BOSTON, Mass – The Boston Bruins organization opened the 2008-09 season with a pair of one-goal victories. The top club took a 5-4 win over the Colorado Avalanche when David Krejci rammed home a goal with just over two minutes remaining in regulation on opening night in Denver. The Providence Bruins faced off the night before the parent club did and took home a 4-3 shootout win after they allowed Lowell’s Vladimir Zharkov to erase a two-goal lead.
While the Boston game was not the best game they will play this year, it is hard to dwell on the negatives due to the fact the Bruins have been 0-4-1 in their previous five openers and had not won an opening game on the road since they knocked off the New York Rangers by a 4-3 count in 1993. Let’s just say it will be nice to see a game in which the goaltender will not be forced to make 35 saves such as Tim Thomas had to against the Avalanche.
Offensively the opener was outstanding. Krejci and Marc Savard each posted a goal and an assist while Patrice Bergeron and Chuck Kobasew each had a pair of helpers. Rookie Blake Wheeler, who forced his way onto the club with his strong play in camp, scored a goal as did Michael Ryder and Phil Kessel. Ryder’s goal was his first with the Bruins and the 100th of his NHL career.
In a bit of a surprise defender Dennis Wideman garnered more ice time than Captain Zdeno Chara by over a minute. Wideman was on the ice for 25:08 and was a plus three on the evening. Andrew Alberts was the healthy scratch on the blueline while Petteri Nokelainen did not play up front.
The club faced some unpleasant news on the eve of the second game on Saturday against Minnesota as Kobasew might be out for some time. The winger had an ankle injury which could keep him out of the lineup. The injury occured when Kobasew was struck by a Colorado shot. Last year the winger missed the rest of the 2007-08 season after being hit by a Chara shot late in the campaign.
While there is no official word as of yet, goaltender Manny Fernandez, who was traded by the Wild to Boston last year, is expected to get the start against his former club.
In Providence the Baby Bruins broke open a 1-1 game with power play goals from Byron Bitz and Vladimir Sobotka. However, as previously mentioned the club gave up the game’s last two goals and went into a shootout with the Lowell Devils. Mikko Lehtonen and Martin St. Pierre scored in the shootout while netminder Tuukka Rask stopped each of the Devils four shooters. Defender Johnny Boychuk scored the P-Bruins first goal of the season with the club on the power play. Sobotka and Bitz led the team with two points as they picked up an assist to go with their respective goals.
The game had an outburst midway through the second period when Brad Mills was assessed a major for checking from behind. Bruins defender Ryan Stokes took exception to the hit and fought with Lowell’s Pierre-Luc Leblond. The two fought again late in the third period.
Providence coach Rob Murray dressed all seven defenders on the roster and scratched Peter Schaefer, Levi Nelson and Kirk MacDonald in the club’s first game. Rookie Zach Hamill did not play due to an injured thumb and is supposed to be out of action for four-to-six weeks. The team takes the ice again on Sunday when they face off against the Springfield Falcons.
The Bruins do not have an official ECHL affiliate this season. They have MacDonald, Mark Bomersback and goaltender Kevin Nastiuk in reserve. If they need more players the modus operandi is to call an ECHL coach they can trust and sign a free agent from the ECHL.
This situation has worked out well in the past especially when the club recalled Pascal Pelletier from the ECHL two years ago. Pelletier played well enough to dress for the parent club in a few games last season. MacDonald will report to Florida (ECHL) if he does not stay in the AHL while Bomersback is slated for Idaho. Nastiuk is already in Gwinnett.
In The System
Start of Season report
The Bruins have reserve-list players at each level of hockey from the European pro leagues, to the junior leagues and they even have some players at the collegiate level.
The player Boston is highly interested in is 2008 first round choice Joe Colborne who will play for Denver University this season. Tommy Cross and Brock Bradford will play for Boston College, Alain Goulet will skate for Nebraska-Omaha and Nicholas Tremblay is on Dartmouth’s roster. Colborne has been tasked with getting stronger and filling out his frame while Bradford may be able to skate professionally with the organization after his senior year is finished with the Eagles.
Defender Yuri Alexandrov has been touted as a potential NHLer, but his season will be delayed while he recovers from a separated shoulder. When Alexandrov is physically ready he will play for Cherepovets of the Russian Kontinental Hockey League. Carl Soderberg is playing for Malmo in the second level of Swedish hockey while Radim Ostrcil is playing for Olomouc in the Czech Republic’s second level. Ostrcil must have a strong season otherwise he is unlikely to be signed by the organization. The Bruins wanted Soderberg to play in North America this year, but he asked for, and was granted, permission to stay in Sweden.
The club’s remaining players in reserve are in the junior level with Jamie Armiel suiting up for Sarnia (OHL), Mark Goggin (Chicago-USHL), Jordan Knackstedt (Moose Jaw-WHL), Maxime Sauve (Val d’Or, QMJHL), Denis Reul (Lewiston, QMJHL) and goaltender Michael Hutchinson (Barrie-OHL) playing for their respective clubs.
Goggin is slated to skate for Dartmouth next fall while Knackstedt is on the Warriors roster as an overage player.
Contact the author at tom.schettino@prohockeynews.com.
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