Bruins Lose in Calgary: Second Period Disaster

The Boston Bruins went into Calgary last night trying to run the table in the Northwest, having beaten both Edmonton and Vancouver this week. They were now looking to take down the Calgary Flames.

Tim Thomas got the call for the third game in a row.  A hard-fought first period, during which Patrice Bergeron found the back of the net on a quick snap shot from the high slot, put the Bruins in front, 1-0. 

In the second, the Bruins just fell apart.  After 152 minutes and 14 seconds of shutout hockey, Thomas gave up a goal to Dion Phaneuf.  It was all Calgary needed in the second, outshooting the Bruins 20-9.

The Bruins scrambled during the second and it cost them.  Five penalties put them in defensive mode for the whole period.  Thomas was terrific again, saving almost everything that came at him.  However, at the 18:37 mark, Mike Camalleri scored on a solid slap shot that got by Thomas. 

In the third, Calgary's Dustin Boyd scored his first goal of the season to make it 3-1.  Boston's Blake Wheeler received a sweetheart of a backhand pass from Milan Lucic to bring the game to 3-2, but the Bruins couldn't do much from there.

It was a good road trip that gave the Bruins four out of six points and a sense of what it takes to win every night in the NHL. 

The Bruins also may have put to rest the goalie issue of who is going to be the clear No. 1.  Thomas is the hottest goaltender in the league and he deserves to carry the load for the next handful of games.  The confidence the players have with him in net will make them a solid team to play against night in and night out.

Now that the Bruins are done with October when they played 11 games, eight of which were on the road (5-3-3), they will come home to play the Dallas Stars on Saturday evening at the Garden.

Look for the Bruins to come out firing in front of their home crowd and against a very tough Dallas Stars team.