggernaut - and the Florida Panthers were apparently paying attention.

Florida's game plan through the first three games of the series has been to throw a hornet's at the Bruins, crowding center ice and not allowing clean entries into their zone - layering their defense as their forwards attack the puck with gusto, causing many turnovers at the blue line and giving themselves prime scoring opportunities with odd-man rushes.

But just like when Boston visited Seattle a month after the Kraken beat them down, the Bruins' countered the aggression of the Panthers by unleashing a brutal physical assault in Game 3 of their first-round series, with Charlie McAvoy setting the tone with a crushing hit along the boards on Florida left wing Eetu Luostatinan only five seconds in.

The Bruins' physicality had the desired effect. The outlet passes became easier. The neutral zone became passible, and the Bruins were suddenly able to hit the blue line with speed.

All of a sudden, Boston built a four-goal lead and coasted, literally, to a 4-2 victory to take a 2-1 lead in the series, the only real glitch to their game was late in the third period when the Bruins seemed to lose their physical edge - by design or default - giving up the two goals and causing the nerves to rise to the surface.

The cat hurled twice in that short span, giving credence to the vet's notion that it was us, my wife and I, that were giving the cat a case of the nerves and the resultant upset stomach - and, sadly for her, we are hopeful that there are many more anxiety producing playoff contests left in the Bruins' future. We'll just keep the paper towels at the ready and a soothing pat on the back once it's all over.

Thank the Hockey Gods for that Love My Carpet stuff.

Halak Solid In Net As Bruins Blank Coyotes

If you hadn't watched the Boston Bruins' victory over the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday night, the final score would conjure thoughts that the game was a defensive struggle filled with big hits, frustration-borne tussles and solid goaltending.

But those who did witness the match were treated to a turnover-filled track meet that saw both teams in constant transition, chasing each other up and down the ice sheet and leading to many potential quality scoring chances...

Halak against the Coyotes

..."Potential" being the operative word, as breakaways out of the neutral zone were thwarted by terrific back-checking on both sides and both defenses pinning their opponents to the side boards - the only tally a pirouetting backhander from Brad Marchand late in the first period that Bruins' goalie Jaroslav Halak made stand up as Boston stole a 1-0 victory from the Coyotes at Gila River Arena.

Halak was sensational in his 2019 season debut, stopping all 35 of the Coyotes' shots on goal, while Arizona stopper Darcy Keumper matched Halak's performance stop-for-stop, his only gaffe coming on Marchand's ballet-worthy goal with just over a minute remaining in the opening stanza - and that was more of a terrific effort from the Bruins' top line than any error on Kuemper's part.

The Bruins' top line enjoyed their best performance in several months going back to the Stanley Cup finals in June when they disappeared against the eventual champions St. Louis Blues, and were also a no-show against the Dallas Stars in Thursday night's season opener. But Bergeron, Pasternak and Marchand were fully engaged in this contest from the first shift on.

As was the case all evening, the Coyotes had control of the middle of the ice, forcing the action to the wings where, with time running down in the first period, Patrice Bergeron and David Pasternak were engaged in a four-man scrum along the low boards to the right of Keumper - when Bergeron somehow emerged from the pack with the puck.

Pasternak disengaged from the scrum and floated into the left circle, drawing the Arizona defensemen to his position, who were unaware of Marchand sneaking in behind them. Bergeron fired a pass which Pasternak let slide past him directly to the wide open Marchand, who twirled and fired his backhanded gem that beat Keumper low.

A designed play off the dashers, Pasternak sold the illusion by faking a shot as the puck slid past him, drawing the scrambling Coyotes' defensemen to play the fake, opening a shooting lane for Marchand and causing Keumper to flinch for a split-second - and that was all the room Marchand needed to pot his first goal of the young season.

Once again, defenseman Charlie McAvoy led the Bruins in minutes on ice with 22:28, centerman Charlie Coyle leading the forwards with exactly twenty minutes on the sheet. The win elevated the Bruins' season record to a perfect 2-0-0, good for second place in the Atlantic Division behind Toronto, who sports a 2-0-1 record.

Boston now moves on to Las Vegas to take on the Golden Knights on Tuesday night, then travel to Colorado before returning home on Saturday to host the New Jersey Devils in the Bruins' home opener.

Rask, Bruins Top Speedy Stars In Season Opener

The familiar refrain from last season taught us that if the Boston Bruins got off to an early lead, chances were very good that they would prevail in the end - and while it was rarely easy, the sharp goaltending of Tuukka Rask made it seem that way...

...so it can be said with some certainty that the Bruins have picked up right where they left off in their 2019-2020 season opener, newbie Brett Ritchie and Danton Heinen potting early goals and Rask making it hold up as Boston ruined the Dallas Stars' home opener with a 2-1 victory on Thursday night.

Ritchie being congratulated on his first goal as a Bruin

The Bruins jumped out on the Stars like a Jack-in-the-box, hustling to keep the puck in their offensive zone to counter the speed skating of the Stars to take a two goal lead, then Rask stopped 28 of 29 Dallas offerings, his only miscue zigging while Dallas forward Roppe Hintz zagged on a second period breakaway that turned out to be the game's final score.

The book on Dallas net minder Ben Bishop was apparently to attack his stick side from the left wing, and that's where both Boston goals arrived on net from.

Ritchie, who played for the Stars last season, took advantage of a Charlie Coyle diving blue line theft, taking control of the loose puck along the left wing dashers and smoking a wrister past Bishop just over one minute into the match to give the Bruins a quick lead...

...then Heinen blew one by Bishop four minutes later on the Bruins' first man-advantage of the season, the second-line power play forward snapping a wrister from the left circle - Coyle again figuring in the play as he set a perfect screen in front of the besieged Bishop, who never saw the puck until it found the back of the net, both Boston scores coming from identical angles, low and to the stick side of Bishop.

Dallas finally found their legs midway through the first period, at times skating circles around the Bruins' defense and putting plenty of pressure on Rask as his defensemen struggled with the speed and sharp passing of the Stars' forwards, and it seemed to be just a matter of time before that speed and precision paid off.

Sure enough, midway through the second period, Hintz took control of a wobbler in the neutral zone and blew past two Bruins' defenders like they were standing still, easily beating Rask with a left-to-right dangle in the crease to cut Boston's lead in half.

But Rask made the lead hold up the rest of the way, his Bruins attacking the blue line to counter the Stars' speed game and forcing them to set up a clunky looking cycle, the defensemen clearing out traffic in front of the net to give the Finn a clear line of sight - the only threat coming from the high slot deep into the third period, which Rask stoned with a spectacular split save to preserve the victory.

The Bruins open the season playing four straight on the road, their next effort to come on Saturday night in Phoenix, a match with the Phil Kessel-led Coyotes on tap, then travelling to Las Vegas and Colorado before returning home to take on the New Jersey Devils in next Saturday's home opener.

There's nothing quite like springtime in Boston.

Hockey is cool.

What's not to like? Perhaps the best athletes on the planet hurtling around at about 30 miles per hour on razor sharp blades and toting the sporting equivalent of a battle axe, chasing around a disc made of vulcanized rubber and willing to hurt you to get it...

...unintentionally, of course, but it goes to figure that when you put human beings on ice skates and cover their bodies with compression padding to absorb blows, then arm them and give them 200 feet to build up a head of steam...well, you get football, lacrosse and roller derby

So cool is hockey that

The Boston Bruins limped through the last month of the NHL's 2017-18 season


power play 14:32 krug crosses at mid ice veres to his left and delivered a tape pass toa streaking marshand
marshand gathers in in the left circle, flew in from the wing and backhanded the puck while crossing the face of the tender

Bergeron hooking pnealty at 14:00

Bruins' Eriksson leaves early, Marchand and Orpik follow in ugly fracas

Boston Bruins' forward Loui Eriksson left the Bruins' game against the Pittsburgh Penguins just :21 in after taking a huge floor check from defenseman Brooks Orpik that pancaked Eriksson to the ice.

Eriksson was able to make it back to the bench on his own power during the stop in play when captain Zdeno Chara came to his defense, cross checking Orpik while trying to goad Orpik into fisticuffs, but seemed dazed as he sat, so the training staff escorted him to the locker room for evaluation.

Eriksson, who give up about 25 pounds to the rugged Orpik, was blindsided by the otherwise clean body shot.

With the score tied  at 1-1, and ugly fracas began when Pittsburgh forward James Neal thrust a knee into the head of Brad Marchand who was in a prone position on the ice.  Marchand spun on his knees and fell to his face, but before play could be stopped, a scrum started in the Pittsburgh zone...

Boston's Shawn Thornton skating into the scrum and, seeming to target Orpik, yanked the defensman to the ice and punched him in the head twice, knocking him cold.

Pittsburgh players immediately started waving frantically toward the medical staff who came onto the ice and called for the stretcher at once.

Thornton received a match penalty, and is most likely looking at a lengthy suspension.  More on the status of all players involved as word becomes available.

 http://www.sportsinjuryalert.com/2013/12/bruins-eriksson-leaves-early-marshand.html

Rask Grounds Bolts; Bruins Clinch Post-Season Berth

Two "U"'s, two "K"'s, two points.

Boston Bruins fans are used to hearing play-by-play man Jack Edwards bellow that accolade of Bruins' goaltender Tuukka Rask after a win in which the native finlander is in net - but on Tuesday night at TD Garden, the two points gained by Rask and the Bruins accomplished something that hadn't happened in three years.