Buckle Down

The Bruins host the Sabres tonight, puck drop is at 7:00PM on NESN.

• Looking to tonight also means not ignoring the Canadiens looming in the background tomorrow night. Zane McIntyre is likely to get the nod sooner rather than later. Yahoo Sports
  
• Missed chances, frustration, and regret are not a good look for the Bruins and their lamentable power play. The Boston Globe
• The win in Tampa Bay was a blip on the otherwise dismal trend on the power play. But wait- is the glass actually half-full? WEEI
• In case you missed the game on Saturday, the Rangers not only killed penalties against the Bruins, they scored- not just once, but TWICE. The Boston Globe
• Claude Julien cancelled practice yesterday, which says a lot about what he feels is the problem. Boston Herald
• The good news? Injured Bruins are returning to the lineup. Bad news? The team is entering a challenging stretch of games, including a pair of back-to-backs with travel. Providence Journal
• Meanwhile, in weekend action in Providence... on Friday, Peter Cehlarik had himself a game and Daniel Vladar stopped 35 attempts in the PBruins win over the Hartford Wolf Pack.(With video) ABC6 Then the PBruins and Vladar fought all the way to a shootout yesterday before losing to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Providence Journal See game video here. ABC6
• In this month's issue, Rob O'Gara is highlighted along with Brandon Carlo as up-and-comers, David Backes proves to be a natural fit, try a few nutritious recipes full of Fall pumpkin goodness, and the surest sign of winter- plenty of ads for backyard rink systems for sale. New England Hockey Journal

Elsewhere around the rink:

• From the week that was in the NHL... five takes, include residual ringing in the ears for the Canadiens after a shelling in Columbus. CBC A couple of former Bruins are suffering slow starts with their new teams. Some Finnish netminders are trending upward, some downward. Hamilton Spectator One former Bruin defenseman is on waivers (and headed back to Massachusetts?) Today's Slapshot
  
• Street hockey is in decline up north, and the reasons behind that fact do not bode well for ice hockey. The Guardian
  
• Raffi Torres has called it a career. The Hockey News Thanks for the memories? (Video, 1:22) YouTube
• John Scott has likewise thrown in the towel. At least he retires on an oddly high note. Today's Slapshot He is finding a lot to do with all the time on his hands. The Score