January 29th, 2013: I remember going to this game, and thinking that Bourque had been getting really unlucky in spite of playing very well so far in the season, so I said to my friend Paul as we rode the escalator up that Bourque would score in that night’s game. Rene made me wait just over 8 minutes until again, I was right in my analysis. Now to the goal. Raphael Diaz moves the puck down low and shifts down to the boards on the left side, which allows Andrei Markov to move left and Rene Bourque to move up high. Markov sets up Bourque once but the pass isn’t right, so he gives it back. On his second opportunity, Bourque wires a one-timer short side on Ondrej Pavelec. This goal was a team effort on a zone play.
February 2nd, 2013: Andrei Markov sends a beauty outlet pass up the middle that Tomas Plekanec tips into the Sabres‘ zone. Brian Gionta is first to the puck and centers it to a streaky Rene Bourque down the middle, who tips it past Ryan Miller to open the scoring. This goal was a team effort off the rush.
February 2nd, 2013: Very similar to the earlier goal, but this time it’s Plekanec doing the passing. As Plekanec carries the puck into the Sabres’ zone, Gionta is causing a distraction up the middle which allows Bourque to pinch inward towards the net. Plekanec waits until the defender makes his move, then sends a great backhand pass across to Bourque, who tips it in. This goal was a team effort off the rush.
February 14th, 2013: Alex Galchenyuk takes the puck up ice and tries to go through Dmitry Kulikov instead of around him, but after a few tries it actually works. He gets a bouncing puck in front of the crease and Rene Bourque whacks it home for the game winner in overtime. This goal was a team effort off the rush.
February 16th, 2013: With the net empty, Gionta springs Bourque on a partial breakaway as Jakub Voracek is chasing him down. As soon as Voracek starts trying to hold on to Bourque, he’s given a nice elbow to the face and drops, pulling Bourque down with him. Since taking a penalty while a player on a breakaway with the net empty is an automatic goal, it doesn’t matter that Bourque can’t quite get it in the net. You can put an asterisk beside this one if you wish, but it’s an individual effort off the rush.
April 11th, 2013: Bourque carries the puck into the zone and finds Plekanec, but Plekanec is on his backhand so he sends it back in the direction of both Bourque and Gionta while Miller is down and out. The puck bounces off of Bourque and in. This goal was a team effort off the rush.
April 11th, 2013: A Francis Bouillon shot creates havoc in front of the net as Alex Galchenyuk recovers the loose puck and dekes around Pavelec but can’t put it home. Lars Eller also gets a shot but can’t get it to go either. Finally Bourque gets a try as everyone is scrambling, controls the puck and puts it in the mesh. This goal was a team effort on a zone play.
May 2nd, 2013: After a failed rush attempt by Max Pacioretty and David Desharnais, P.K. Subban gets the puck to Bourque behind the net. He steps out and roofs a backhand past Craig Anderson that brings 21,273 fans to their feet. This goal is absolutely sick, the kind of thing you expect from Pavel Datsyuk or Sidney Crosby, and an individual effort on a zone play.
May 5th, 2013: Gionta grabs the puck in the defensive zone and creates space for himself before breaking out. A nice pass to Plekanec opens up some seams and allows for a rush into the Ottawa zone. As Plekanec enters the zone he finds Bourque in the middle of the ice, who takes it through traffic and fights to get a wrist shot through and does. The shot was a bit weak but it fools Anderson and slips into the net. This goal was an individual effort off the rush.
Next, we’ll break down Bourque’s goals compared to last year.
