The Boston Bruins: The Road Trip is Almost Over

After snapping a four-game losing-streak on Tuesday night, the Boston Bruins are having a little “fun in the sun,” as well as some well-needed R&R, while they wrap up an exhausting road trip this weekend in Florida.

The Black and Gold seemed to have gotten their groove back with a 5-1 win over the Eastern Conference rivals, Carolina Hurricanes, on Glen Wesley night.

Bruins head coach Claude Julien shuffled the lines up a bit in hopes to generate a little spark with the team. Blake Wheeler was moved to the first line with Marc Savard and Milan Lucic, while Phil Kessel was dropped down to the second with new line-mates David Krejci, and Vladimir Sobotka.

The result was more than just a win for the Bruins. We got a glimpse of a Bruins team with a lot more energy, much more grit—with 30 hits—and a team that finally looked like the offensive threat that they can be while peppering Carolina goaltender Cam Ward with 34 shots on goal.

Although the Bruins hadn’t had a fighting major in their last seven games, Zdeno Chara made his presence known with a roughing penalty late in the first period. He sent a message to the Hurricanes that the Bruins refused to be pushed-over in anyway that night. By pinning Carolina’s forward Chad Larose against the boards, in retaliation to an open-ice hit on PJ Axelsson earlier in the period. I’m sure there were a few four-letter-words exchanged during the tussle, as well.

Tim “The Rock” Thomas was sensational as usual, stopping 31 of 32 shots, including a 21-shot clinic in the second period. An obvious front-runner this season for the Vezina Trophy, as the best goaltender in the league, Thomas really needs to be considered as a candidate for the Hart Memorial Trophy as the MVP of the league. No goalie has won this award since Dominik Hasek, where he won the award in back-to-back season with the Buffalo Sabres in 1997-98.

Hasek 1998: 33 wins, 23 losses. 147 GA. 2,149 Saves. 13 SO. 2.09 GAA .932 SV%

Thomas 2008-09: 25 Wins, 7 Losses. 78 GA. 1,140 Saves. 3 SO. 2.09 GAA. .932 SV%

Prior to the victory over Carolina, the Bruins were just 4-2-3 in their last nine games, while scoring only four power play goals in their last 47 attempts during that span. That anemic streak finally ended on Tuesday, as the Bruins notched two power play goals and two short hand goals (one empty-net-goal) en route to a new winning-streak.

Saturday night, the Bruins face the Florida Panthers at the BankAtlantic Center. The Panthers are 6-2 this month and are clinging on to that No. 7 spot in the East, tied with the Buffalo Sabres with 66 points. The Bruins are 2-0 this season against Florida, and have out-scored the Panthers 6-2 during those meets.

After the game, the Bruins will make the 252 mile journey up to St. Pete Times Forum to take on the Tampa Bay Lightning, at 5 p.m. on Sunday. The 49 point Lightning are 0-2 versus the Bruins this year, while being out-scored 8-4 in those two contests back in December.

The schedule looks promising and the match-ups certainly point in the favor of the B’s. The day off yesterday with a round of golf at the Weston Hills Golf Course, and a deep sea fishing adventure in sunny Florida, would make it all worthwhile with four-points to cap off this road trip.

The Bruins will return to Boston and kickoff a six-game home stretch on Tuesday, against the Florida Panthers, again.