Loss To Canadiens Drops Bruins To Last Place In Eastern Conference

I promise in this post or in subsequent Bruins posts this season to avoid referring to a Stanley Cup hangover or general malaise.

With that out of the way, can we all agree that Boston's (3-6-0) forgettable start to the 2011-12 season has gone from unfortunate to disaster in less than ten games? Montreal's (3-5-2) first trip to TD Garden didn't serve as much more than another punch in the gut as the Canadiens came away with a 2-1 win tonight.

Somehow a team that played last night and on Monday looked fresher and more energized than one that hadn't played a game since Saturday night. Weird right?

The biggest issue by far right now for the B's is goal scoring (sound familiar?). Yes, Habs goaltender Carey Price (29 saves) can sometimes make cameo appearances as a top NHL goalie but this evening, the Bruins made him look like Patrick Roy in his prime. Next thing you know, Boston head coach Claude Julien will be introducing him for Price's Hockey Hall of Fame induction.

Boston had plenty of chances but they can't seem to do basic goal scoring things like putting a puck over a goalie's pads on the ice or shooting blocker side rather than glove side.

Two ugly streaks were nipped in the bud by the B's in the first period. Patrice Bergeron's (2nd of the season) power play goal at 14:05 served as the first time in seven contests that Boston scored first. I don't know the number (I'm assuming it was bad) but a power play strike for them is always huge and extremely unlikely.

Speaking of unlikely, the goal was a complete gift as Bergeron lost the face-off in Montreal's zone but it was hit right back at Price who wasn't ready for it (even though it wasn't coming too fast at all). The rare hockey own goal.

Montreal's Erik Cole-their key free agent signing over the summer-tied it at 10:27 in the second period with his second of the season. He tipped Jaroslav Spacek's pass with David Desharnais getting the second helper. Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas (33 saves) was great for most of the game and as is usually the case when he gives one up, it wasn't his fault.

The juicy subplot of the second period was Habs defenseman P.K. Subban and Bruins agitator Brad Marchand going off for matching holding penalties then matching delaying the game penalties. The third time proved to be the charm as they finally dropped the gloves and treated the fans to an entertaining (albeit crappy) fight.

B's defenseman Adam McQuaid returned to action tonight and while he played well in the first period, his mistake in the third period basically cost Boston two points. His pass for Bergeron was behind him in Boston's zone which led to a Montreal rush. Tomas Plekanec's (3rd of the season) first shot was blocked by McQuaid but he couldn't stop the second and neither could Thomas. Brian Gionta and Josh Gorges assisted on the game-winner at 10:46.

The teams will travel North of the border tomorrow for Saturday night's return bout in Montreal. Boston absolutely needs to win that one in any way possible after tonight's disappointment.

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Hurricanes Pick Up Their First Win Of Season, At The Bruins' Expense

It is less than a week into the 2011-12 NHL season so pardon me if I can't quite work up a lather yet about the Boston Bruins' lame beginning.

The defending Stanley Cup champs have gotten off to a slow start; their first road game of the season was tonight at the RBC Center in Raleigh Center and the host Hurricanes (1-2-1) picked up their first win with a 3-2 triumph over the B's (1-3-0).

With seven goals in four games, it's clear that putting the puck in the net has been Boston's biggest issue so far. Let's not forget that the power play is still a hot mess, off to a rousing 1 for 18 start (picking up where they left off in the playoffs).

David Krejci missed the game with a midsection injury so Tyler Seguin got the bump up to center on the first line with Milan Lucic and Nathan Horton flanking him. Boston still needs Krejci but for one game at least, Seguin (1 goal, 4 shots, 7 of 9 on face-offs) was a more than suitable replacement.

B's goaltender Tim Thomas (1-2-0) got his third start and yet again, it wasn't his fault that his team failed to get two points. He made 31 saves but was the victim of some bad luck and a shaky defense in front of him.

Hurricanes goaltender Cam Ward (26 saves) showed why he's one of the more underrated guys at his position with a strong showing.

After a scoreless first period, Carolina opened the scoring 42 seconds into the second frame with a power-play strike from defenseman Joni Pitkanen (1st of the season). Former Bruins great Tomas Kaberle and Jussi Jokinen assisted on the goal. Pitkanen was by the face-off dot and he took forever to fake a shot twenty times before finally unleashing a low one that found its way past Thomas. It appeared like Erik Staal screened Thomas on the play, regardless he should not have been able to park there so easily.

Boston bumbled through three straight scoreless power play chances and predictably, they didn't get a call the rest of the night (the B's had the last three penalties).

When Carolina's Anthony Stewart (1st of the season) scored 3:42 into the third (from Tim Brent and Tim Gleason) on a shot that trickled past Thomas at the post, I was firing off an angry Tweet but Seguin interrupted my venom with a sick top-shelf wrist shot just 25 seconds later. It was his first of many this season, from Horton and Adam McQuaid. It was a juicy glimpse of what Seguin can do when he has room to shoot.

Something called Jiri Tlusty (1st of the season) iced it with his game-winner at 13:32 from Brandon Sutter and Patrick Dwyer. He was unmarked in the slot and made Thomas and Co. pay for that.

Boston was about to go on another ill-fated power play but Patrice Bergeron hit Brad Marchand with a nice cross-ice feed for a one-timer and the Bruins' second goal (Marchmont's second of the season). Former Hurricane Joe Corvo had the second assist at 16:35.

I'm not going to say time ran out on the Bruins since it never really felt like they'd ever tie it before regulation ended.

McQuaid ran head first into the boards (how many times has he done that in the last year?) in the third and didn't return. Don't be surprised to see him held out of the next game with Matt Bartkowski getting another shot after being a healthy scratch for the last three contests.

It won't get any easier as the B's will remain on the road the next few days before meeting the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday night. After failing to really show up against two subpar teams (Carolina and Colorado), expect Boston to at least make a game of it in Theo Epstein's new home.

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