Tag Archives: Zane McIntyre

Goalie

New goaltender coming to Boston?

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Don Sweeney Announced that the Boston Bruins will be diving into the goalie free agent market come Monday. What does this mean for Tuukka Rask and Jaroslav Halak?

Changing of the guard?

NHL free agency opens on Monday. Boston Bruins GM Don Sweeney has already confirmed that the Bruins will be active come Monday. One surprising note that Sweeney mentioned was that the Bruins will be active in the goalie market. Some fans immediately jumped to conclusions that Tuukka Rask and or Jaroslav Halak might be on the move. Rest assured, that isn’t the case.

If its not broken, don’t fix it.

Last year the Bruins goaltending tandem was one of if not the best in the NHL. While there is the never ending debate surrounding Tuukka Rask, this move will hardly effect him. After one of the better years of his career and a stellar postseason performance, Rask is still the guy for the Bruins. That turns the attention to Jaroslav Halak. While some might think that Halak is just a backup goalie, he’s much more than that. Now Halak might be the backup for Tuukka Rask, but that doesn’t mean Halak isn’t good enough to start elsewhere.

Amongst the best

Last season was one of the better seasons throughout the career of Jaroslav Halak. Despite being the Boston Bruins backup goaltender, Halak made his mark. Halak had one more shutout than Tuukka Rask despite playing in six less games, but still played in enough games to qualify for rankings in the league leaders. Again, playing in six less games than Tuukka Rask, but the numbers are impressive nonetheless. Halak ranked seventh in goals against average (GAA), and ninth in save percentage (Sv%). Both ranked higher than Tuukka Rask. Halak has one more year on his contract and has definitely earned the right to play out his deal in Boston. The only way this isn’t the case is of the Bruins decide to trade him at the trade deadline because they don’t think they’ll make the playoffs. I highly doubt that’ll be case.

What’s the big idea?

When the Bruins address the goalie situation in free agency, its likely gonna be the Providence Bruins that it effects the most. A starting goaltender for Providence is most likely what Don Sweeney will be looking for come Monday. Zane McIntyre is currently the Providence Bruins starting goalie. Despite a pretty good year last year, McIntyre looks like he’s the odd man out in the Bruins goalie race. McIntyre’s contract expired this season, making him a free agent. A free agent that likely doesn’t come back to the Bruins organization next season.

Inside options? Not quite yet.

Dan Vladar is a 22 year old goalie who sat below McIntyre on the Providence depth chart last year. Vladar managed a .500 record and only allowed 2.73 goals per game. He will likely share time with whoever the Bruins sign next season in Providence. Kyle Keyser is another very intruiging goalie prospect that the Bruins have. Keyser is 20 and he played most of last season with the Oshawa Generals in the OHL. Keyser played in 47 games with Oshawa, only allowing 2.75 goals per game and held down a solid .915 save percentage. The general consensus is that Keyser isn’t quite ready for a full time role in Providence yet. Injuries could play a big role in Keyser moving up however.

As we’ve now looked at all of the options within the Bruins organization we know that one will likely be out. My thinking is that Don Sweeney is going to be looking to bring in a veteran who can help the young Vladar and Keyser and set them on the right track to the NHL.

Providence Bruins Heading to Allentown

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The Dunk is rocking following two intense Atlantic Division matchups this past weekend in Providence.  The two games were split amongst the Providence Bruins and the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.  Games 3 and 4 are taking place next Friday and Saturday in Allentown at the PPL Center.  If the Providence Bruins continue to play the way they are plying, this is going to be a quick series.  Going out to Allentown is going to bring some new challenges to the team.  Not to mention the last two times the Providence Bruins played at the PPL Center, the Phantoms shut them out.

Providence Bruins

 

Game 1

The Providence Bruins are playing well enough to reflect a 2-0 series lead.  However, as we all know, the puck does not lie.  Sometimes breaks do not always go your way.  Phantoms’ goalie Alex Lyon has been playing some of the best hockey of his young career.  Former Boston College Eagle Ryan Fitzgerald got the game going with a late first period, power play goal.  However, Lehigh Valley did not give up and quickly scored, ending the first period with a score of 1-1.  Notably, Ryan Fitzgerald got the Providence Bruins going quickly again, scoring early in the second period.

Multiple penalties continued to prove costly for Providence.  The Phantoms were able to score twice on a 5-3 power play, giving Lehigh Valley the 3-2 lead.  No scoring occurred during the third period.  Despite out shooting the Phantoms 15-2, Lyon was able to smoother up everything and secure a Game 1 victory.  In the end, Lyon stoned 39 out of 41 shots.  However, if the Providence Bruins keep putting shot totals like that, good things will happen.  Zane McIntrye played well, stopping 21 of 24 shots.  However, one weak goal seemed to make the difference.  Danick Martel’s blue line shot jumped over McIntrye’s glove.  How can some one blame Zane for the two power play goals?

Game 2

The Providence Bruins kept the trend of starting off strong in Game 2.  This time it is Anton Blidh and Peter Cehlarik who scored quickly.  Five minutes and eight seconds into the game the Providence Bruins secured a 2-0 lead.  Again, the Phantoms did not going down quietly.  Lehigh Valley scored twice in the second period.  Both goals occurred within one minute and eleven seconds of each other.  Momentum continued to swing in this series, as Jordan Szwarz scored a short-handed goal to give the Providence Bruins the 3-2 lead.  Peter Cehlarik continues to light the lamp this series.  The Providence Bruins went on to win this one 5-3, evening out the series.

 

Austin Czarnik is the unsung hero so far of this playoff matchup.  Czarnik currently leads the Calder Cup Playoffs with four assists.  Both he and Ryan Fitzgerald have two goals this series.  Zane McIntyre mysteriously did not play in Game 2.  Rumors were flying that he would be the third goalie in Toronto, but Daniel Vladar was on the practice lines.  Not to mention Jordan Binnington played out of his mind in Game 2, stopping 23 of 26 shots.  It is unclear who is going to be manning the pipes for Game 3.  All the Providence Bruins need to do is keep playing the way they are and things will work out.

Watch the Providence Bruins preparing for their run here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqpWgEI83ZA

Follow Matt McGurn on Twitter: @MickGurn @TA_CawHawkey

Bruins Fall 4-3 in Shootout After 3 Goal Comeback

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The Bruins fell to one of the Eastern Conferences top teams Monday night, The Columbus Blue Jackets.

Bruins Down Early

The Bruins fell behind early in the game, giving up the first goal only two minutes into the game. They gave up another goal in the final few minutes of the first period, and another in the second period. Bruins Captain, Zdeno Chara, gave the team a much needed boost by stepping up and dropping the mitts with Blue Jackets forward Josh Anderson. As soon as Chara dropped the gloves, the Bruins completely changed their play. They played excellent in the second half of the second period, and excellent in the third. With this play, they stormed back with goals from Patrice Bergeron, Torey Krug, and Brad Marchand.  David Pastrnak added helpers on each of the goals.

TUUKKA?

Bruins Veteran goaltender Tuukka Rask has struggled so far this season–posting a .896 SV% and a 2.93 GAA through six games. Rask has only one win thus far, and it was nearly a month ago against the Nashville Predators. Rask had a rough start to the game in Columbus by giving up a goal on the first shot of the game, that he should’ve stopped. He gave up another that was tucked in beside him on the post, which he should have been covering. After the third goal Rask allowed, which was a breakaway, Tuukka played excellent in the second, third, and in overtime. In my opinion, Rask has never been the greatest in shootouts, so I’m not surprised with his performance.

Comments

“I don’t think we’re a team that’s going to win too many games if we don’t have all 20 guys going, and I don’t think that was the case pretty early on.”  -Head Coach Bruce Cassidy

”We didn’t show up, they were taking it to us, they were hitting us. We weren’t responding, Every second of that first period bothered me.”  -Assistant Captain Patrice Bergeron

”Z did an awesome job stepping up out there and our game started turning around there. Mills sticking up for Krug was awesome. We need that we need to show that we’re a team and a family in here. And we are, and that carries onto the ice and the guys did a great job standing up for one another.”  -Brad Marchand

“You never wanna see another guy get hit like that. Guys taking liberty out there so I kinda just reacted to be honest.”  -Kevin Miller

Next

The Bruins will be in action again on Thursday night, back in Beantown, taking on the Vegas Golden Knights. Forward Kenny Agostino, and Goaltender Zane McIntyre, were sent back down to Providence on Thursday. It looks like some guys may be getting healthy, and looking to make a return soon.

 

From Bad to Worse for the Bruins

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With the Bruins only five game into this young season, they have posted a 2-3-0 record. The Bruins have been good in their two wins this season, but horrendous in the three losses they have suffered.

The team has been without assistant captains Patrice Bergeron and David Backes to start the season, but both have resumed skating this week and look to be close to a return. Bergeron has been out with a lower body injury, and Backes with Diverticulitis. It’s a good sign seeing these two skating and looking to soon make a return.

The injuries just keep coming

When things were just starting to look better, the Bruins were hit with more injuries. Third line center-man, Ryan Spooner, was injured in Sunday’s loss against Vegas. Spooner is going to be out of the lineup for 4-6 weeks with a groin tear. He had previously been playing through the issue, which tore in Sunday’s game. Spooner wasn’t the only player to be injured in that game. D-man Adam McQuaid, was injured after taking a slap shot off the side of his knee from Colin Miller. McQuaid was able to participate in Wednesday’s practice, and hasn’t been ruled out for tonight game against the Canucks.

Rask leaves practice

Bruins starting goalie Tuukka Rask has had a shaky start to the season. Rask currently holds a record of 1-3-0, has a SV% of .882 and a GAA of 3.30. Rask left Wednesday’s practice after rookie, Anders Bjork, ran into him during a drill. “It was a fast play. I don’t even know what happened” said Bjork. The Bruins haven’t given an update on Rask, but the Bruins have called up young goaltender, Zane McIntyre. It looks like Rask may miss some time. Hopefully Rask isn’t out too long, the Bruins need him to be successful in the lineup in order for them to win games.

Backes could return Thursday

According to Head Coach Bruce Cassidy, David Backes is closer to returning tonight than Bergeron. Having Backes back would be a tremendous boost to the Bruins young forward group. Backes adds size, power and a veteran presence. If able to play tonight against the Canucks, he could potentially play between Marchand and Bjork on the top line. This would allow Bruins center-man, Riley Nash, to move down in the lineup where he is more effective.

Bruins need wins now

With the Bruins currently 2-3-0, they are tied for fifth in the Atlantic division, with the Florida Panthers and the Buffalo Sabers. The Bruins have two games in hand, but are seven points behind the division leaders, the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Bruins need to start catching up now rather than later. The Atlantic Division is very good this season, with the Leafs, Lightning and Red Wings all playing excellent hockey. If the Bruins want to compete with the other teams in the division, they better start now.