David Krejci

Bruins Team-First Philosophy is Key to Success

Before the Florida Panthers and the Boston Bruins could drop the puck on Thursday’s game, Claude Julien’s simple answer to a question about a former teammate set the tone for the entire night.

“They’d be right,” said Julien, when asked if the Bruins don’t win a Stanley Cup without Tim Thomas. He went on a bit further.

“Tim Thomas doesn’t win the Stanley Cup, if our team doesn’t play as well as they did in front of him,” finished the Bruins’ head coach. “So, this is an honest statement: Tim played well but I think our team played just as well in front of him.”

Forget what he said about Thomas. Julien set the tone by stressing the importance of playing as a team, in order to be successful. It was a common theme that came full circle. The Bruins needed to go back to the basics and play their game in order to win. After a bumpy first period, it’s exactly what they did.

Rask Continues Stellar Play in Bruins Win Over Sharks

Before the puck even dropped, one could imagine what the Boston Bruins and San Jose Sharks would look like on the ice based on what they did the night before. You’d probably guess that the Bruins would seem lifeless after coming off of a 5-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres, while the San Jose Sharks would appear well-rested after having the night off in Boston, preparing for their game against last season’s Eastern Conference Champions.

You’d guess right.

After the Sharks outshot the Bruins 16-3 in the first period, it became painfully obvious which team was more prepared. For 59:59.52 of the hockey game, the Sharks had the upper-hand, even after Jarome Iginla opened up the scoring with his first goal as a Bruin late in the second period.

Hockey games are 60 minutes long for a reason.

Lucic and Landeskog Steal Attention from Avalanche Win Over Bruins

What happens when Milan Lucic wants to fight Gabriel Landeskog?

It’s a weird question, right? Take a talented, young captain of an Avalanche team who is on the verge of winning their fourth-straight game to start the season under new coach Patrick Roy, and pair him with the Bruins’ top-line winger who is no stranger to mixing it up with opponents.

So, who wins? Nobody, really.