A Pair of First-Career NHL Goals Lead Lightning Past 'Canes

Tyler Johnson scored his first NHL goal in a 4-1 win against Carolina Saturday night.

The Tampa Bay Lightning (12-15-1)  beat the Southeast Division rival Carolina Hurricanes (15-11-1) 4-1 in their most complete game in a while, snapping a five-game home losing streak at the Tampa Bay Times Forum on Saturday night. Prior to the win, Tampa Bay had only won two of their previous ten games.

Tyler Johnson (1st) and Ondrej Palat (1st) each tallied their first-career NHL goals in the 4-1 win against Carolina. The Lightning also got a breakaway goal from Nate Thompson (6th) and a third period goal from Teddy Purcell (5th), who put the game out of reach.

Lightning goaltender Mathieu Garon was solid throughout, stopping 21 of the 22 shots that he faced in the game for his third win of the season.

Just shy of 11 minutes into the first period, the Lightning were able to get on the board. Shortly after the Hurricanes killed off a minor penalty, Johnson (1st) found himself all alone in front of the net after a nice pass from fellow rookie Alex Killorn and sniped a wrist shot over the glove-hand of Justin Peters for his first NHL goal, giving the Lightning a 1-0 lead.

The Lightning played a solid first period, limiting Carolina’s scoring chances and making the most of their own. Tampa Bay held a 10-8 advantage in shots in the opening frame.

Tampa Bay upped their lead at 6:35 of the second period, when Johnson won a puck battle in the corner and passed the puck out to Sami Salo, who unleashed a rocket of a slap shot that deflected off of the skate of Palat (1st) and past Peters for his first career NHL goal as well, making it a 2-0 game. The Lightning had no intentions of stopping there. At 12:55, the Lightning increased their lead to 3-0 when B.J. Crombeen made a great neutral zone pass to Thompson (6th), who skated in on a breakaway and flipped a shot over the shoulder of Peters.

The Lightning didn’t give the Hurricanes a glimpse of hope in the third period, as Purcell (5th) backhanded a shot that beat Peters just under four minutes into the period, giving the Lightning a 4-0 lead. On the goal, Martin St. Louis notched his 30th assist of the season.

Carolina answered back with a goal less than three minutes later when Eric Staal released the only shot of the game that beat Garon, cutting the Carolina deficit to 4-1. After surrendering the goal, the Lightning played solid at both ends of the ice to secure their victory.

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Matt MetcalfCurrently covering all things that is the Tampa Bay Lightning for The Hockey Writers. Follow him on Twitter: @Matt_MetcalfTwitter

This article was originally published at: The Hockey Writers.

Going Green: The NHL and St. Patrick's Day

As the famous philosopher Kermit T. Frog once opined, “It’s not easy being green.”  That can be especially true if you’re an NHL team attempting to “go green” for St. Patrick’s Day.  For example, just this past fall, on a trip to the Reebok store I spotted a green and white New York Islanders hat.  It wasn’t quite on the level of the Gorton’s Fisherman guy but it was definitely different.

So what teams can and or have pulled off the “green look?”  We’ll find out if you can “Erin Go Bragh” about your team’s look or if you’re going to need a few more shots of Jameson’s to tolerate it.

Toronto St. Pats:

(Toronto St. Pats/Wikipedia)

Well that was an obvious enough choice to start with huh?  From 1919 to 1927, the St. Pats played in Toronto.  In that time they won the Stanley Cup in 1922.  Eventually they would become the present day Toronto Maple Leafs.  Their uniforms were green with white lettering and had the words “Toronto St. Pats” on the front.  When the Maple Leafs wore their uniforms a few years back, they also had brown helmets, gloves and pants.  Of course the original St. Pats didn’t wear helmets.  But really, how can one go wrong with a green sweater and a team named the St. Pats?

Anaheim Ducks:

When the Anaheim Ducks were known as “The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim,” they sported some jade green in their uniforms from 1993 to 2006.  Their uniforms also featured a predominant eggplant color as well.  Then of course there was the signature duck goalie mask with crossing hockey sticks.  After the team changed their name and uniform colors and logo, they won the Stanley Cup.  So I guess that change worked out for the best.

Boston Bruins:

(Bob DeChiara-US PRESSWIRE)

Between the Bruins, Boston Celtics and Boston Red Sox, it is practically a requirement to wear green on St. Patrick’s Day.  Mind you the Celtics already do.  While the black, gold and white is “Boston Bruins hockey,” I’m sure they get a pass from the Boston faithful for looking like their fellow Boston Garden tenants for one day.

Chicago Blackhawks:

Personally, I wouldn’t mess with the red, black and white of the classic Blackhawks uniform.  That being said, given the logo, the team could get away with the old North Dakota look I suppose.  Plus they do have a twinge of green in the feathers of the logo as well.

California Golden Seals/Oakland Seals/California Golden Seals:

From 1967 to 1976, the Seals skated in California.  Initially the club had a green jersey with blue trimming and a seal leaping out of a “C” on the crest.  Think Vancouver Canucks meets Hartford Whalers.  The team also had a uniform to match their baseball counterpart, the Oakland A’s.  It was a green and gold jersey with the word “Seals” across the front.

Minnesota North Stars/Dallas Stars:

Modano acknowledges fans in Minnesota after last game with the Dallas Stars (Image from Flickr).

Two cities, two predominant colors.  Green and gold.  Up in Minnesota it was the green sweater with yellow trimming, along with an “N” and a star.  In Dallas the franchise has used mostly the same color scheme, with a little more black added in.  Their uniforms have mostly had a green star with gold trimming and the words “Dallas” or “Dallas Stars” at the top of the crest.

Hartford Whalers:

From 1979 to 1992, the Whalers wore predominately green and white jerseys with some blue trimming.  They had either an all white “HW” crest or a green “W” with the “whale tail” colored blue at the top.  From 1992 to 1997, Hartford added a lot more blue to the uniform and added some gray trimming.

Minnesota Wild:

Zach Parise & Ryan Suter (Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports)

Much like the North Stars, the Wild have a lot of green in their uniforms.  Since their inception in 2000, the Wild have worn green uniforms with red and white.

New Jersey Devils:

While they don’t be wearing their throwbacks this year, from 1982 to 1992, the Devils had green trimming in their jerseys and and on their pants.  Some have a bit of a soft spot for the old Christmas colored duds but I think their current sweaters are classic.

Martin Brodeur in Retro Gear

New York Islanders:

From 1995 to 1998 the Isles had some aqua green trimming in their uniforms.  I think the wavy look was unique.  Nothing like an original though.

San Jose Sharks:

Since 1991 the Sharks have had one of the newer and more popular logos.  Going with a green-teal and black look with a shark snapping a hockey stick.  Brilliant design.

(Icon SMI)

Vancouver Canucks:

Cory Schneider (Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports)

From 1970 to 1978 the Canucks donned blue and white jerseys with green trimming.  After quite a few different looks along the way, since 2006 the Canucks have gone back to the original look.  Added to the hockey stick crest is the orca killer whale in the shape of a “C.”

 

 

 

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Michael GwizdalaMichael Gwizdala covers the New Jersey Devils for The Hockey Writers. Michael has also written for the Times Union and has been published on numerous outlets on the web. Additionally, Michael was once a Media Relations intern for the AHL Albany River Rats. Michael is also a graduate of The College of Saint Rose in Albany, NY.Twitter

This article was originally published at: The Hockey Writers.

Colorado Avalanche: Changing the Culture An Absolute Must

Joe Sacco (Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports)

The Colorado Avalanche have to be the most mystifying team in the NHL. After a few stretches of games where there was some very strong efforts, including a route of the Chicago Blackhawks, the Avalanche have now laid three eggs in a row.

Shut out at home by the Edmonton Oilers, beat down in Minnesota, and then embarrassed on home ice by the some Wild team. Quite simply, this team is lost and simply has no idea how to right themselves.

Even if you ask the team, as Avalanche beat writer, Adrian Dater, did and they can’t even tell you. It seems that the only thing this team is able to do consistently is beat themselves, and if you can’t figure out what is causing that, then things need to change.

Joe Sacco

Joe Sacco has to go. Period, bottom line, exclamation point and any other type of punctuation that gives more emphasis. His period behind the bend of the Colorado Avalanche has been nothing but inconsistencies, frustration and player mismanagement. Since Sacco has taken the helm, you never know what team you’re going to see from period to period.

The way he manages his bench is just as inconsistent as the team. If  player finds himself in “The Joe Sacco Doghouse” that player gets demoted on lines, benched for period, or is a healthy scratch for stretches of games. At the same time, he falls in love with certain players and plays them night in and night out regardless of how poor he has played. Simply put, Joe Sacco just seems to have no idea how to manage a line up.

Then there is his record against his own division. Since Joe Sacco took over, and this is including up to this date, the Avalanche are 29-48-6. This is a 38.55% win percentage against teams in Colorado’s division. He simply doesn’t know how to win against the teams that he sees more often than other teams all year.  It is also the worst divisional winning percentage of any coach in Colorado history. It is beyond time to fire Joe Sacco.

Pierre Lacroix

Ryan O’Reilly (Charles LeClaire-USPRESSWIRE)

The man who was an absolute mastermind at crafting teams that could win Stanley Cup champions during his time as GM of the Avalanche now has a reputation for being an absurd negotiator. Truthfully, those negotiating tactics have gone back even into the successful days of the Avalanche, but they were just ignored because the team was winning.

While Lacroix isn’t “officially” involved in personnel operations, his presence is still very much around and was seen in the terribly botched contract negotiations with Ryan O’Reilly.

The whole front office has not managed to maintain any type of consistency since the salary cap was put into place. It seems that they don’t believe that they can pursue any big names any more for fear of having to pay too much. The team has gone on the cheap exclusively since not seeing success with the big signings of Ryan Smith and Scott Hannan. They have had some success without the marquee players, this year’s examples being P.A. Parenteau and John Mitchell. At the same time, they haven’t been able, or maybe haven’t even tried, to obtain one of those game changing players that they used to get every single year.

Lacroix’s presence is now more of a liability than benefit because he believes this team is still at the same level it was when they were winning Stanley Cups. That’s just not true, the Avalanche are no longer an elite organization.

Greg Sherman

Matt Duchene (Icon SMI)

Of all the guys that might deserve to stay, Sherman might have the best case. After all, the signings of Parenteau and Mitchell go on his resume. Trading for Varlamov, McGinn and Downie. Drafting Matt Duchene, Ryan O’Reilly and Gabriel Landeskog. All of these things helped make the Avalanche a better team.

Still, Sherman seems to be little more than a puppet for Pierre Lacroix. A guy who will blindly carry out the bidding of the boss regardless of how foolish it is. The Ryan O’Reilly situation is another perfect example. Any general manager worth their salt would never have let things get there. If you come out and say that it is your top priority to re-sign a guy, you make it happen. You don’t let it draw out into this insane high school-like display.

Everybody in that front office needs to be cleaned out, except Joe Sakic. If anything, Josh Kroenke needs to relinquish any of his decision making power to Sakic so that somebody who actually understands and has a passion for the game can be the one in charge of the purse strings.

Clean House

The culture in the Pepsi Center has changed. It is no longer one that people look at as the cream of the crop, this is one that is now a laughing stock throughout the NHL. If the Colorado Avalanche want to return to this elite level, they need to change as an organization. This is not the 1990s anymore, and the Avalanche clearly do not know how to run their organization in the 21st century.

It’s time to clean house. From Joe Sacco all the way to the top.

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Kevin GoffI'm a Denver native who has been a fan of the Avalanche since they came to town and a fan of the game before that. I started writing my own blog a couple years ago before moving to Bleacher Report and becoming a Featured Columnist there. You can also find me the Burgundy Brigade PodcastTwitter

This article was originally published at: The Hockey Writers.

The NHL's Most Pleasant Surprises

It happens every season in professional sports: the 'experts' weigh in with their predictions on how the coming season will unfold. They forecast standings, statistics, playoff outcomes and award winners. And, invariably, they typically have the success rate of your local weatherman. Sure, sometimes the hunches come true but, just as often, there are those teams and individuals that surprise you. That's why they play the games, though, right? So roughly halfway through this 2013 season, here is a look at the NHL's three most pleasant performances from either a team or an individual standpoint.

Anaheim Ducks

Without question, the Ducks underachieved last year. Corey Perry followed up his Hart Trophy winning season with a 60 point campaign, 38 less than his MVP year. Off-years from fellow stars Ryan Getzlaf and Bobby Ryan helped doom Anaheim's season as they finished 13th in the West. In fact, the team's best player was the ageless Teemu Selanne. And while Selanne was a nice story, having a 41 year old not named Nicklas Lidstrom as your best player, as the Ducks found out, is often a recipe for disaster.

What a difference a year makes. While most people expected Anaheim to compete for a playoff spot, nobody saw this coming. Through 26 games, the Ducks sit first in the Pacific Division and second in the Western Conference. They have a nearly insurmountable 13 point lead over the defending champion Los Angeles Kings in the division and are within four points of the Chicago Blackhawks ' you know, the same team that set a league record for games to start a season without a regulation loss – for the conference lead. Getzlaf, fresh off of his newly signed contract extension, sits eighth in league scoring with 31 points and the team as a whole is +25 in goal differential. In net, Jonas Hiller and Viktor Fasth have combined to give up only 64 goals, tied for second best in the Western Conference.

Chicago Blackhawks

It's not a surprise that the Chicago Blackhawks are having a good season. In fact, it's not even that big of a surprise that they lead the Western Conference. After all, they have the likes of Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa and Patrick Sharp. That's a pretty potent attack. What is a surprise is the utter dominance they began the season with. The Blackhawks set an NHL record for games to start a season without a regulation loss and flirted with the Philadelphia Flyers record of 35 consecutive games overall without a regulation loss.

Chicago’s ability to put the puck in the net was never in question. And true to form, the Blackhawks are second in the West with 87 goals in 27 games. Patrick Kane leads the way with 31 points and seems to relish making an absolute mockery of goaltenders when the ‘Hawks reach a shootout.

No, the main question people had about the Blackhawks came from between the pipes. Specifically, how would Corey Crawford and Ray Emery hold up? Well, despite Crawford having some issues staying healthy, the tandem has played exceptional. Having surrendered only 59 goals, Chicago boasts the stingiest goals against average in the West and is third in the league. Despite a 'rough patch' in which they have dropped two of their last three, the Blackhawks have positioned themselves to make another deep run in the playoffs this postseason.

Chris Kunitz

Chris Kunitz is on pace for a career year. (Tom Turk/THW)

Chris Kunitz is one lucky individual. He spent last season as a winger for Hart Trophy winner Evgeni Malkin and subsequently set or tied career highs in goals (26), assists (35) and points (61). Coming into this season, though, it wasn't enough to stick on Geno’s line. Had he been demoted? Nope. Just moved to play alongside arguably the other greatest offensive player in the world, Sidney Crosby. Boy, has he responded. He leads the league in plus/minus (+23) and sits second in goals (18) and points (39). In fact, he's on pace to set new career highs in goals, assists and points in a 48-game season. Not bad for an undrafted free agent.

Honorable Mentions

Ottawa Senators:

Ottawa broke out last season in large part due to stellar goaltending and the emergence of last year's Norris Trophy recipient Erik Karlsson. People were expecting them to take the next step this season after their surprise run to the playoffs last spring. So the fact that they sit fifth in the East wouldn't be that big of a surprise'if it weren't for all of the injuries. Sure, every team has to overcome injuries but the Senators have been absolutely decimated. First, Jason Spezza went down with a herniated disc in his back and could be out for the season. Then Karlsson had his Achilles partially severed by a skate blade and will miss the rest of the year. As if that wasn't enough, Craig Anderson then went down with a sprained ankle and has yet to return to action. So what have the Senators done? Packed it in for the season and wait for arguably their three best players to return, whenever that is? Hardly. Ottawa still boasts the second ranked defense in the East, having given up only 58 goals in 27 games as they sit in fifth place in the conference. Despite losing so much talent, it looks like they may fight and scrap their way to a playoff spot.

Montreal Canadiens:

Michel Therrien – new Habs bench boss (Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports)

Last season, Montreal finished dead last in the East with 78 points. Most people weren't expecting a vast improvement under new coach, Michel Therrien. After all, this was a team that was supposed to be rebuilding. Um, wrong. All the Canadiens have done is climb to the top of the Eastern Conference, racking up 40 points through 27 games. Possessing a balanced attack that features 12 skaters having already reached double digits in points and steady play in net from Carey Price, Montreal finds itself in a dogfight with the Bruins for the Northeast title.

Jakub Voracek:

If not for Kunitz's monster season, Voracek would be the surprise player of the season, hands down. A cast-off of the Columbus Blue Jackets (no, seriously), Jakub has been the one bright spot in an otherwise miserable season for the Flyers. He paces the club with 31 points and is primed to shatter his career high in goals, needing only five to reach last year's total of 18.

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Sean GriffinSean Griffin is an At-Large contributor for The Hockey Writers. He worked in the front office of the Richmond Renegades (formerly of the SPHL) while obtaining an M.S. in Sports Leadership. He can be contacted at psgrif27@gmail.com.

This article was originally published at: The Hockey Writers.

2014 Olympic Preview: Can Russia Skate to Glory on Home Ice?

Ilya Kovalchuk just scored three goals in the time it took you to read this caption. (syume/Flickr)

Past Previews: Team Finland         Team Czech Republic              Team Sweden

The last time Russia had the Olympic games it was summer, the height of the cold war, and no one wanted to go to Russia. More than three decades later, they are getting the Olympics again, and no event will match the attention given to hockey. The Russians adore their hockey, and the nation’s best athletes usually flock to the sport. In Sochi 2014, Russia is certain to ice an incredibly talented team, with more than enough motivation in front of rabid home crowds to bring home the gold medal.

Goaltending

Starter: Ilya Bryzgalov

Back-Up 1: Evgeni Nabokov

Back-Up 2: Nikolai Khabibulin

There is no questioning Bryzgalov’s immense talent as a professional netminder, but his eccentric personality is often blamed for lapses in concentration which lead to soft goals against him. Last year, he was often a disaster between the pipes for his Philadelphia Flyers, and as a result became a common object of fan ire. This season, however, Ilya has turned his game around completely, playing like perhaps the most valuable player on a team which often struggles on the ice in front of him.

Backing up Bryzgalov will be Nabokov, who will be 37 at the outset of the Olympics put has still shown he has a great deal left in the tank, fending off scores of shots behind an often porous New York Islanders’ defense. Khabibulin is approaching the end of a fine career at 40 years old, but will be a valuable veteran voice in the locker room and is the one active Russian goaltender with a Stanley Cup ring as a starter.

Yet goaltending remains the biggest question facing the Russians in Sochi. If Bryzgalov plays well, the Russians might be well nigh unstoppable on home ice. If he struggles, they could find themselves on the outside looking in during the medal round. Can the mercurial star raise his game and play comparably to world-class puck-stoppers like Lundqvist, Quick and Rinne?

Grade: D+

Healthy again, Markov’s shot from the point very nearly qualifies as a super power. (Icon SMI)

Defensemen

D1: Andrei Markov – Dmitri Kulikov

D2: Slava Voynov – Fedor Tyutin

D3: Sergei Gonchar – Anton Volchenkov

Spare: Alexei Emelin

Markov was an elite defenseman in the NHL before a series of injuries derailed him over the past half-decade. Finally healthy again, his defensive acumen and howitzer blast from the point are one of the biggest reasons his Montreal Canadiens have shocked the naysayers by vying for the top of the Eastern Conference. Kulikov is often unnoticed in Florida, but the huge rearguard is also a fluid skater, displaying blossoming offensive skills while taking care of business in his own end.

Voynov has simply been the best defenseman on the defending Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings this year despite the presence of the more-heralded Drew Doughty on the same blueline. Fedor Tyutin is another very good two-way defenseman skating for a very bad team not many fans get to see on television. The Columbus rearguard’s size and skating acumen will make him a solid match for the more offensive-minded Voynov.

Gonchar and Volchenkov are not the perennial all-stars they were in younger days, but Gonchar still offers a ton of offense with his rifle point shot and Volchenkov’s smarts and physicality were always on display in the defensive zone during the New Jersey Devils’ Stanley Cup playoff run last spring. This solid but mostly unspectacular unit will be spelled ably by Emelin, a big body who is emerging as an outstanding physical defenseman for Montreal.

Grade: C+

Forwards

1st Line: C Evgeni Malkin – LW Ilya Kovalchuk – RW Alex Radulov

2nd Line: C Pavel Datsyuk (Captain) – LW Alex Ovechkin – RW Alex Semin

3rd Line: C Evgeny Kuznetsov – LW Vladimir Tarasenko – RW Nail Yakupov

Checking Line: C Artem Anisimov – LW Nikolai Kulemin – RW Nikolai Antropov

Spares: C/LW Andrei Loktionov, RW/LW Sergei Mozyakin

Will the real Alex Ovechkin please stand up?

The otherworldly skill of the Russians’ top two lines will be difficult for any team aside from perhaps Canada to match. If Sidney Crosby is the best player on the planet, Malkin is a close second. His skating, shot, hockey sense, size and drive are all top-notch, and he will be surrounded by wingers who can match his talents. Kovalchuk might be the best pure athlete in the NHL, the best forward by far in last year’s Eastern Conference playoffs despite playing with a herniated disk in his back. Kovy’s slap-shot is unreal, and the remarkable improvements of his passing and defensive play since joining New Jersey make him among the finest all-around players in the NHL. Radulov has dominated Russia’s KHL for years after a cup of coffee with Nashville in the NHL. A terrific stickhandler and offensive weapon, Radulov will complete perhaps the most talented line in the tournament.

Datsyuk may be the only Russian in the NHL who for some reason doesn’t get unjustly criticized by Don Cherry and Pierre McGuire. (Icon SMI)

Datsyuk is quite simply a magician on skates, a truly sublime passer and stickhandler and a top-10 player in the world. On his left will be Ovechkin, who was once considered by many the top player in the world, before baffling inconsistency has dimmed his star in recent seasons. The Russians will need Ovechkin to return to prior status as an impact player if they hope to come away with the gold. Skating with them on a formidable second scoring unit will be Semin, Ovechkin’s old line-mate in Washington, and a lethal sniper in his own right.

On the third line, the Russians can unleash a trio of future MVP candidates on the world. A Washington prospect playing in the KHL, Kuznetsov is a big, rangy and incredibly skilled center considered by many to be the best player in the world outside the NHL. Tarasenko is a human highlight film and Rookie of the Year candidate for St. Louis. Last year’s first overall draft pick in the NHL, Yakupov might be the best offensive talent drafted into the league since Steven Stamkos.

The Russians can ice a trio of big bodies with speed to spare in a checking line of Anisimov, Kulemin and Antropov. All three have a ton of NHL experience and can also pack an offensive punch. Coming off the bench, Loktionov is an emerging and versatile NHL talent while Mozyakin is a mainstay on the KHL scoing leaders, winning three titles in the past four seasons.

Grade: A

Why I Left Them Off/Put Them On:

Quite simply, many players we think of as Russian are actually not. Dainius Zubrus is Lithuanian, Sergei Kostitsyn is Belarussian. Both would have easily made the team if they had Russian eligibility.

Prediction: 2nd Place, Silver Medal

Admittedly, the Russians will not be impossible to score against, with an average blueline and goaltending tandem. Still, they have tons of skill and speed on the forward units, a star-studded stable of players accustomed to playing on the larger Olympic ice surface. Their best players are also proven big-game players: Malkin, Datsyuk, Kovalchuk — all passionate and electric talents who should shine in front of rabid, home crowds. I expect the Russians to lead the Olympic tournament in goals scored and find themselves in the gold medal game with an excellent chance of winning it all at Sochi.

 

 

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Steven IvesWriter/lunatic, hockey columnist, mlb.com, aspiring cryptozoologist, estrogen addict, patron saint of vertigo, unintentional ghost hunter. Brooklyn, New YorkTwitter

This article was originally published at: The Hockey Writers.

Boston Bruins Go Back to Basics in Win Over Washington

Grow up around the game of hockey and three basic keys will be hammered into your head: skate as hard as you can, shoot the puck and hit something. Do each of these and you’ll be successful–whether it’s by scoring goals or winning hockey games.

For a full-60 minutes, the Boston Bruins had no problems going back to the basics to beat the Washington Capitals on Saturday, 4-1.

The Capitals? Well, that’s another story.

But let’s focus on the Bruins. The line of Milan Lucic, David Krejci and Nathan Horton broke out Saturday, combining for six shots on goal, eight hits and nine points, a nice breakout from the lack of production seen as of late from the team.

“When you're not playing good, you want to be better,” said Horton, who picked up a goal and two assists in the game. “You got to really, when you come to the game, you got to turn it on. I think, like I said, we have to play like that every night.”

It was evident from the drop of the puck that this line was off to a good start after Horton set the tone with a monstrous hit on Eric Fehr in his first shift. With 14 minutes played, the game’s scoring started off with Lucic feeding the puck from behind the net to Horton who fired one home for his first goal in nine games. Shortly after, Lucic muscled off Mike Ribeiro and found Krejci wide open to beat Michal Neuvirth and score the second of the game.

“They showed exactly what we need to see from them on a more consistent basis,” said Bruins coach Claude Julien. “They were skating the north-south type game, they were forechecking, being physical. Because of that, they were turning pucks over, and not only that, they were strong on the puck, and they made their chances count.”

What matters is that each of these players made a varied difference on the ice. Lucic continued to develop his playmaking abilities, Krejci made efforts at both of ends of the ice (including putting a puck off Johnny Boychuk’s skate that sailed past Anton Khudobin) and Horton turned into a physical monster, hitting everything that moves and taking down Matt Hendricks in a fight in the second period. It was Horton’s second career Gordie Howe Hat Trick.

“That's what our team is all about, I guess,” said Horton. “When we play like that style, we finish our checks. That's how we know it's a good game. That's our style.”

The Bruins travel to Pittsburgh and will face-off against the Penguins on Sunday. It will be the second game in as many days for both teams.

Follow Mike on Twitter for more Bruins updates, news and commentary

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Mike MiccoliMike Miccoli has covered the Boston Bruins for three years with TheHockeyWriters.com and is a credentialed member of the media for all Bruins' home games. As a former player, coach and official, Miccoli has been around the game of hockey since the age of three. Along with his work on THW, Miccoli has also been published in the New England Hockey Journal, Improper Bostonian magazine and on BostInnovation.com. You can follow him at twitter.com/mikemiccoli.

This article was originally published at: The Hockey Writers.

Panthers Acquire T.J. Brennan From Sabres

On Friday night it was announced that the Florida Panthers had acquired defenseman T.J. Brennan from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for a 5th round draft pick in 2013. The 5th round pick that the Panthers are sending to the Sabres was received when the team traded Keaton Ellerby to the Los Angeles Kings on Frebruary 8th, so in actuality the team basically swapped Ellerby for Brennan.

Selected in the 2nd round of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, the 23 year-old Brennan has appeared in 10 games with the Sabres this season and recored one powerplay goal. Brennan is known as a talented offensive defenseman with a strong left-handed shot and a nice upside. His offensive abilities could potentially bring back the presence of a quality shot from the blue line that has been missing since the departure of Jason Garrison.

To make the transition easier from Buffalo to Florida, Brennan will find a familiar face sitting behind the bench – Head Coach Kevin Dineen. Dineen coached Brennan for two seasons when both were a part of the Portland Pirates organization. Dineen’s familiarity with both Brennan and his play style should help Brennan slip into the Panthers’ lineup with ease.

When asked about the addition of Brennan, Florida Panthers’ General Manager Dale Tallon had this to say:

'T.J. is a young and mobile defenseman with a hard shot, who we are pleased to have acquired,' said Tallon. 'He is a hard working player with an offensive upside, who has averaged almost a point-per-game in the American Hockey League this season. We look forward to his contributions to our organization.' Tallon told Panthers.nhl.com

For the Panthers, the addition of Brennan to the blue line can only help what has been a disappointing defensive unit throughout the entire season. His arrival and the return of team Captain Ed Jovanovksi in the near future should send defenseman Colby Robak and Nolan Yonkman back to the AHL. Considering the Panthers are still a longshot to make the playoffs this year, expect this to be the first of many trades for the Panthers in the coming weeks.

 

Follow Jameson on Twitter @JamesonCoop

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Jameson CooperA Florida resident, Jameson is currently in his first year of covering the Florida Panthers for The Hockey Writers as well as doing THW's weekly NHL Power Rankings.TwitterFacebookGoogle+

This article was originally published at: The Hockey Writers.