Kings 4, Bruins 3 (SO)

Well, that went well. Just a few stray observations as I finish my breakfast and pour over highlights of the game to refresh my memory:

I thought this was going to be a big test game, and I was right. The Kings are a good, young team, and not one to be taken lightly just because they're from California. The Bruins are not up to snuff with the class of the West, and it'll take some adjustments for them to get to the point where I feel like they could beat any Western Conference team in the playoffs.

MAN, it's good to have Krejci back. I didn't even know that he was possibly going to play tonight, so that was a welcome surprise. Even though the power play got blanked, they had legit chances and looked good cycling the puck, something they had not done well in his absence. If only they weren't hitting so many posts...

After going down, 3-0, the Bruins man the hell up. Thomas looked soft on the first goal, but I'm not going to blame him entirely (see earlier comment about Kings being a good team). For the second time this season, the Bruins fall down 3-0, and mount a comeback to tie the game and send it to overtime. This is very, very good, as it shows resilience when down early, and it makes me thing that (unlike the team last year), no deficit is too large for them to overcome. of course, that only led to...

The Shootout. I have to say, I'm getting a bit weary of having to end games this way. Not only has the novelty worn off, but the Bruins deserved better they way they were playing. Thomas is a fantastic goaltender, but his flip-floppy, keep-the-puck-out-at-all-costs style does not translate well to the shootout. I suppose the loser point is nice to get (though the Canadiens won AGAIN), but both times the Bruins have battled back from 3-0 down, they've seen their chances evaporate once the overtime period ends. I guess it's just sour grapes, though, since if they'd won the shootouts, I'd be harping on how awesome I think it is. Anyway.

So, yeah. The Bruins head to Tampa to take on the slumping but scary Lightning, who have re-invented themselves with Steve Yzerman as their GM and Simon Gagne arriving for a bag of used pucks. Also, as my brother and his fantasy hockey team can attest, Steven Stamkos might just be the best player in the NHL. So, they'll have their hands full down South. But a point's a point, and the B's remain at least in striking distance of the Habs, and Krejci's back. So, all in all, a good night, if not a great one.

-M