As they have so many times this season, the Bruins answered a frustrating loss with a big win. Of course, the problem looking ahead is that the team has had a bad habit this season of following up those big wins with frustrating losses.
But maybe, just maybe, this team can follow up Tuesday's complete, 60-plus-minute effort over one of the Eastern Conference's elite teams with another on Thursday against one of the East's lesser teams, the Florida Panthers.
If they are to bounce back solidly, they may want to follow their leaders and continue to ride their hot horse.
While the defense suffocated sniper Ilya Kovalchuk (who had just one shot on net) and held the Devils offense to just 21 shots, Tuukka Rask once again reminded head coach Claude Julien why he should be their guy between the pipes for the rest of the season. Rask wasn't seriously tested, but he made the saves he was supposed to make. (Sadly, that hasn't been the case of late for Tim Thomas, who seems to fight the puck every other appearance.) This was Rask's second shutout in his last three starts and his fifth of the season.
With every point so crucial in the tight Eastern race, Julien can't ignore the way Rask is playing. But he can't ignore the way the Bruins play in front of him, either. For some reason, the Bruins appear calmer and more confident in front of Rask right now than they do Thomas, so if they want that calm to be consistent, Julien needs to stick with the 23-year old Finn from here on in.
Another way to build off this win would be to follow the lead of Patrice Bergeron, Mark Recchi and Mark Stuart. Bergeron, without a doubt, has been the Bruins' MVP this season and if it weren't for him, the team probably would be battling the Maple Leafs and Oilers for lottery picks this June at the NHL draft in Los Angeles.
Some skeptics might argue that the Bruins would be better off phoning it in, taking the high draft picks and building for the future instead of just sneaking into the playoffs.
But Bergeron, Recchi and Stuart will have none of that talk, and that's evident with the heart and effort they show every game. Zdeno Chara is the captain of this team, and his work ethic on and off the ice is never in question. Yet it's clear that Bergeron, Recchi and Stuart have all worn the "A" on their chests at various points this season for a reason, and the game-winning goal against the Devils was a perfect example of why. Bergeron started that play with a shot that went wide and finished it by chasing down the play and positioning himself in front for the rebound of Stuart's shot.
Meanwhile, Recchi was regularly parked in his office, creating havoc in front of Brodeur's net. If players like Michael Ryder, who had a splendid chance 50 ticks into the third, would go to the net or shoot the puck on goal more often, the Bruins might not be the lowest scoring team in the NHL. Ryder played better in New Jersey than he has of late, but he has now gone seven games without a goal and has just one lamplighter in his last 17.
Blake Wheeler, too, should be included here, as he has now gone eight games without finding the twine. With David Krejci (seven points in his last five games) playing like the Krejci that had 73 points last season, the Bruins offense would get a huge boost if Wheeler and Ryder played more like Bergeron and Recchi.
Stuart was his usual steady presence on the blue line, combining a physical game with a keen instinct on when to pinch and jump into the play, as witnessed on Bergeron's game-winner. That well-rounded and even-keeled style is probably why Julien decided to pair Stuart with the struggling Dennis Wideman. The move worked for at least one game, as Wideman — who has openly told the media that his confidence is "gone" — looked very in control for most of the game and finished a plus-1 for the night. It might be a good idea to keep him paired with Stuart and see if he can start to build some confidence again.
The Bruins are now in a three-way tie in points with the Flyers and the Canadiens. With tie-breakers, though, they remain in eighth place in the East, two points ahead of the Thrashers and four ahead of the Rangers.
From Tuesday night's win, the Bruins can take away plenty of confidence that they're capable of beating a team they could end up facing in the first round of the playoffs.
But all of this positivity will be rendered meaningless if the Bruins continue their trend of following a crucial win with a disappointing loss. It's time to follow their leaders and ride the hot goalie.
