Now That's Better...Sort Of...

Ever since my first go-round at collecting hockey cards back in the late 80s, I've always wanted to be one of those lucky fans who makes it onto a card. This will probably never happen, but on Saturday I got as close as I've come so far. I was lucky enough to score some prime seats (first row!) to the matinee game between the Boston Bruins and the New York Islanders. While it wasn't the most exciting game ever, it was a great experience being able to sit so close to the action, and the Bruins got the victory for a valuable 2 points. Best of all, when Marc Savard scored what ended up being the game winning goal, the team gathered to celebrate right in front of us:

I'm the guy in the hat, clapping, circled at the left of the shot, and next to me is my brother. The quality of the picture isn't that great as it's taken from my TV screen, but you get the picture. So, while I will likely never make it onto a hockey card, this photo is good enough for now! I must've been one of the first so many fans to show up, as I was given this Bruins St. Patrick's Day hat by an ice girl at the gate...

The Bruins have done alright since my last post, taking 2 out of 3 games, although they did drop a tough one to Pittsburgh yesterday, blowing a 3-2 lead heading into the 3rd period. The good news is that the young offensive players seem to be starting to pick it up again...

Phil Kessel has been on fire the last 3 games. He lit the lamp twice in Thursday night's win against the Ottawa Senators, I saw him notch his 30th goal of the year on Saturday against the Islanders (he added an assist on Savard's game winner), and he added another goal in yesterday's loss. David Krejci seems to be on the rebound as well, with assists in two of the last 3 games. Hopefully these young scorers can keep up the pace.

Sunday's loss against Pittsburgh was a tough one to swallow. The Bruins were able to shut down the league's leading scorer, Evgeni Malkin, however they were hurt badly by two of Pittsburgh's trade line acquisitions, Chris Kunitz and Bill Guerin. Kunitz undoubtedly endeared himself to Pittsburgh fans as he recorded a couple of goals and an assist. Veteran offensive star Bill Guerin (whom Bruins fans are all too familiar with) added a goal and an assist.

The good news for Bruins fans is that the team is getting a break in their schedule, and it couldn't come at a better time. They have just two games over the next two weeks. Hopefully Claude Julien will utilize this opportunity to provide some much needed rest to some of his big name and veteran players, most notably Zdeno Chara and goalie Tim Thomas. It seems as though the B's have decided that Tim will be their man between the pipes as the season winds down and the playoffs begin. He's been getting the majority of the action of late (in part due to Manny Fernandez' awful performance last time out.

What a great time of year to be a hockey fan!