Game Summary: Game 59 - Senators @ Bruins: [don't forget to put a clever title here when you're done]

by Chet Sellers

 

You know how it is. Last day of school, last class of the semester, last work day before a long holiday . . . it's easy to look past business at hand and start thinking about time off. We all take our eye off the ball sometimes.

Why am I mentioning this? Well, today's game against the Bruins is the last game the Senators will play for nearly three weeks, and sure, Erik Karlsson and Milan Michalek will be keeping busy in Sochi, but the rest of these guys have a date with the beach as soon as today's game is over. Can they keep their focus for just three more hours, and grind out a road win against a Boston team that's missing both Zdeno Chara and Tuukka Rask? Let's find out!

I'll tell you one thing, though - even if these so-called "professional" hockey players might start slacking off before a long vacation, your friends at bonksmullet.com are better than that. Get ready for the usual hard-hitting joke-making and attention to detail you've come to expect from our recaps, because we don't take games off. Let's do it!

First Period

One guy who looks like he's shown up for this game early is Craig Anderson.  As Boston's forwards take control to start the game and begin getting around Ottawa's defensemen, it's Anderson who keeps the Senators alive, peaking with a beauty of a glove save six minutes in after Chris Kelley gets an open look. It's an ironic moment for both men, of course, since the Senators traded one for the other a little more than three years ago. I'd do that deal again, though.

Anderson's early shutout doesn't last, though. Ten minutes in, Erik Karlsson takes a tripping penalty and less than a minute later, Patrice Bergeron juggles a long pass in front of Anderson and then chips it into the net, making it 1-0 Bruins. [come back and put a photoshop of Bergeron juggling in here later]

Five minutes after that, it's Kellie again, redirecting another pass in front of Anderson to make it 2-0 Bruins. But in what's looking like an increasingly-bleak period for the Senators, the team finally catches a break near the end of the first as Keeley takes a hooking penalty. Strangely, Paul MacLean responds by sending Chris Neil out on the power play, which is basically like sending the punter out on first down. The Senators do not score.

Second Period

Hey, here's somebody who's trying to stay sharp before the Olympics - Milan Michalek! In the first minute of the second, Michalek dives to stop another Bruins breakaway, drawing a penalty for his trouble but probably saving a goal. The Senators may look sleepy so far this afternoon, but at least we know their Olympians have come to play, since they already need to be mentally prepared for Sochi.

A few minutes later, Patrice Bergeron walks in around a totem pole-like Erik Karlsson, waits, waits, and finally tucks the puck into the net after Anderson bites early. That makes it 3-0 Bruins, although it's hard to blame Anderson for this one after getting no defensive help from Karlsson. That's the thing with all these Olympians, you know - mentally, they've already checked out.

The rest of the period is pretty ugly for the Senators, with only Anderson keeping them in the game by stopping odd-man rush after odd-man rush. Finally, with two to go in the period, the Senators get a ray of hope as Bobby Ryan scores his first goal of the year by beating Carl Johnson from the circle with a wrist shot. That cuts the lead to 3-1 Bruins, but the good vibes don't last, as less than a minute later an unguarded Jarome Igilna, or maybe Brett Marchand, skates into the crease and beats Anderson again, making it 4-1 Bruins. Can the Senators climb out of a three-goal hole with only a period to go?

Third Period

Sorry, I had to step out for most of this. The Bruins scored a few more, I guess?  Oh, and Ottawa got one too; I'm gonna guess it was MacArthur. 7-2 Bruins is your final.

Lessons Learned

This afternoon's game was a tough one for the Senators, as they were outworked and outplayed by Boston in every aspect of the game. With a long break at hand, it looks like the Senators really did look past today's game - they took their eyes off the puck before the chickens even had a chance to count it. You know how it is when you're almost done something. We can only hope that spending a couple weeks stewing on this loss will be good for the Senators, and that they'll come back rested and sharp at the end of the month, ready to finish what they sta