Claude Julien

To date, the Boston Bruins have missed out on only 23 of a possible 80 points in the standings. The Carolina Hurricanes are responsible for withholding four of those lost points, or about 17.4 percent of them.

If all goes according to plan Saturday night, though, the Bruins will issue a frank reminder that the hapless Hurricanes were fortunate to catch them twice in the midst of their post-championship hangover.

The Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins reprised their epic seven-game series from last spring.

Only two points were on the line, not the Stanley Cup, but you could tell the bad blood still carried over to this 4-3 Vancouver victory. 

Fittingly enough, when Boston Bruins head coach Claude Julien summoned his players to the bench for his lone timeout with 8:11 left in Thursday night’s second period, the TD Garden loudspeakers churned out Enrique Iglesias’ “I Like It.”

Once again, the “seventh player” had its say and got its way Friday night as Rogers Arena cheered the Vancouver Canucks to a 1-0 triumph and 3-2 series lead in the Stanley Cup Finals.

Claude Julien brought his Boston Bruins to Lake Placid, NY after Monday's Game 3 win over the Montreal Canadiens. Lake Placid, where the greatest night in American hockey history occurred 31 years ago, seemed the perfect location to bring his team, who had narrowly kept themselves in the series with the win Monday.

After the 7-0 shellacking the Boston Bruins delivered the Montreal Canadiens under a month ago, Boston went into the opening round of the playoffs with the confidence they had gained still fresh in their minds.

The Boston Bruins' 2010 season ended in the absolute worst possible way, surrendering a 3-0 series lead in the Eastern semifinals versus the Philadelphia Flyers, and losing the series in Game 7 at home after taking a 3-0 lead to begin the game.

The Bruins are good; they just aren't elite.  They can beat any team on any night; they just can't beat teams night in and night out. 

They have some players that are keeping them in it.  Tim Thomas, for one, is the only reason the Bruins are still in the hunt.  Too bad he couldn't score goals for the Bruins as well.

A rested Tim Thomas, a motivated Marc Savard and a Bruins team that is just chomping at the bit to be an elite team in the NHL, take on the Montreal Canadiens in what many Bruin players are calling a must-win game.

If I had to pick a word for the offensive capability of the Boston Bruins, I would say a vast improvement.  Now ask me about the defensive part of their game.

Coach Claude Julien is known for his defense.  To build the team from the blue line out.  The Boston Bruins did not show their defensive talent last night against the Buffalo Sabres as they allowed six goals in regulation and a Buffalo goal in the last 30 seconds ended up tying the game.