Boston Bruins cruise to 7-1 pre-season victory over White Tigers Liberec
The Boston Bruins are a team that always has something to prove. During a visit to Europe, the National Hockey League team proved that they could hold their own against a team from the
top hockey league in the Czech Republic.
White Tigers Liberec failed to keep pace with the Bruins, as they were defeated by a score of 7-1 in front of the Liberec faithful. The game was Boston’s second against a European opponent,
as the Bruins routed the Giants Select in Belfast, Northern Ireland, 5-1 on Saturday night.
Forward Patrice Bergeron led the Bruins’ attack with two goals and three assists for five points on the night. The Bruins drew first blood with a goal from newly-acquired right-winger
Nathan Horton, who capitalized on a great pass from Czech teammate David Krejci. Bergeron scored his first of two goals at 2:14 of the second period, putting a solo shot behind White Tigers goaltender Marek Pinc.
Andrej Podkonicky tallied for the Tigers, but it was not enough, as Boston would go on to score five more goals. Jordan Caron helped to pad the Bruins’ lead with a short-handed goal in
the second period.
Bergeron’s second goal of the game was as impressive as his first, as he successfully converted another solo shot. Supplementary offence was generated by Tyler Seguin, Gregory Campbell
and Blake Wheeler, who all scored goals in the third frame.
During the off-season, the Bruins re-tooled their roster a bit with a trade that sent defenceman Dennis Wideman to the Florida Panthers. In return, the team received forwards Nathan Horton
and Gregory Campbell. Both players have already made their mark for the Bruins, as they have both been productive during Boston’s pre-season run.
Tyler Seguin, who was the second overall draft pick at the 2010 National Hockey League Entry Draft in June, has also been making a splash for the Bruins. The youngster is hoping to crack
the Bruins’ roster as an 18-year-old. He has a good mentor in 22-year NHL veteran Mark Recchi, who re-signed with the Bruins in the offseason.
Boston will begin the 2010-11 season without two key players in their line-up. Forwards Marc Savard and Marco Sturm are both on the mend with injuries, and will miss several games while
they recover. The Bruins will remain in the Czech Republic, where they will open their season against the Phoenix Coyotes in Prague.
The NHL has been scheduling pre-season and the odd regular season games in Europe for several years now in an attempt to develop interest in the league in that continent.
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