| 02 November 2011
The Bruins got back on the right foot last night by knocking off the division rival Ottawa Senators. While the game didnt take the initial turn they hoped for, the B's were persistent tonight and left with the 5 - 3 victory after Patrice Bergeron and Chris Kelly tied and took the lead for them respectively. The third period found the Bruins pushing away with Johnny Boychuk scoring the game winner and then Daniel Paille netting the insurance goal just get a minute apart.
The game from the Ottawa side was a rather Hockey East showcase with UNH alum Bobby Butler notching an assist on the first goal of the night and Merrimack alum Matt Da Costa netting the second goal of the game. The third period would also give former first round pick Jared Cowen his first goal of the season as his point shot had eyes for the back of the net and snuck by a screened Tim Thomas. Cowen showed an overall strong game for the Sens and is most likely the future core of this young club.
Last night's win appeared to be the product of continual pressure and mounting chances. While Craig Anderson played well, the 40 shots by the Bruins along with their grinding play and net front presence eventually created the cracks needed to win. Ottawa ended the night worn out and the earl lead they acquired they were never able to recapture. In the future though don't expect Boston or other teams to be as lucky. As this Ottawa team develops and matures they will get better in late game scenarios and have the stamina to leave with the win.
Even with the win tonight the Bruins still have a number of questions to answer. The effort to win last night came with a roller coaster of emotions driven by fights from Shawn Thornton and Greg Campbell. 40 shots were needed to get enough points on the board to overcome an Ottawa team that seemed to fall into chances at times. Are the Bruins out of the woods? Not exactly. There's a chance but there's still a lot of work to be done. With that, here are our 5 questions for this Wednesday morning:
1. David Krejci played a faster game last night and seemed more comfortable on his skates as well as while playing a north-south game once more. Even so, is he capable of being a #1 center on this team? Can he remain healthy enough and consistent enough to make his line a threat night in, night out?
2. One of our biggest concerns with the team at this point is the lack of internal competition that has been extracted due to the team deciding not to carrying prospects through the first 9 games and by guaranteeing roster spots to certain guys early on. Are the changes that Julien has made so that Lucic-Krejci-Horton are back together and fighting to be the top line with Marchand-Bergeron-Lucic and the third line of Caron-Kelly-Peverley fighting for ice time enough to make guys hungry and motivated?
3. If a trade is deemed necessary to make this team successful, is there someone more likely on the block than David Krejci? Would trading Paille, picks or making a free agent signing be enough of a shake up to make this team move forward?
4. At what point do the defensive holes in Corvo's game lead to heat being placed on the off season blue line addition? For even money would you still prefer Kaberle here or Corvo?
5. While many thought that Chris Kelly's skill set would be redundant in this roster with similar players offering the same capabilities for a lower hit, his play to this point has been one of the few high points of this Bruin's season. With Peverley already resigned and a number of kids hoping to make the jump next season, would you be willing to offer a new contract to Kelly at this point based on his performance or is it going to be time soon enough to make room and move on?
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