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Bruins vs Devils

Game Preview: Bruins vs Devils

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Despite the snowfall in Boston, the Bruins are looking hot as they face the New Jersey Devils tonight at TD Garden. Since the trade deadline, former Devils Marcus Johansson is set to face his old team. Tonight’s game will also mark the 666th career game for Brad Marchand, who has 18 points in his past 12 games. Tuukka Rask , who’s been playing red-hot (13-0-3), will get the start in net.

Bruins vs Devils
(Photo: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports)

HOT IN THE CITY

The Bruins are coming off a huge 4-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning this past Thursday. Boston is hoping to extend their amazing game point streak to 16 games. Forward Jake DeBrusk has 12 points in his last eight games. A big side note: Boston has gone the entire month of February without a regulation loss. During the Lightning game, Bruins forward Sean Kuraly took a nasty hit that saw him being bounced between Braydon Coburn and Erik Cernak. He has been placed in the NHL concussion protocol.

UPDATES

With Kuraly’s sidelined, Providence’s Peter Cehlarik is once again recalled on an emergency basis. He will be most likely slotted with Charlie Coyle and David Backes. Look for Joakim Nordstrom to play with Noel Acciari and Chris Wagner. Kevan Miller will miss tonight’s game as he is recovering from an upper-body injury. For new Bruins player Marcus Johansson, he was quoted that facing his old team will be a “little weird”:

“Obviously made a lot of good friendships. It’s gonna be weird, but I got to do it when I got to Jersey and played Washington, so I kind of know the feeling a little bit, but it’s gonna be a little odd at first.”

Patrice Bergeron was given another maintenance day on Friday. David Pastrnak continues to skate as he recuperates from his surgery. With the regular season coming to a close, expect more maintenance days for key veteran players:

“…weeks like this, we’d rather them not skate day of game. So if they go out today and do like a pregame skate for 15 minutes, sometimes the day after a game, as long as you get your sleep, its easier than going twice the day of a game…There may come a time when you might give them the whole day off and no morning skate but that kind of depends..how they feel, the fatigue level.”

Coach Bruce Cassidy
Bruins vs Devils
(Photo Credits: Steven Ryan | Getty Images)

OPPOSING TEAM

The New Jersey Devils will be facing the Bruins for the second time tonight with the Devils beating Boston 5-2 back on December 27th. New Jersey lost to the Flyers last night 6-3. They have lost two straight and are 5-8-1 in their last 14 games. Drew Stafford will play his 100th game for the Devils. Jersey are 1-5-1 when they play the Bruins in Boston.

Right-winger Kyle Palmieri leads the team in goals (26) and points (48). Nico Hischier leads the team with 27 assists. Their current record is 25-32-8 and they are last in the Metropolitan Division. The Bruins (38-17-9) are second in the Atlantic Division and third in the league. Mackenzie Blackwood will start in between the pipes for the Devils.

WHEN TO WATCH: Tonight with puck drop at 7:00 PM

WHERE TO WATCH: NESN, MSG+

Game Preview: Boston Bruins vs. Vegas Golden Knights

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The Boston Bruins continue with their western trip when they face the Vegas Golden Knights tonight at the T-Mobile Arena. With a thrilling overtime win over the San Jose Sharks, the B’s are looking to make it seven in a row. With the uncertainty of when David Pastrnak will return to the line-up, the time for “next man up” has been more pronounced these past few games.

BOSTON BRUINS VS VEGAS KNIGHTS
(PHOTO CREDITS: Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports)

OFFENSIVE PLAY

In the past four games without Pastrnak (which the B’s have won), the team has scored 19 goals, with many coming from second-year players that have been going through their sophomore slump. Both Jake DeBrusk and Danton Heinen have finally found their voice, and are enjoying the recent burst of offensive play. DeBrusk has had goals and assists in all four games, while Heinen has had a goal and three assists. The fourth line has also contributed with three goals and four assists.

“We miss Pasta…we have enough solid leaders that it’s –next man up is the term, no passengers…next guy that goes in has to do the job. Did we expect to score this many goals without Pasta? No.  We were trending as a lower-scoring team…Maybe that’s just the guys saying, ‘We’ve got to pick up the pace here.’

Coach Bruce Cassidy
BOSTON BRUINS VS VEGAS KNIGHTS
(PHOTO CREDITS: Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports)

DEFENSE

Defense has also stepped up for the B’s with Torey Krug, Zdeno Chara and Charlie McAvoy each picking up goals in the recent game against the Sharks. McAvoy has netted three goals in six games and scored the winning goals in Los Angeles and San Jose. With the trade deadline fast approaching and rumors flying, the team’s focus continues to be assertive with the puck and racking up crucial points.

STATS

The Bruins are now second in the Atlantic Division, two points ahead of Toronto, and fourth in the league with 78 points (tied with San Jose). They are now 35-17-8. Brad Marchand leads the team with 70 points and 47 assists. The injured Pastrnak still leads the team with 31 goals; Marchand has 22, while Bergeron has 21 (DeBrusk is fourth with 18). Coach Bruce Cassidy announced that Jaroslav Halak will get the start in net tonight. Halak is sixth in the league for goals against average (2.35) with a 15-9-4 record. Goaltender Tuukka Rask has been playing stellar as of late: he is 12-0 in his last 12 games played.

BOSTON BRUINS VS LAS VEGAS KNIGHTS
(PHOTO CREDITS: Review Journal)

VIVA LAS VEGAS

The Vegas Knights are coming off a 3-0 shut-out loss to the Colorado Avalanche this past Monday night in their final road trip game in February. They have dropped their last four out of five games and are 3-8-0. Right-winger Alex Tuch leads the team with 42 points and 26 assists. Jonathan Marchessault leads the team with 19 goals. Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury leads the league with 29 wins and six shutouts. Fleury has a record of 29-18-4 with a 2.61 goals against average and a .908 save percentage. The Knights are third in the Pacific Division and are 32-25-4.

The two teams last met on November 11, with Boston winning 4-1.

WHEN TO WATCH:  Tonight with puck drop at 10:00 PM here in the East Coast

WHERE TO WATCH: NBCSN

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Boston Bruins vs Chicago Blackhawks

Bruins End Blackhawks Winning Streak

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The Boston Bruins wrapped up a perfect three-game homestead as they defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 6-3 at the TD Garden on a snowy Tuesday night. Chicago came into Boston with a seven-game winning streak. With news coming that the Bruins star right-winger David Pastrnak being out for a few weeks, the time came for the team to step up, and tonight Boston delivered.

Boston Bruins vs Chicago Blackhawks
(Photo Credits: Steve Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images)

GAME RECAP

The Blackhawks started things off when Alex DeBrincat scored at 4:22 of the first period, making the score 1-0. Chicago’s Brent Seabrook would be called for a tripping penalty against Chris Wagner. David Krejci would tie the game when he scored at 14:47 in the first on a power-play. A few moments later, Danton Heinen would net a wrister at 15:56 in the first making the score 2-1. Boston was not done yet, as number 63 Brad Marchand would score a wrist shot at 18:59 in the first. Score at the end of the first period: Bruins 3, Blackhawks 1

BOSTON RESPONDS

Towards the end of the second period, Jake DeBrusk would tip-in a goal at 18:06, getting the B’s up 4-1, however, Chicago would show some life as Duncan Keith slapped the puck past Rask, making the score at the end of the second 4-2. With the third period getting underway, the Blackhawks Erik Gustafsson would score a wrister that beat Rask, putting Chicago within one goal of tying the game. A slashing penalty would send Chicago’s Dylan Strome to the box at 5:42. Torey Krug had a beautiful set up that lead to a power-play goal by Peter Cehlarik at 7:18 in the third. David Krejci would net his second goal of the night at 15:42, making the final score 6-3.

BY THE NUMBERS

Brad Marchand had quite the night as he racked up a goal with three assists. Danton Heinen continues to find his groove after a slow start in his second season with the Black and Gold, as he added one goal with two assists. Heinen has six points and three goals in his last four games. Jake Debrusk also had one goal with two assists. David Krejci had two goals and an assist, while goaltender Tuukka Rask made 23 saves; he is now 10-0-3 in his past 13 starts. With the win, Coach Bruce Cassidy has won his 100th career victory in 166 games, making him the second-fastest Bruins coach to reach that milestone.

Chicago’s Patrick Kane extended his point streak to 15 games when he notched an assist to the Erik Gustafsson goal in the third period. Kane has now tied Stan Mikita for the longest point streak in Blackhawks history.

UP NEXT FOR THE BRUINS

Continuing with a western trip, the Bruins will head out California when they face the Anaheim Ducks this Friday, February 15th with a 10:00 pm start, EST. In another back-to-back series, Boston will then face the LA Kings on Saturday, the 16th at 10:30 pm.

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Boston Bruins vs Philadelphia Flyers

Tuukka Returns; Bruins vs Flyers

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Tuukka Rask returns tonight after suffering a concussion that saw the goaltender out for one game. The return also marks a possible career-milestone for Rask, who looks to overtake Bruins goaltender Tiny Thompson’s record for most career wins. The B’s are also looking to win tonight to get back into 3rd place in the Atlantic division, as they are now one point behind Montreal. With Monday’s shootout loss to the Winnipeg Jets, the Bruins are now 0-1-1 in their last two games.

A FLYING STREAK

In their last meeting during regular season, the Philadelphia Flyers (21-23-6) will face the Boston Bruins at the TD Garden. Philly is looking to extend their five-game win streak to six, after going 1-7-2 in their previous 10 games. Rookie goaltender Carter Hart will get the start in net for the Flyers. The two teams played against each other January 16th, with the Flyers nabbing the 4-3 win. Sean Couturier had a hat trick, and Claude Giroux reached a career high of 500 assists.

Boston Bruins vs Philadelphia Flyers
(Photo Credits: Rob Carr/Getty Images North America

Giroux currently leads the team with 52 points and 38 assists. Couturier leads the team with 19 goals. If the Flyers win tonight, it would be their longest winning streak since 2010. It will also give them their 2,000th road point. Despite having won two of the last three games, they have lost nine of their last games in Boston.  Couturier has recorded a point in seven of his last eight games played.

LOOKING FOR A WIN

Boston Bruins face Philadelphia Flyers
(Photo Credits: Eric Hartline-USA Today Sports)

The Bruins (27-17-6) are coming off  their mandatory bye-week and  suffered a shootout loss to the jets 4-3. Despite the loss, the Bruins played with little rust, although by the third period, things got away as the Jets scored two goals seconds apart in the third period.   Boston is 2nd in the league for the power play at 27.3%. Joakim Nordstrom will return to the lineup tonight after suffering a fractured fibula.

WELCOME BACK

Boston Bruins vs Philadelphia Flyers
(Photo Credits: Leon Halip/Getty Images North Americ)

With Halak slipping in his numbers, news of the return of “Tuukka Time” offered fans a bit of relief:


“…we trust him. If he’s not ready that fine. He’s coming off a pretty serious hit there..”

Coach Bruce Cassidy on Rask

Rask’s season has had many ups and downs, but recently looking to be back on track. Rask is now third in the NHL for goals against average with 2.43. Nordstrom will be slotted alongside Sean Kuraly and Chris Wagner. John Moore will also be back in the lineup with Matt Grzelcyk out. He’ll be playing next to Brandon Carlo. David Pastrnak still leads the team with 59 points and 28 goals. Brad Marchand continues to lead the team in assists with 37.

WHEN TO WATCH: Tonight with puck drop at 7:00 PM

WHERE TO WATCH: NHLN, NESN, NBCSP+

Follow me on Twitter @pastagrl88

Boston Bruins vs New York Rangers

Game Preview: Bruins vs Rangers

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The Boston Bruins will be facing the New York Rangers tonight at the TD Garden in their last game before the NHL All-Star break. After the game, Boston players will have the next eight days off (except for David Pastrnak).

After a 4-2 win over the St. Louis Blues this past Thursday night on home ice, the Bruins will be looking to get one more win and perhaps take over the second spot in the Atlantic Division. The B’s are on the heals of Toronto and with a win tonight, goaltender Tuukka Rask will be looking to make Bruins history as he would become the winningest goalie in franchise history.

Boston Bruins Tuukka Rask
(Photo Credits:: Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports)

HOT IN THE NET

Currently Rask is on a hot streak with a 6-0-1 record and has a seven-game point streak. After having a tough start to the season, Rask has slowly surged back to reclaim the number one goalie spot. While there will always be naysayers in regards to the goalie situation in Boston, the Bruins really have had two great goalies on their roster. Despite his recent slump, Jaroslav Halak has certainly provided much needed help in net as Rask worked to get his groove back.

RETURN TO THE GARDEN

Former bruins D-Man Adam McQuiad
(Photo Credits: Getty Images)

For tonight’s game against the Blues, expect Rask to get the start in net. The Bruins are now 10-4-1 in their last 15 games played. In the first meeting between these two teams, fans will see the return of former Bruins defenseman Adam McQuaid, who had been in Boston throughout his career up until last season when he was traded to New York. Tonight will mark his 486th NHL career game and first against the B’s.

Boston Bruins vs New York Rangers
(Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)

Another little side note: David Quinn, a native of Rhode Island, coached Charlie McAvoy at Boston University for two years. Quinn was a Terrier for three years before becoming the assistant coach and eventually becoming head coach in 2013. This past Spring, he stepped down to become the new head coach for the Rangers and will be returning to his old stomping grounds at the TD Garden. For McAvoy, tonight’s game will a special one:

“Couple guys who I’m really excited to see. Both guys are great friends of mine. (Quinn) he really molded me pretty well, allowed me to grow up while I was at school there, taught me a lot of life lessons on the ice…I’m thankful for the things that he taught me.

Charlie McAvoy
Boston Bruins vs New York Rangers
(Photo Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports)

BROADWAY BLUES

New York will be coming off winning their last two game straight and beat Chicago this past Thursday 4-3. Their record is 20-20-7 while Boston is at 27-16-5. With the recent win over the Blackhawks, Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist is now tied for 6th place for the NHL’s all-time wins (445). Forward Chris Kreider leads the team with 22 goals. Mika Zibanejad leads the team with 42 points and has 27 assists. The Ranger top line of Kreider, Zibanejad and Mats Zuccarello have a combined 13 points in their last few games. They are 7-1 against the Bruins and have outscored them 26-12.

Here were this morning’s rushes for the Boston Bruins:

For the New York Rangers, here are there projected lines:

KREIDER-ZIBANEJAD-ZUCCARELLO

CHYTIL- STROME- FAST

VESEY- NIEVES- NAMESTNIKOV

MCLEOD- HOWDEN- BUCHNEVICH

STALL-DEANGELO

SKJEI- MCQUIAD

LINDGREN- SHATTENKIRK

LUNDQVIST

MAZANEC

WHEN AND WHERE TO WATCH: Tonight with puck drop at 7:00 pm on NHLN, NESN, MSG

Bruins vs Caps

Game Preview: Bruins vs Caps

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As the Hockey Gods continue to smile down upon the boys in Black and Gold, tonight’s match-up against the Washington Capital in Boston will prove to be a mighty test. Ovechkin and crew have managed to defeat Bergeron and Co. 13 straight times. Could tonight mark the end of the Bruins drought against Washington? For the surging Boston team, who are coming off a five game winning streak, things are heading in the right direction.

“The easiest way to beat a team you haven’t is to defend really well, keep the puck out of your net…”

Coach Bruce Cassidy

Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy announced yesterday that goaltender Jaroslav Halak will get the start in net despite the recent hot play by Tuukka Rask. Halak had recently helped the Bruins break ANOTHER losing game streak against the Anaheim Ducks (nine to be specific). The Bruins won that game 3-1, and the thinking process is that once again Halak, who has certainly earned his stripes this season, will lead the charge against the Capitals.

Bruins vs Caps
(Photo Credits: (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)

GAME NOTES: BOSTON

The Bruins have now outscored their opponents 19-9 and have a healthy record of 25-14-4 and are 4-0 at home. The Washington Capitals, who are defending Stanley Cup Champions, have a record of 26-12-4 and currently sit at the 1st spot position in the Metro Division; Boston is in 3rd in the Atlantic, still two points behind Toronto.  Captain Alex Ovechkin leads the Caps in points with 47 and leads the league with 30 goals. David Pastrnak still leads the Bruins with 52 points, with Brad Marchand second at 47 points.

Boston is looking to win their sixth consecutive game tonight and is this close to being completely healthy. Defenseman Charlie McAvoy recently skated and looks to be making a return soon after finishing treatment for a foot infection, while Joakim Nordstrom is still out with fractured fibula.

QUICK STATS

The power trio of Bergeron, Marchand and Pastrnak has a combined to score 55 goals in 43 games. The Bruins power play is 3rd in the league at 28.5%, while the Capitals are in 10th in the league at 21.5%. Boston is 11th in the league for the power-kill at 81.1%, with Washington sitting a little lower in 22nd place at 78.0%

GAME NOTES: WASHINGTON

Tonight’s game marks the beginning of a four-game road trip for the Caps. They started the New Year with two losses, however recovered fairly quickly to win two straight. In their recent win against the Philadelphia Flyers, forward Jakub Vrana had a three-point game with two goals and one assist; a first for his NHL career. Goaltender Phoenix Copley made 37 saves for a career-high 10th win. The team leads the NHL in goals (61) and have defeated their Eastern Conference opponents 15 out of the their last 16 games played. Washington also has a 20-plus goal differential in the second period; a record that is second to Tampa Bay.

Bruins vs Caps
(Photo Credits: Patrick Smith/Getty Images )

Look for goaltender Braden Holtby to get the start tonight. In 29 games played, he has a .910 save percentage with a 2.89 GAA. Bruins goalie Jaroslav Halak currently has a .929 save percentage with a 2.36 GAA in 23 games; he is third in the league for save percentage.

WHEN: Tonight at TD Garden with puck drop at 7:00 PM

WHERE TO WATCH: ESPN +, NESN, NBCSWA

Boston Bruins

Game Preview: Bruins vs Buffalo

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The Boston Bruins are looking to extend their winning streak as they host the Buffalo Sabres tonight at TD Garden. This will be their fourth match-up this season. Coming off a win against the Calgary Flames, the B’s will see the return of winger David Backes, who is coming off a three-game suspension. He will be slotted on the right wing with Jake Debrusk and David Krejci. This morning the B’s had optional skate at the Warrior Ice Arena. Coach Bruce Cassidy also announced that both Colby Cave and Steven Kampfer will be scratches for tonight’s game.

Boston Bruins vs Buffalo Sabres Preview
(Photo Credits: AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)

GETTING THERE

The season is now half-way through as the Bruins continue to play with positive momentum. After a temendous win at the Winter Classic, the B’s are looking and feeling good. Amidst the multiple injuries they’ve dealt with early in the first half of the season, the boys in Black and Gold have managed to hold a strong position in the Playoff’s scene. The Bruins are now four points behind Toronto as they are tied with the Sabres for 3rd in the Atlantic Division. At this point, it’s safe to say that Boston are on pace for 100 points or more by the end of 2019.

GAME NOTES: BRUINS

With the addition of Backes in the line-up, the Bruins roster once again will be shifting as Joakim Nordstom is nursing a fractured fibula. Defenseman Charlie McAvoy is currently out and has only managed to play in 17 games this season, although frustrations should start to melt away as it seems he’ll be back sooner rather than later.

Well, I feel good about it, to be honest with you. I mean, right now we’re halfway through the year (Game 41) and we’re at 50 points. We’d like to think we’ll get better, simply because a lot of the guys that were out that are key contributors are now healthy and the only one left is Charlie.”

Coach Bruce Cassidy

The Bruins are fourth in the league for the power play percentage at 27.8 They currently have a 23-14-4 record while Buffalo has a 22-13-6 record in a tight race for that third position as both teams have 50 points. The last time these two teams met, the Bruins rallied back to win 3-2 as Sean Kuraly netted the overtime goal.

Boston Bruins vs Buffalo Sabres
(Photo Credits: AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)

GAMES NOTES: SABRES

The Sabre’s Jack Eichel will be missing from the lineup for the second straight game due to an upper-body injury. He suffered the set-back during a recent game against the New York Islanders in which the Sabres fell 3-1. He leads Buffalo with 49 points in 40 games so far. Left-winger Jeff Skinner is second to Eichel with 41 points in 41 games and leads the team with 28 goals. Goaltender Linus Ullmark will get the start tonight in net for the Sabres. He currently has a 2.73 goals against average with a .922 save percentage.

Boston Bruins vs Buffalo Sabres
(Photo Credits: AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)

QUICK STATS

Bruins All-Star David Pastrnak has a three point game streak with 22 points in his last 14 games. He also has 52 points in 41 games and leads the team in points and goals. Brad Marchand is second with 44 points with Patrice Bergeron at 35 points. David Krejci isn’t far behind with 33 points total. Pastrnak is tied in fourth place in the league for goals at 25, and leads with 12 powerplay goals. Tuukka Rask will be in net for the Bruins tonight while looking to continue an upward trend in his play. He currently has a 2.63 goals against average with a .914 save percentage.

WHEN TO WATCH: Tonight with puck drop @ 7:00pm

WHERE TO WATCH: NESN, ESPN+, MSG-B

Follow me on Twitter @pastagrl88

Game Preview: Boston Bruins vs Calgary Flames

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Boston Bruins
Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports

NEW YEAR

The Boston Bruins return home after starting the New Year with a win over the Chicago Blackhawks 4-2 at the NHL Winter Classic. Tonight the B’s host the Calgary Flames, who are playing the back to back games after winning 5-3 over the Detroit Red Wings. The Flames have now moved to first in the Western Conference, while the Bruins have moved into 3rd position in the Atlantic Division. Calgary’s recent record has been 3-0-1 in the past few games, and 10-3 in the past 16 games.  With the win over the ‘Hawks, Boston has now won their second straight game and fifth in their past seven games.

BRUINS UPDATES

Boston Bruins Nordstrom
(photo credit: NHL.com)

Earlier today, the Bruins announced that forward Joakim Nordstrom sustained a non-displaced fibula fracture and will remain out of the lineup until further evaluation in three weeks. Nordstom’s injury occurred during the Winter Classic. The Swedish native has played 39 games for the Black and Gold, posting five goals with two assists while being slotted up between the first few lines. Right-winger David Pastrnak, who was recently named to the NHL All-Star team, leads the team with 24 goals with 26 assists for 50 points so far this season. He is currently tied for fourth in the league for goals and tied for first in powerplay goals. Brad Marchand leads the team in assists (26) and is tied in second with Patrice Bergeron with 13 goals.

Coach Bruce Cassidy issued an update on Charlie McAvoy with a possible return on Tuesday or Thursday. David Krejci and wife Naomi welcomed a baby boy this morning; he will be in the lineup tonight. This morning’s rushes for the Bruins:

Marchand-Bergeron-Pastrnak

Donato-Krejci-DeBrusk

Kualy-Acciari-Wagner

Heninen-Cave-JFK

Chara-Carlo

Grzelcyk-Miller

Krug-Moore

Halak

Rask

Possible start in net: Halak, although at the timing of this writing, no official announcement from the Bruins Camp.

CALGARY NOTES

Boston Bruins face Calgary Flames
(Photo Credits: NHL.com)

Calgary Flames forward Johhny “Hockey” Gaudreau has accumulated eight points in his past two games with three goals and five assists. He has 14 points in his past six games. He is tied with Center Sean Monahan for goals at 22. Gaudreau has 59 points, with Monahan not far behind with 50 points this season. He is now fifth in the league behind Connor Mcdavid and Nikita Kucherov. Gaudreau also has the most point by a Calgary Flame player in team history over the first half year. That feat tied the franchise record set by forward Bob MacMillam (then-called Atlanta Flames) in the 1978-79 season.

Projected lineup for Calgary

Gaudreau-Monahan-Lindholm

Tkachuk-Backlund-Frolik

Bennett-Jankowski-Neal

Dube-Ryan-Hathaway

Giodano-Brodie

Hanifin-Hamonic

Kylington-Andersson

Smith

Gillers

WHEN TO WATCH:  TD Garden, tonight with puck drop 7:00 pm

WHERE TO WATCH: NESN, ESPN+

NEXT GAME:  Boston vs. Buffalo

Boston Bruins vs Arizona Coyotes

Game Preview: Boston Bruins vs Arizona Coyotes

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The Boston Bruins return home to the TD Garden to face the Arizona Coyotes after winning back to back games.  The Bruins are now 16-10 while the Coyotes are 13-13.  They currently sit near the bottom of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference.  Boston is in fourth, holding on to first place in the wild card race in the Atlantic Division.  The Bruins welcomed back Charlie McAvoy for the game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, where Boston flexed their muscle to win 6-3.  In the game against the Leafs the Bruins would see goals from six different players.  Jarolslav Halak made 29 saves in net, while defenseman Torey Krug scored his 1st goal of the season.

Image result for boston bruins vs arizona coyotes

(Photos Credits: AP Photo/Ralph Freso)

BACK TO BACK

Less than 24 hours later, the Bruins traveled to Ottawa as they faced the Senators for the third time this season.  The Senators opened up the game when Mark Stone scored, putting Ottawa up 1-0.  Bruins’ Brad Marchand, however, would answer back in the second, when he scored at 7:49 off a rebound on a power play, making it 1-1.  Marchand, for his part, would have a season high nine shots.  As the game headed into overtime, it would be defenseman Torey Krug who would come out the victor as he scored at 3:07, scoring the 2-1 win over the Ottawa Senators.  David Pastrnak leads the team with 35 points, with Brad Marchand second with 29 points.  Pasta is currently fourth in the league with goals (20).

Image result for boston bruins vs arizona coyotes

(Photo Credits Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

ARIZONA

With tonight’s game, Arizona will start their four-game road trip as travel to face the Bruins.  The ‘Yotes are coming in on a three-game winning streak, and if they win tonight it will be their first four-game winning streak since 2011.  Arizona’s goaltender Darcy Kuemper, who had previously been out eight games due to a lower-body injury, is looking to make his return tonight.  Goalie Antti Raanta is out indefinitely due to a lower-body injury.  Forward/Center Clayton Keller leads the team in points with 20, netting eight goals with 12 assists.  Niklas Hjalmarsson will play his 700th NHL game tonight and is currently leading the ‘Yotes in blocked shots with 56.  Arizona is looking to end a 13 game losing streak against Boston, with their last win against the B’s in the 2010-2011 season.

The last time these two teams met, Bruins goaltender Jaroslav Halak had a great night in net when he made 32 saves and Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson scored his first NHL goal.  Halak is expected in net tonight, however as of this writing this morning’s rush had not been published.

WHEN: Tonight with puck drop at 7:00 PM, TD Garden

WHERE TO WATCH: NESN, FS-A PLUS

Bruins Fall to Florida 5-0

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Cracks are starting to expose themselves when it comes to the Bruins as evident in the recent shutout loss to Florida. In a listless game against the Panthers, Boston had struggles early on and by the 2nd, the wheels fell off.  But if there’s anything positive that can be said about this team; they know how to make comebacks. Much like last season amidst all the injuries, the Bruins found their stride and went on a tear. They were the team that did it when they weren’t expected to do it. Last night Coach Bruce Cassidy had this to say:

I didn’t like the first at all, to be with honest with you. Our goaltender kept us in. Our goaltending has been very good all year, so we’ve been able to bounce back from it…some of our younger players had their hand full.

(Photo Credit: NHL Bruins Twitter)

Florida’s goaltender Roberto Luongo had missed the last five games and recorded his 77th shutout win last night in the 5-0 win against the B’s.  Luongo is now ninth on the list for the NHL all-time career shutouts.  After a stalemate in the first period with neither team scoring, the Panthers pulled the trigger and controlled the second period, scoring four goals.  Mike Hoffman scored first at 4:21 in the second after knocking in a loose puck past Jaroslav Halak.  Mike Matheson made it 2-0 at the 13:13 mark.  Jonathan Huberdeau added another goal giving Florida a cushioned-lead over the Bruins, making it 3-0. Hoffman once again scored during a power-play off a one-time with seconds left in the period making the score 4-0.  Evgeni Dadonov hit another nail in the coffin when he scored a power-play goal in the third period at 14:36, making the final score 5-0.  Bruins goaltender Jaroslav Halak made 39 saves while Luongo made 33 saves in net.

NEXT UP

The loss marks the fifth shutout for the Bruins this season as Florida out shot Boston 44-33. The team will be looking for another bounce back this Thursday when they face the Tampa Bay Lightning, who currently lead the Atlantic Division with a 21-7-1 record.  Boston currently remain (by a thread) in the 1st wildcard position with a 14-9-4 record.  David Backes spoke with the media after the game:

Coach Bruce Cassidy also spoke with the media after the game to express the same sentiment that has been shared by many: lack of defense:

“Our team defense wasn’t good enough.  Poor gaps all night.  Didn’t move the puck on the back-end nearly crisp enough…We do have some young guys learning their way.  Can’t use that as en excuse.  Once you’re up here, you have to be able to make the plays that are expected of you and we didn’t do that tonight”

The Bruins face the Tampa Bay Lightning this Thursday night with puck drop at 7:30 pm at the Amalie Arena.

 

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