6 Games Remaining: Bolts Grounded by Bruins, Chara Honoured

The Boston Bruins were back home at the Garden after winning two of the three games on their West Coast swing, and greeted the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Bruins had to get their internal clocks back in the Eastern Timezone after taking on all three California teams.

The Bolts just finished a win in Philadelphia against the Flyers, so this would be a wash in terms of which team would have the advantage.

When these two last met, Tampa Bay had a field day with the Bruins, having bounced the B's 6-1 in Tampa Bay.

The season series was won by the Bolts as the Bruins won their first game, but Tampa Bay won the next two.  Tampa was looking to win the season series while the B's were looking to knot it up.

Just before the game, the Bruins honoured their captain Zdeno Chara for achieving his 1000th game, in Los Angeles.  Big Z was presented with a crystal award by the HHOF, a certificate from his teammates for a vacation stay anywhere in the world, a replica silver stick and a painting of him.

First Frame

Martin St Louis whipped a backhand from just inside the Tampa Bay zone to a streaking Steven Stamkos, who wristed a shot from the left faceoff circle and beat Tim Thomas post and in to open the scoring of the game.  1-0 Bolts.

Almost six minutes later, Chara weaved around some Bolts and got to the net.  He tried to stuff it in the net as he was passing from Dwayne Roloson's left to right, but Roloson's right pad stopped it.  Shawn Thornton was right at the doorstep to make it count, knotting the game up at one after one.

The Bruins had a few chances that could have given them the lead, but Tampa Bay was able to get by the period with a tie game.

Shots on goal in favor of the Bruins 15-6.

Second Frame

The middle frame was full of grind-it-out hockey.  The Bruins had more chances than the Bolts, but the Bolts' chances were not too shabby either.  With the conditioning of these players, it would be hard to say who could last longer with this style of play.

Chara ripped a shot from the slot and it bounced off Roloson only to drop right in Seidenburg's wheelhouse.  Seidenburg wristed it just over Roloson's right pad and under his stick to give the Bruins their first lead of the night.  2-1 Bruins.

After two periods, the Bruins amassed 23 shots on the net and nearly equaled that number in hits with 22.

Final Frame

Stamkos tied up the game on a power play goal.  Victor Hedman passed to his left, right to Stamkos, who was all alone and got all of it to blow it by Thomas' right side.  Two all.

Brian Rolston tried the wrap around as the Bruins were applying pressure and it squirted out to Benoit Pouliot, who popped it in the open net as Roloson was impeded by Chris Kelly when he was trying to get back into the net.  There was a scrum between Kelly and Eric Brewer, and immediately after that, Brett Clark began bumping Kelly, which is right when Roloson tried to get back in the net, and just as the puck went in.  

The referees conferenced and deemed it a good goal.  3-2 Bruins.

Shortly after, Thomas got a little puck luck as a shot went off the right post, off Thomas and about to roll in, but he plopped the glove on it before it could cross the goal line.

Patrice Bergeron gained the Bolts' zone and was fighting off two Lightning defenders.  He quickly backhanded it back to Brad Marchand who used Bergeron and the Bolts' defenders as a screen to make it count.  The Bruins lead is extended to 4-2 with 4:10 left to play.

Tampa Bay could not apply the pressure, but the Bruins maintained the fore checking and they could not get it done. Rich Peverley buried the empty netter to ice the game 5-2 with seven seconds left of regulation.

The Bruins win their first three-game win streak since December 19-28 of last year.  They regained their five-point lead on the Ottawa Senators in the Northeast Division.

Chara got three points on three helpers on the night.

Stamkos' two goals put his total goal count at 55 with six games left.  It's not that far-fetched that Stamkos will reach the 60-goal plateau.

This is Cory Ducey saying "Hit Hard, But Keep It Clean."