There was a dominant 3-0 win over the reigning Cup champs when Boston beat Chicago last Tuesday, only to be followed by a shootout loss to the lowly Leafs two nights later. The Bruins bounced back to clinch the Northeast Division title with a win over Atlanta on Saturday, only to blow a 3-0 lead in another epic collapse against the Rangers on Monday. That kind of inconsistency won't help the bruins go far in the playoffs.
So while the Bruins try to solve the issues that have caused such wild fluctuations in their play of late before heading into the postseason, here's a look at a half dozen items from the past week that may have otherwise slipped through the cracks in this week's edition of the Bruins Shootout.
1. Much has been made of how Claude Julien will rest some of his regulars down the stretch to have them ready for the playoffs. But that rest doesn't just come in the form of a complete night off with a trip to the press box. Julien hasn't also found ways to conserve his players within the game. The best example of that may be David Krejci's changing role. Krejci has long been a mainstay on the penalty kill, but Julien has kept him off that unit for the past month. Krejci has played just 63 seconds of shorthanded time in the last 13 games. His overall ice time hasn't changed much, but Julien has saved some wear and tear and helped maximize Krejci's offensive production by keeping him fresh for more shifts at even strength or on the power play. Krejci has responded with 3-8-11 totals over those last 13 games.
Julien has that luxury because of the addition of Chris Kelly and Rich Peverley and the return of Daniel Paille to the lineup. Those three, along with Patrice Bergeron, Greg Campbell, Brad Marchand and occasionally Mark Recchi, give the Bruins plenty of options up front on the PK even without Krejci. The penalty kill hasn't suffered without Krejci, as the Bruins have successfully killed 85.4 percent of opponents' power plays in the last 12 games, up slightly from their overall percentage of 82.7 percent this year. Paille, in particular, has delivered strong play in that role, collecting a huge shorthanded goal in Saturday's 3-2 win over Atlanta. Krejci, meanwhile, is now free to take the first shift after a penalty kill with linemates Milan Lucic and Nathan Horton and help the Bruins immediately go back on the attack. That's just one of the hidden values of dressing Paille, who has raised his play of late to earn a spot in the lineup after struggling much of the season.
2. Paille is also filling an important role off the ice these days. He has taken over as the team's player rep for the NHL Players' Association. With Donald Fehr taking over as the NHLPA's new executive director this year and the CBA set to expire after next season, keeping the rank and file informed about labor issues is an important task. Paille took over after Mark Stuart was traded to Atlanta in late February. There isn't necessarily a lot of job security in the role, as union reps in this organization seem to be on the move frequently. In addition to Stuart, this year's original assistant was dealt away when Matt Hunwick was traded to Colorado. Hunwick stepped into that role this season after previous assistant Dennis Wideman was traded to Florida.
3. Marchand continues to learn how to walk the fine line between effective trash talking and crossing lines of decorum that shouldn't be crossed even in the haven for profanity that is professional hockey. His latest teachable moment came in Thursday's shootout loss to Toronto, when he responded to some jawing from the Leafs bench by making a golf swing gesture to the Toronto players, indicating what they'll soon be doing while the Bruins and 15 other teams head to the playoffs. Marchand took a lot of heat for that move, including getting an "earful" being periods from Julien.
But the only problem I had with it was the timing. The Bruins were only up by a goal and the Leafs proved they had the ultimate comeback when they rallied to win in the shootout. Giving Toronto any extra incentive is the only issue I'd have with Marchand's taunt. Otherwise, making fun of an opponent's lack of on-ice success is exactly what trash-talking should be all about. This isn't the classless comments made by the Blackhawks toward an injured Shawn Thornton after being cut by a skate or even Recchi's comments about the Canadiens' perceived embellishing of Max Pacioretty's injuries. That may have been well-intentioned to take some heat off Zdeno Chara heading into the rematch, but certainly entered a questionable area in casting doubt on the seriousness of an injury. But Marchand breaking out his "clubs" mid-game against the Leafs? There should be nothing wrong with adding that kind of color to the game, other than the fact that Marchand failed to back it up by helping the Bruins actually hold on for the win that night.
4. Marchand took home the 7th Player Award on Saturday, and unlike his antics against Toronto, there was no controversy about that choice. After all, Marchand went from a player who failed to score a goal in 20 games with the big club last year and didn't even have a guaranteed spot on the roster coming into camp to a 21-goal scorer, key penalty killer and effective agitator. Still, there were plenty of other worthy candidates who could have easily taken home the trophy in another season. Tim Thomas has won it twice already, but could have earned a third with his return to Vezina form after losing his starting spot a year ago. Adam McQuaid went from healthy scratch early in the year to becoming a physical force on the blue line capable of contributing at both ends of the ice. Greg Campbell was viewed as a throw-in to the Horton deal, but hit double digits in both goals and fights and has been Boston's best fourth-line center in years. And while his offense trailed off in the second half of the season, Thornton still set career-highs with nine goals and 18 points without abandoning his duties as the club's primary pugilist. Successful teams need their stars to play like stars, but the difference in truly special teams is often the unsung heroes that emerge from unexpected sources, and this Bruins team has plenty of players who fit that bill.
5. With the college and junior seasons wrapping up ahead of the pro leagues, this time of year is always marked by an influx of new players to the professional ranks. This season is no different, with the Bruins getting a few of their top prospects a first taste of pro hockey down in Providence. Defensemen David Warsofsky and Ryan Button have already made their debuts, with former Boston University star Warsofsky collecting two assists in seven games with the P-Bruins and WHL grad Button logging four games so far. They could soon be joined by two of the organization's top forward prospects, as both Ryan Spooner and Jared Knight's junior teams have been eliminated from the OHL playoffs. Spooner's Kingston squad was eliminated by Oshawa on Friday, but not before Spooner had 4-2-6 totals in five games after a 35-46-81 campaign in 64 regular-season games. Knight's London team was eliminated Sunday by Owen Sound, with Knight also posting 4-2-6 totals in six games after 25-45-70 totals in 68 games in the regular season. Last year, Providence added Joe Colborne, Max Sauve and Steven Kampfer for their final games, and that taste of pro hockey helped prepare Kampfer for the leap he made to the NHL this season.
6. Mark Stuart and Blake Wheeler returned to Boston for the first time since being traded to Atlanta when the Thrashers came to town on Saturday. Wheeler's reception was a bit mixed, but Stuart received a mostly warm greeting. That may have made things a bit awkward when he laid out Tomas Kaberle with a perfectly clean but devastating hit at the blue line in front of the Bruins' bench. It was an interesting collision between the Bruins' newest blueliner and one of the guys Boston traded away to create cap space for Kaberle. Horton immediately grabbed Stuart and appeared ready to instigate a fight over the hit, but let go once he recognized it was Stuart, showing a little respect both for a former teammate and for the fact that it was a clean hit that didn't warrant such a response.
Later in the game, Stuart and Marchand came together in front of the Atlanta net, exchanging a few shots and choice words in a far less friendly and respectful manner. "I gave him a little shot there just to say hello," Marchand explained after the game.
Stuart's response?
"He wasn't saying hello," Marchand said with a smile. "I think he wanted to kill me."
