Bruins hitting the wall
The Bruins have been here before, so it’s no surprise that they are once again mired in a slump (1-5-1). Despite being hard to beat on Garden ice, they now have lost two in a row at home. The month of December has not bode well for the locals, with a 3-6 record. Their loss on Tuesday to the Los Angeles Kings – currently a single point out of the bottom spot of the Western Conference, was somewhat ‘more of the same.’ Boston plays well enough to win, but somehow manage to let it get away near the end of the game. The problem with not finishing strong has led to either allowing the opposing team to either tie the game, or in some cases, blow a lead. Losing the one or two points in close games will, as it always does, affect them at some point (no pun intended).
With just two wins in nine overtime chances and shootouts, it is obvious that the extra time is not one of their strengths. Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy pointed out following Tuesday’s loss, “Listen, there’s 82 of these, I thought we certainly played well enough to win, We’re not very happy getting only one point tonight. In terms of how we played the game, the process part of it – there were better things than, say, two weeks ago.” The chances were there, even in overtime for the Bruins to earn the second point for the win, but the energized Kings, happy to have tied the game with the extra skater on the ice and just over two minutes left in regulation, they were able to put the winner behind Tuukka Rask. Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick was the difference, especially in overtime, stopping two Boston breakaways by Anders Bjork and Patrice Bergeron, before Anze Kopitar rushed up the ice and easily beat Rask. “You’re out there and you want to make those timely saves and tonight I didn’t make any.” – simply put by Rask who as usual, wasn’t making any excuses.
With six losses in their last seven games, the Bs need to stop the bleeding while on this four-game homestand. The road ahead is not an easy one as the homestand continues tonight (Thursday 7:00pm), with a visit from the New York Islanders who at press time are three points behind the second place Bruins in the Eastern Conference, while having played three fewer games. The Nashville Predators arrive Saturday (7:00pm) are knocking on the door of the playoff, and will certainly be a tough test. The final game of the homestand will be against the Washington Capitals whom the Bruins are chasing for the top spot in the Eastern Conference, and trail by four points.
Third Annual Festival of Trees
The Boston Bruins and Boston Bruins Foundation, for the third year, will be hosting the Festival of Trees fundraiser. Fans will have the opportunity to bid on and purchase raffle tickets for mini Christmas trees decorated by select Bruins players’ wives and girlfriends, with proceed to benefit the Foundation. These hand-decorated mini trees include a variety of items such as autographed memorabilia, gift certificate, and favorite items of Bruins players. The trees will be available to bid on online, at BostonBruins.com/FestivalOfTrees until tomorrow (Friday December 20th) at 2:00pm. The trees will be on display tonight (Thursday) at the Boston Bruins Foundation Table located at Loge 4 in the TD Garden concourse. These items are unable to be shipped and must be picked up from a future Bruins home game or from the Boston Bruins executive offices. Players participating in this fundraiser include David Backes, Patrice Bergeron, Brandon Carlo, Zdeno Chara, Connor Clifton, Charlie Coyle, Jaroslav Halak, Danton Heinen, David Krejci, Karson Kuhlman, Brad Marchand, Charlie McAvoy, Kevan Miller, John Moore and Brett Ritchie.
Boston Bruins to Host Casino Night
The Boston Bruins and the Boston Bruins Foundation announced the return of the Boston Bruins Casino Night, which will be held on February 13 at Encore Boston Harbor (1 Broadway, Everett, MA) from 6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Tickets for the event are $500 and are on sale at https://bbru.in/2OKlAJp. Group tickets are available through sponsorship opportunities. If interested in sponsoring, please contact [email protected]. Fans will have the opportunity play casino games (no cash value) alongside Bruins players and alumni. Ticket costs include chips for casino games, but do not hold any cash value. The event will include both a silent and a live auction including event tickets, gift certificates and more. Please note all attendees must be 21 years of age or older to attend. Cocktail attire is required for this event.