So I started writing a blog about last night's Bruins game and just found myself struggling like the Bruins did when the puck was loose in front of the net. Did Jimmy Howard do a great job keeping the puck out of the net, or did the Bruins have trouble putting the puck into the net? Did Tuukka lay an egg or did the Red Wings capitalize on their opportunities?
The short version is that both Howard and the Bruins did a good job of keep the puck out of Detroit's net. Howard did his job by making some saves and staying in position throughout the game. The Bruins helped him out some by never really getting their sticks on the puck when there were scrambles in front of the net. At one point the puck was behind Howard and heading into the net when a Bruin player (I can't remember who) put his stick on it intending to guarantee a goal. Instead of going into the net, the puck scooted out the other side of the crease.
When it comes to Rask's game last night, it wasn't flawless by any means. I would be lying if I said Tuukka had a great game in net. Strange as it seems, Tuukka's off night did not have any effect on the outcome of the game. Rask's biggest WTF moment of the game came when he almost cleared a puck into his own net. Since the puck didn't go into the net and the defense recovered, this woops didn't really matter a whole lot.
Looking back at the goals that the Red Wings scored, I can't really fault Rask a whole lot. Goal one was an awesome shot by Tomas Tatar. He pretty much had a lane to the net about the size of the puck and managed to launch the puck straight into the top corner of the net. The second goal came after everyone but the referee and Tomas Jurco lost sight of the puck in front of the net. Then the game-winner was a direct result of the Bruins getting caught in a line change.
Overall, the Bruins lost to the Red Wings because they did not capitalize on opportunities when the Red Wings did. While I don't think it resulted from a lack of effort from the Bruins, it may have been the little extra effort the Red Wings expended in order to keep their playoff streak alive. Although the playoffs have not technically started, that was some playoff hockey in Detroit last night complete with an octopus sacrifice.
Looking back at the goals that the Red Wings scored, I can't really fault Rask a whole lot. Goal one was an awesome shot by Tomas Tatar. He pretty much had a lane to the net about the size of the puck and managed to launch the puck straight into the top corner of the net. The second goal came after everyone but the referee and Tomas Jurco lost sight of the puck in front of the net. Then the game-winner was a direct result of the Bruins getting caught in a line change.
Overall, the Bruins lost to the Red Wings because they did not capitalize on opportunities when the Red Wings did. While I don't think it resulted from a lack of effort from the Bruins, it may have been the little extra effort the Red Wings expended in order to keep their playoff streak alive. Although the playoffs have not technically started, that was some playoff hockey in Detroit last night complete with an octopus sacrifice.
RSS Feed
