Claude Julien

Bruins’ Successful Homestand Gets Them Back on Track

Maybe it was just what the Bruins needed: five games at home to find their collective energy and accumulate some movement in the standings.

After their first lengthy home-stand of the season, the Bruins leave the TD Garden on Thursday night collecting nine of ten possible points, capped off with a 3-2 overtime win against the Columbus Blue Jackets. For a team that was a bit inconsistent to start the season, it was a step in the right direction even if the full-60 minute effort still isn’t there.

Bruins Team-First Philosophy is Key to Success

Before the Florida Panthers and the Boston Bruins could drop the puck on Thursday’s game, Claude Julien’s simple answer to a question about a former teammate set the tone for the entire night.

“They’d be right,” said Julien, when asked if the Bruins don’t win a Stanley Cup without Tim Thomas. He went on a bit further.

“Tim Thomas doesn’t win the Stanley Cup, if our team doesn’t play as well as they did in front of him,” finished the Bruins’ head coach. “So, this is an honest statement: Tim played well but I think our team played just as well in front of him.”

Forget what he said about Thomas. Julien set the tone by stressing the importance of playing as a team, in order to be successful. It was a common theme that came full circle. The Bruins needed to go back to the basics and play their game in order to win. After a bumpy first period, it’s exactly what they did.

Game of Seconds Redux: Devils Burn Bruins Late

With about 100 seconds left in Saturday’s game, the Boston Bruins were clinging onto a one-goal lead against the one-win New Jersey Devils. After a double-minor high sticking call against Torey Krug, followed by a delay of game penalty on Patrice Bergeron, the Bruins would be outnumbered by two. Exit Martin Brodeur, approximately 39 minutes later than everyone would have guessed after allowing three goals on eight shots in the first period, enter the extra attacker for the Devils, who were already two for three on the power play, and you’d double the amount of New Jersey skaters on the ice against Boston’s.

It only took 23 seconds for the Devils to score twice on the power play to take the lead and the eventual 4-3 win.

Game of seconds, right?