Bruins Recap: All Aboard

Another successful week for the Bruins has Boston—from Alewife to the Aquarium; from Back Bay to Charlestown—buzzing about the Black and Gold. All aboard, then, for this week’s recap.

On Monday morning—a day off for the AMHL Photographer and me—we entered the Red Line train at Alewife Station. Posters promoting NESN’s Instigators show greeted us.

After eating breakfast at Charlie’s Sandwich Shoppe (I recommend the turkey hash) in the South End; watching the penguins, sharks, and winter skates at the New England Aquarium; lunch at Jose McIntyre’s (bring on the steak burrito), and then a ferry ride (on the SS Rookie) to and from Charlestown, we descended to the Blue Line.

A familiar voice echoed through the cavernous platform area. “This is Andrew Ference…,” the B’s injured defenseman and go-green guy, announced.

“Whoo hoo, Andy!” I yelled, as Ference proclaimed the merits of mass transport.

My wife and I took the Blue Line to the Green Line, where Mike Milbury, Jack Edwards, and Andy Brickley’s likenesses again greeted us, to the Prudential Center (we skipped dinner in favor of dessert).

With dusk developing into darkness, we walked thru “the Pru” to Back Bay Station. The throng there consisted of commuters and Bruins’ fans, who, unlike us, were headed for the Garden.

“Yeah, Bruins,” I bellowed as I patted a fan on the back. He and his friends or family would watch the B’s in person while TLP (the league photographer) and I would watch on NESN. The Bruins beat the Bolts, 5–3.

On Wednesday night, the growing fan base was disappointed when, in Washington, D.C., the Bruins out-shot the Capitals but lost, 1–3.

Two days later in Atlanta, the Black and Gold bounced back to trash the Thrashers. Then, last night, the Bruins bashed the Thrash again, this time in front of a full-house at the Garden.

Running roughshod over the weaker teams (when you’ve won twenty games, that means every team except the Sharks, whom the Bruins host in February) has become commonplace, but the Bruins don’t appear to be complacent when assessing their performance; they know they still have improvements to make: finishing on scoring chances (not good enough against the Capitals) and preventing opponents from scoring the last goal of the game (the Thrashers did that in successive games).

Come this Thursday, when the Bruins host the Leafs in front of fans—many of whom have arrived at North Station via the commuter rail and the Green Line—we’ll see if the B’s can keep this train rolling.

If you’re already enjoying the ride, fantastic. If not, I think Andrew Ference would agree: Get on board.