Tag Archives: Bruce Cassidy

Bruins Vs. Blues | Stanley Cup Game 5 Preview

Leave a reply

Two steps forward, one step back. That’s how the Stanley Cup Finals have gone for the Boston Bruins. They won Game 1 with a four-unanswered-goal comeback, taking it 4-2. They dominated Game 3 scoring four power play goals and winning 7-2. Unfortunately, Game 4 played similarly to Game 2. The Bruins couldn’t maintain the puck in the offensive zone, couldn’t keep it out of their own, and committed far too many turnovers. They lost Game 2 in overtime 3-2, then lost Game 4 by a score of 4-2. Both losses also came with injuries to the Bruins defense. In Game 2 Matt Grzelcyk was hit by Oskar Sundqvist and hasn’t played since due to a concussion. In Game 4 Zdeno Chara deflected the puck into his face and it’s reported that he has a broken jaw.

Tie Breaker

Tied at 2, the series is now a best-of-three. Game 5 is in Boston, as well as Game 7 if necessary. The Bruins will look to utilize the home crowd and light up the scoreboard early. They’ll need to establish and maintain offensive zone time and shoot at the net every chance they get. In both losses the Bruins had significantly fewer shots on goal than the Blues. Tuukka Rask has been amazing throughout the playoffs, but he’s going to need more offensive help to win the Stanley Cup.

(Associated Press)

Utilizing the Power Play

The Bruins haven’t been as productive during 5-on-5 play lately, so the key will be drawing penalties. They’ve been lethal on the power play and that can jump-start the full-strength offense. The Blues have been physical with several borderline (and a few egregious) hits, so getting a few calls should be inevitable. If the Bruins can capitalize on those chances and get something going, maintain puck possession, and cut down on turnovers, they’ll have a great chance of winning.

Defensive Woes

The defensive situation is a big question. Matt Grzelcyk was at practice on Wednesday, which is good news. But he was wearing the red, “no-contact”, jersey. So whether or not he plays in Game 5 remains to be seen. Chara is another question mark. There still hasn’t been any official word on him or his availability, but he wasn’t at practice on Wednesday. He’s consistently led the Bruins in ice time, so if he can’t play that leaves the Bruins with a large defensive hole. The current speculation is that Coach Bruce Cassidy will dress seven defensemen, instead of the usual five, to fill that void.

(Photo by Billy Hurst)

The Bruins had to win Game 3, and to do so they would have to play their best game of the season. They did. This time even more is on the line and they’ll have to play just as tough. They can’t allow the Blues to win Game 5 in Boston and go back to St. Louis to potentially win it all. Game 5 is an absolute must-win for the Bruins, and they’ll need all four lines showing up in force to do so. The series, the season, and the Stanley Cup is on the line.

Bruins vs Leafs

FINAL COUNTDOWN: Boston Bruins vs Toronto Maple Leafs, Game 7

Leave a reply

Here we are again. Game 7 in Round One of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The familiar noises and heart-attack inducing feelings are back again at home as the Boston Bruins face the Toronto Maple Leafs for the second straight season. It’s been the match-up that was foreseen as the regular season came to a close with both teams evenly matched.

SETTING THE STAGE

In an all too familiar scenario that saw the Bruins back up against the wall in a pivotal Game 6, the B’s came out fighting for their season and forced a Game 7. Toronto scored first, but soon thereafter the Bruins tied up the game and eventually took a 3-1 lead over the Leafs. Toronto’s star Auston Matthews netted a goal making it 3-2.  With Toronto threatening to even out the score, Boston defense came up huge and managed to keep the Leafs at bay.  In the final minutes of the third period and with an empty Maple Leafs net, Bruins own Brad Marchand netted his second goal of the game, making the final score 4-2.

“…When the season’s on the line, you want to play hard, you want to leave it all out there…We’re playing for our season again next game. You don’t know how it’s gonna play out, but we’ll have fun doing it.”

Bruins Brad Marchand
Bruins vs Leafs
(Photo by Michael Tureski/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

FINAL MOMENTS

As both Toronto and Boston Bruins fans gear up for the final showdown this season, the end result will come down to simply which team wants it more. With the momentum coming out from the huge win in Toronto, Boston will need to continue to get their hustle, hitting and better puck control. While the Bruins teams have won its last two Game 7 against Toronto, the past is just that: the past. Toronto is a different team as are the B’s. The Bruins team currently has players that have experience in a do-or-die situation.

“Experience matters. I think it was just the compete level. Our guys, they knew what was at stake (Game 6) if we didn’t perform. I think it showed that they were ready to play. I think we responded well after every loss in the series. That’s a testament to the guys. Going forward, experience matters…It helps me because I haven’t been around that long. Some of the players have been through it more than I have. Our veteran guys have been through it a few times. I assume they’ll draw on different experiences.”

Bruins Head Coach Bruce Cassidy

STAYING ON TOP

Fans will remember that Boston Bruins took a 3-1 series lead last season when they faced Toronto.  The Maple Leafs however came back and tied the series-forcing a Game 7 in Boston. Toronto had the lead in the third period when Boston scored four unanswered goals.  Once again, Boston will face a hungry Maple Leafs team and judging from Sundays game, the Bruins are playing back to their identity.

Bruins vs Leafs
(Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

“To me, that’s the recipe that has been successful for us most of the year, even in this playoff series. They’re a good team that doesn’t give you much. The space is very tight on the ice and when we simplify our game and bring it into their zone, that’s where you want to play obviously. I think it about doing a lot of what we did in Game 6, for sure.”

Bruins Patrice Bergeron

As of this morning, Coach Bruce Cassidy announced that there will be no changes to the line-up for tonight’s game.  As the hours count down to puck drop at 7:00pm tonight at the Garden, no matter the outcome, both Boston and Toronto will be do whatever it takes to win.

May the best team win.

Bruins vs Leafs
(Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

(Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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

WHERE TO WATCH: NBCSN, NESN

Follow me on Twitter: @pastagrl88

Boston Bruins vs Columbus Blue Jackets

Boston Bruins Clinch Home Ice; Marchand Hits 100

Leave a reply

With two games left to the regular season, and a guaranteed spot in the Playoffs, the Boston Bruins brought some fire last night in Columbus as they defeated the Blue Jackets 6-4. In a win that certainly felt like a Playoff game, the boys in Black and Gold were back to form after dropping their last two games. And for one particular player, last night would be one to remember as teammates swarmed number 63.

HITTING 100

After scoring a goal and tallying up an assist, Marchand reached a personal milestone: he would become the 10th Bruin to net 100 points, joining a list with likes of:

Phil Esposito

Johnny Bucyk

Ken Hodge

Joe Juneau

Rick Middleton

Bobby Orr

Adam Oates

Barry Pederson

Joe Thornton

Fellow teammates as well as the coach had glowing remarks following Marchand hitting that record:

“Couldn’t be prouder..He’s a kid that came through Providence a long time ago-we were both much younger people. He’s worked really, really hard. I’m gonna guess he’s worked as hard as anyone in the National Hockey League to round his shot, his puck play. We’ve incorporate him more on the power play and he’s grabbed it…he’s bought into it, he’s done what we’ve asked…when he’s on the ice, he’s deadly.”

Coach Bruce Cassidy

“Any time you have a 100-point producer on our team, it’s pretty special..he’s an amazing player on the ice, he sees things that other guys don’t see. But off ice, his preparation-him and (Bergeron) ad all the leaders here are pretty similar in that. I think it’s something that as young guys you want to be like them…it’s a pretty special milestone and it was cool to be part of.”

Jake DeBrusk

STARTING AT HOME

With the win over the Jackets, the Boston Bruins have now clinched home ice in the First Round of the Playoffs when they face the Toronto Maple Leafs, who lost last night to Carolina 4-1.  Jake DeBrusk netted two goals, Marcus Johansson scored his first goal as a Bruins, David Pastrnak scored a goal and Marchand scored-leading to his 100th point of the season.  Torey Krug and David Krejci also had career highs in assists.

Boston Bruins vs Columbus Blue Jackets
(Photo: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports)

DeBrusk has scored four goals in his last four games, and has tallied up 27 goals so far this season. He also picked up an assist on Karson Kuhlman’s goal.  DeBrusk’s first goal was credited to him after a lucky bounce got past Sergei Bobrovsky. Johansson scored off a rebound that was set up by Charlie Coyle. Krejci notched his 52nd assist last night, while Krug accumulated his 47th assist. David Pastrnak scored off an assist by Patrice Bergeron.

SLOWING THE JACKETS

The Boston Bruins were able to snap Columbus’s five-game winning streak last night. Bobrovsky was pulled from goal after Boston scored their fourth goal. Joonas Korpisalo took over and allowed two goals. Oliver Bjorkstrand scored in the third, putting the Jackets on board with their first goal of the night. Matt Duchene scored a power-play goal off a pass by Artemi Panarin (who has eight points in his last six games).

The Bruins continue with their road trip as they face the Minnesota Wild on Thursday with an 8:00 pm. start time.

Columbus will look to clinch a Playoff berth when they face the New York Rangers this Friday.

Cassidy

Bruce Cassidy Deserving of Jack Adams Consideration

Leave a reply

Over the last two months the Boston Bruins have been on a historic run. They had earned at least a point in nineteen straight games before falling to Pittsburgh Sunday night. The last team to have a streak like that was the Chicago Blackhawks during the 2013-2014 season, when they won the Stanley Cup. During the Bruins impressive stretch many different players have stepped up. Their head coach Bruce Cassidy, however, has again proved why he is one of the best. In a season filled with adversity, he has guided the Bruins to second place in the Eastern Confrence.

While the Bruins entered the season with high expectations, it has been anything but easy. They have missed just about every key player for an extended time due to injuries . They have dealt with sophomore slumps and at times struggled offensively. Through it all, Cassidy has gotten the best out of his players.

For the past three weeks, Cassidy has been without his top goal scorer David Pastrnak, and for the past week Jake DeBrusk. As a result, Cassidy has had to be creative with his lines. Against Ottawa, he placed Chris Wagner on the Bruins top line midway through the game. Wagner rewarded his coach’s trust by scoring the tying goal. This is just one example of Cassidy showing his ability to make in-game adjustments to put this team in the best position to win.

Additionally, he has been patient with his young players as they battled Sophomore slumps. He has received a lot of criticism for his line pairings, but the Bruins offense has improved lately. The secondary scoring that was absent has shown up, as Heinen and DeBrusk have finally resembled the players they were last season. They have rewarded their coaches faith by performing well in top six roles.

Bruins Continue To Excel

Despite the shuffling lineups, the Bruins still have the ninth-best penalty kill, and second best power play unit. They have used 37 different players and improved as the season has progressed. That would cause most teams to fall of a cliff, but not this Bruins team. Cassidy has gotten his team to buy into the Bruins system, and as a result they have excelled.

For all these reasons Cassidy should be in the Jack Adams conversation. The award is given to coach who has contributed the most to his team’s success. Cassidy is more than deserving, as he has rarely had a healthy roster, forcing him to work with a depleted lineup. Regardless of the changing pieces this team continues to win.

Winning the award will not be easy, as Cassidy has steep competition. The other finalists will most likely be Bill Peters, Barry Trotz, and John Cooper. While Cassidy will again be in the conversation, Trotz Is the current favorite due to the Islanders success. Regardless of the results, what Cassidy has done this year has been truly impressive.


Game Preview: Boston Bruins vs. Vegas Golden Knights

Leave a reply

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

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER @pastagrl88

Boston Bruins vs Chicago Blackhawks

Bruins End Blackhawks Winning Streak

Leave a reply

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.

Follow me on Twitter @pastagrl88

Boston Bruins vs Philadelphia Flyers

Tuukka Returns; Bruins vs Flyers

Leave a reply

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

Bruins vs Caps

Game Preview: Bruins vs Caps

Leave a reply

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

Leave a reply

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

Boston Bruins

Bergeron Returns in Dramatic Fashion; Bruins defeat Preds 5-2

Leave a reply

MISTER 300

It was an afternoon to remember, as Bruins fans received an early Christmas present when Coach Bruce Cassidy announced Patrice Bergeron would return to the lineup.  Number 37 had been out since November 16th after sustaining a rib and sternoclavicular injury in a game against Dallas.  Without missing a beat, in typical Bruins fashion, Bergeron reminded fans and the NHL exactly why he is one of the greatest premier two-way forwards as he notched his 300th NHL goal.  He is now 17 games away from reaching his 1,000th game played.  Bergeron is now the sixth player in Bruins history to score 300 goals.  He joins an elite group alongside Cam Neely, Ray Bourque, Rick Middleton, Phil Esposito, and Johnny Bucyk.

GAME PREVIEW

In the first period, Bergeron got the Bruins on board 1-0 when he scored at 15:10 from a Charlie McAvoy pass.  The Bruins would score another goal in the second making it 2-0, only to have it overturned when Nashville challenged for goaltender interference.  The Predators would even the score when Ryan Johansen netted a goal off a one-timer pass from Craig Smith.  However, Bergeron would bring Boston up by one when he scored his second goal of the game (and one that would be his 300th career goal).  Nashville would come back when Kyle Turris scored with a wrist shot, making it 2-2.

Boston Bruins Patrice Bergeron)

(Photo Credits: Stuart Cahill/Boston Herald)

LOSING THE EDGE

With a frustrated Preds team looking to make a comeback, a penalty was given to Ryan Hartman when he tripped David Pastrnak.  Bruins’ Brad Marchand took advantage, and netted a power play goal with an assist by Bergeron, making the score 3-2.  Any hopes for the Predators were quickly squashed as Pastrnak scored on a one-timer pass from Marchand for a 4-2 lead; Bergeron was also credited with an assist for the Pastrnak goal.  Adding the final nail in the coffin, Sean Kuraly potted an empty-net goal in the last few moments in the third, making the final score 5-2.

With the win, the Boston Bruins are now one point away from taking the third spot in the Atlantic Division.  Nashville has now lost four in a row, as well as losing 10 straight road games.  They are also missing some key players in their lineup, such as P.K Subban and Viktor Arvidsson.  Bruins’ Marchand and Pastrnak had two goals and two assists.  Goaltender Jaroslav Halak made 28 saves and is third in the league for goals against average at 2.19; he’s tied for first in the league with save percentage (.930) alongside Tampa Bay’s goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy.  He’s also tied in second in the league for shutout wins.  The Bruins have now won three in a row, and six of their last eight games.  Boston is hoping to extend their winning streak as they travel to face the Carolina Hurricanes tomorrow afternoon.

NEXT GAME: Sunday, December 23rd with puck drop at  5:00 PM

WHERE TO WATCH: NESN