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Boston Bruins prospect watch: Jack Studnicka

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The Bruins have quite arguably the most talented roster in the NHL. Theres a chance that a good chunk of talent could be added to that roster next season. From one guy. From within the organization.

Whats the big idea?

Jack Studnicka is a 20 year old center in the Boston Bruins organization. Hes a physically gifted goal scorer that the Bruins have lacked over recent years. Hands and speed are two words that sum up the game of Studnicka, and he has the stats to back that up. For the 2018-2019 season Studnicka played a total of 60 games in the OHL. 30 games for the Oshawa Generals and 30 games for the Niagara Ice Hogs. A captain for the Generals, he put up 12 goals and 22 assists, totaling 34 points in 30 games. As an assistant captain for the Niagara Ice Dogs he tallied 49 points in 30 games, including 24 goals and 25 assists.

Studnicka is more of a traditional goal scorer than the Bruins roster is used to. For instance, David Pastrnak is the first player that comes to mind when I try to think of a comparison to a current Bruins player. An elite scorer with a little bit of a physical game. However, if Studnicka is doing his thing, he’s scoring goals. Being more of a goal scorer, he doesn’t exactly fit the Bruins traditional third or fourth line guy. The Bruins tend to lean towards bigger, more physical players on the third and fourth lines, while the more skilled guys lead the first and second line. In other words, there might be a little bit of a learning curve in order for Studnicka to fit in.

Will he make the jump?

Jack Studnicka is a natural center. The depth of the Bruins current roster will be Studnicka’s only hurdle from making the team out of camp. With Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci, Charlie Coyle, and Sean Kuraly, and newly signed Par Lindholm, the center of the ice is a busy place for the Bruins and is by no means a position of need.

The Bruins have never been shy of shifting guys around. Weighing in at 6’1 and 185 lbs, Studnicka doesn’t have many restrictions to stop him from playing any forward roll. With no lineup restrictions, he brings the value of being able to be plugged in anywhere in the lineup.

The style of Studnicka’s game also helps his case to make a run at the roster next season. He’s fast enough to keep up with any pace that the game requires. He can also slow the game down to the pace necessary for him to put the puck in the net. Perhaps Studnicka could play a part in the right wing depth issue for the Bruins that I also talked about here. Don Sweeney has said in interviews that he would be open to the idea of Studnicka playing on the wing. As stated before, Studnicka is a natural center, but Studnicka himself is also open to the roll of a winger.

Time will tell

Jack Studnicka definitely has the talent to play in the NHL. The depth of the Bruins center position will be Studnicka’s biggest hurdle. Injuries are inevitable, and perhaps that’ll be the opportunity that Studnicka needs to prove that he’s worthy of the NHL. Regardless, its only a matter of time before Jack Studnicka is making an impact at the NHL level for the Boston Bruins.

Recap: The Boston Bruins Force Game 7

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The Boston Bruins had their backs against the wall going into Enterprise Stadium in St. Louis on Sunday night. The Stanley Cup was in the building and the Blues were looking to hoist it in front of their home crowd. Word got out that the Blues already had a restaurant rented to celebrate their victory and a St. Louis newspaper had leaked an image online congratulating the Blues on their Stanley Cup win. Boston had an uphill battle to climb and they were up to the task.

Motivation

In the locker room before the game, Patrice Bergeron gave a rousing speech to fire up the boys in black and gold. Jake DeBrusk spoke about it afterward. “He’s a legend. He said some words that I don’t know if he necessarily wants me to repeat. They weren’t bad words. It was just about what we all dream about doing. Everyone that grows up playing hockey dreams of being in this moment. It was something along those lines and to see him set the tone that way wanted us all to run through a wall.”

(Photo by Jeff Roberson)

Quick Start

If the St. Louis Blues defense was the proverbial wall, the Bruins certainly ran through it. In the first period they had a 5-3 power play and capitalized almost immediately with a goal by Brad Marchand. After holding a 1-0 lead through two periods, the Bruins opened the floodgates in the third. Two and a half minutes into the period Brandon Carlo scored, and halfway through the period Karson Kuhlman scored his first career postseason goal, putting the Bruins up 3-0.

With eight minutes left in the game, Blues Center Ryan O’Reilly scored in a bizarre incident. Tukka Rask stopped the puck with his right leg pad, kicked it back out and play continued. During the next stoppage in play word had come down from Toronto to review the shot attempt. Upon review it was determined that the puck had completely cleared the line, making it a good goal. St. Louis was on the board and had life with the score now 3-1.

Closing Out Strong

That was the only goal they would score. With six minutes remaining, Brad Marchand, in front of the net, sent a backward pass to David Pastrnak. Pastrnak faked a shot, baiting goalie Jordan Binnington, who laid out to make a stop. The puck was shot top shelf and went in easily. Finally, with just under three minutes left, Zdeno Chara scored with an unassisted slap shot, making the final score 5-1. After the game, Brad Marchand said, “We’re fighting for our lives obviously. When you play desperate, I think you see everyone’s best game.”

(Photo by Jeff Roberson)

The Bruins are now 3-0 when facing elimination this post season and Tuukka Rask is a major part of that. His goals allowed average is 1.34, and he has a .953 save percentage in elimination games. Boston will host Game 7 on Wednesday night. The Cup will be at TD Garden and somebody will be hoisting it in victory. Both teams will be desperate. With Rask in net and the home crowd fired up and participating, this Boston Bruins team could very well pull the victory. They’ll need everyone ready to run through a wall to do so.

The Bruins Need A Hero

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After losing 2-1 to the St. Louis Blues in Game 5, Tuukka Rask was asked for a summary of the game. He laughed and said, “Summary? Probably could’ve stopped more pucks with my eyes closed. That’s about it. It’s on me, but we’re on to the next one.”

Officiating

It’s an admirable statement, but it’s also false. We can talk about how the first goal was scored while St. Louis had too many men on the ice. We can talk about how the second goal came seconds after Tyler Bozak took down Noel Acciari with a slew foot that wasn’t called, despite happening directly in front of referee Kelly Sutherland. We can talk about Ivan Barbashev hitting Marcus Johansson with a shoulder to the head and Zach Sanford hitting Torey Krug with an elbow to the head. None of those were called. In fact, the Blues haven’t had many calls against them since Blues Coach Craig Berube complained about the calls they received in Game 3. It’s also no coincidence that Game 3 was the best-called game of the series and the Bruins dominated, 7-2.

(Photo by Greg M. Cooper)

The officiating can’t be held completely responsible though, and neither can Rask. The Bruins have depth that has yet to show up in force. The power play was ferocious in Game 3, but seemed to disappear in the last two games. The zone possession hasn’t been steady by any means, and the first two lines have yet to truly show up. In short, the Boston Bruins need a hero to step up.

Boosts to Morale

Captain Zdeno Chara took a puck to the face, breaking his jaw in Game 4. In Game 5 he was back on the ice on the starting line and even had the first hit of the game. At one point the Blues were shooting on net and Rask ended up flat, too far out. David Krejci jumped in the crease and stopped a puck with his chest. Those are huge steps and great confidence boosters for the team. Now down 3-2 in the series, the Bruins have to win both of the remaining games. With their backs against the wall, they have to prevent the Blues from winning Game 6 in St. Louis and force a Game 7 back in Boston.

(Photo by Winslow Townson

The Bruins have been here before. They were down 3 games to 2 in the first round against Toronto. They’ve shown they have the fortitude, strength, confidence, and downright grittiness to win against tough odds. So who will it be? It has to be the first two lines. Krejci had that amazing save, reminiscent of Michael Ryder in Game 5 against the Montreal Canadiens in the 2011 playoffs, but his line hasn’t been effective in scoring. The Perfection Line of Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, and David Pastrnak has been well defended, but it’s time to break through that defense. They have to persevere and find a way and it has to happen now. There’s no longer a tomorrow.

Boston Bruins

GAME 4 PREVIEW STANLEY CUP FINALS | BOSTON BRUINS VS. ST. LOUIS

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The Boston Bruins once again face the St. Louis Blues in a pivotal Game Four of the Stanley Cup Finals. Saturday’s throttle of the Blues saw the Bruins win 7-2 as they continue to escape an overtly physical St. Louis team.

MILESTONES

Saturday night’s clash came after the St Louis beat the Bruins 3-2 in overtime back in Boston, tying the series 1-1. It turned out to be an historic night for the Bruins as many players hit personal milestones. Torey Krug became the first Bruins defenseman to have four points in a Stanley Cup Final game. Patrice Bergeron nabbed his 100th playoff point and is now tied with Phil Esposito.

Boston Bruins
(Photo Credits: NHL.com)

The momentum has shifted back Boston’s way, and tonight they will be looking to close out Game Four. For the Bruins, their special teams have made the difference as evident in Saturday’s game. Boston went four-for-four that night. Boston will need to continue to play up their on-ice skills  and avoid any collisions with St. Louis.

DIALING IT BACK

The Blues will need to continue to make adjustments and be more disciplined as they attempt to win one on home ice. For goalie Jordan Binnington, he will need to have his emotions in check as he gains his confidence back after being pulled in Game Three. After allowing five goals to get past him, the rookie-goaltender look downtrodden as Jake Allen replaced him the net. The Blues announced that defenseman Vince Dunn will return to the lineup tonight. He’s been out since taking a puck to the face in Game Three against the San Jose Sharks. More than likely this will make Robert Bortuzzo a healthy scratch.

Oskar Sundqvist will also return after a one-game suspension following a hit on Matt Grzelcyk in Game Two.  Grzelcyk is still listed day-to-day. Zach Sanford will move up on the lineup with Robby Fabbri sitting our for tonight game. Expect Tuukka Rask in net for Boston and Jordan Binnington in net for St. Louis.

PROJECTED LINEUPS FOR BOSTON

Marchand –Bergeron – Pastrnak

DeBrusk – Krejci – Backes

Johansson – Coyle – Heinen

Nordstrom – Kuraly – Acciari

Chara – McAvoy

Krug – Carlo

Moore – Clifton

Tuukka Rask

PROJECTED LINEUPS FOR ST. LOUIS

Schwartz – Schenn – Tarasenko

Sanford – O’Reilly – Perron

Maroon – Bozak – Blais

Barbashev – Sundqvist – Steen

Edmundson – Pietrangelo

Bouwmeester – Parayko

Dunn – Gunnarsson

Binnington

WHEN TO WATCH: Tonight with puck drop after 8:00 pm

WHERE TO WATCH: NBC

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Boston Bruins

GAME ONE: STANLEY CUP FINALS| Boston Bruins vs. St Louis Blues

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The buzz is real down Causeway Street and if you didn’t know by now, the Boston Bruins are in the Stanley Cup Finals. Both teams have endured quite a few obstacles this season: Bruins persevering through a stretch of injuries, and the Blues coming from dead last to being Western Conference Champions. The two best teams are in the Finals and whoever wins, deserves to win. This is going to be a tough one, folks.

GAMEDAY NOTES

Coach Bruce Cassidy recently confirmed that Captain Zdeno Chara, David Krejci, and Brad Marchand will be in the lineup tonight. Yesterday many players participated in Media Day, answering questions and posed for pictures before final preparations for tonight’s game.

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Tonight will mark 49 years since the Boston Bruins swept the Blues in 1970, and tonight Boston knows that they are facing a very tough St. Louis team. For a few players this mark their third time being in this position: Patrice Bergeron, Zdeno Chara, David Krejci, Brad Marchand, and Tuukka Rask:

“I’m very thankful to be in this opportunity and to compete for a Cup. I think in a way its different, where I’ve matured and I’ve come to realize that it’s not easy to get to this point and make the most of it.”

Bruins Center Patrice Bergeron

With an 11-day lay-off, the Bruins have kept their legs fresh, but ultimately it’s always tough to mimic an actual Playoff game. Fans were able to enjoy a scrimmage this past Thursday, as well as show support and raise money toward the Boston Bruins Foundation.

From Last to First

The St. Louis Blues have completely turned their season around to reach the Finals for the first time since 1970. In the final 45 games of the regular season the Blues have posted a 30-10-5 record, and ended with 99 points. One of the biggest components of the St. Louis success is rookie goaltender, and former Providence player, Jordan Binnington. After taking over in January, the 25-year-old posted a 24-5-1 record with a 1.89 goals-against average and a .927 save percentage.

This will be the Blues third time in their franchise history to reach the Stanley Cup finals. Unfortunately each time they’ve made to this point they were swept; twice by the Montreal Canadiens and once by Boston.

Boston Bruins
(Photo Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports)

Matching Up

The Bruins and St. Louis met twice during the regular season and split the series, with Boston winning 5-2 on January 17th and losing 2-1 in a shootout on February 23. In the past, Boston has won the Cup each time they’ve met the Blues in the Playoffs (1970 and 1972). St. Louis and Boston are no strangers when facing each other in a championship round and luckily the edge is given to Boston. Aside from the Stanley Cup, Boston has faced and won against St. Louis in the NBA Finals (1957-W, 1958-L, 1960-W and 1961-W), the Super Bowl (2002-W), and have split the World Series (1946-L, 1967-L, 2004-W, 2013-W).

Expect this series to be very physical and low-scoring, with Boston looking to outskate to get past a big-bodied Blues defense. Either team will need to take advantage of special teams when given the opportunity. Both goaltenders are playing hot lately, and each team has had a chance to rest. Coach Bruce Cassidy stated recently:

“I think they’re very similar to us, the way they play, forechecking yeah… they play pretty North-South, use all four lines, fourth line particular gets a lot of assignments like ours… think they’re a bit of our twin, so to speak…I see a lot of similarities.”

WHEN TO WATCH: Tonight at 8:00 PM

WHERE TO WATCH: NBC

STANLEY CUP FINAL SCHEDULE:

Game 1: Monday, May 27 at 8 p.m. (TD Garden, Boston, MA) – NBC

Game 2: Wednesday, May 29 at 8 p.m. (TD Garden, Boston, MA) – NBCSN

Game 3: Saturday, June 1 at 8 p.m. (Enterprise Center, St. Louis, MO) – NBCSN

Game 4: Monday, June 3 at 8 p.m. (Enterprise Center, St. Louis, MO) – NBC

Game 5: Thursday, June 6 at 8 p.m. (TD Garden, Boston, MA) – NBC*

Game 6: Sunday, June 9 at 8 p.m. (Enterprise Center, St. Louis, MO) – NBC*

Game 7: Wednesday, June 12 at 8 p.m. (TD Garden, Boston, MA) – NBC*

*IF NECESSARY

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Stanley Cup Finals: Boston Bruins Advance

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The Boston Bruins are advancing to the Stanley Cup Final, their first since 2013. After a hard-fought sweep of the Carolina Hurricanes, Boston will now have reached the finals for the 20th time in their history.

All About That Line

It was a night that belonged to not only the Finnish brick wall that is Tuukka Rask, but to Boston’s formidable “perfection line”. David Pastrnak got the Bruins on the board when he tipped in a power-play goal fed from his line-mate Brad Marchand early in the second. Patrice Bergeron notched in the second power-play goal of the night, after a pass from Pastrnak. Later in the third, Bergeron once again had a snapshot towards an open Carolina net after a pass from Pastrnak. The nail in the coffin came by way of Brad Marchand when he netted an empty-net goal late in the third, making the final score of 4-0, completing the sweep. That top line combined for eight points in last night’s win.

“The last few games, we knew we could be a little bit better than what we’ve been. With the situation we’ve been in, being up 3-0, everyone in the room wanted to be at their best”

Bruins Forward Brad Marchand
Boston Bruins
(Photo Courtesy NHL Bruins)

The Bruins 20th appearance in the Stanley Cup Final is fourth in the league. They join Montreal, Detroit and Toronto. There are also a few Bruins players that will be making a third appearance in the Finals with the club: Bergeron, Chara, Krejci, Marchand and Rask. Last night’s win also marks the teams’ seventh straight postseason win.

It’s Tuukka Time

Rask continued his brilliance in net, stopping 109 of the 114 shots he faced this series. He also made 24 stops last night in the 4-0 shutout, and has now surpassed both Gerry Cheevers and Tim Thomas for most series-clinching shutouts in B’s history. He is now also ranked first in the NHL postseason among goalies for goals-against-average (1.84) with a .942 save percentage. Rask is now the seventh goalie in NHL history to have a win in more than eight appearances in the Conference Finals.

“Tuukka’s been very consistent. If you’re gonna get on a roll, your goaltender’s gonna have to be there for you… he can’t have a bad night if you’re gonna string together that many wins.”

Head Coach Bruce Cassidy

Number 37

Bergeron’s night of power-play goals have him ranked second in Bruins post-season history to Cam Neely’s nine in 1991. He is also fifth in Bruins history to have the most postseason goals with 39, surpassing Peter McNab.

Zdeno Chara rested last night after it was reported he was suffering from an undisclosed injury. The Captain, however, did not miss the opportunity to join his team on the ice after the win. Coach Bruce Cassidy addressed the concern about Chara’s injury and has stated the 42-year-old defenseman should be ready to go in Game 1.

As San Jose and St. Louis continue their series in the Western Conference, the Boston Bruins will be enjoying some time off, which hasn’t been typical for this team. No official times have been set for the Stanley Cup Final, however more than likely it’ll start the last week of May.

Boston Bruins

Game 5 | Round 2: Boston Bruins vs Blue Jackets

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TD GARDEN, BOSTON–The Boston Bruins head home after a wildly frustrating game in Columbus that saw the Black and Gold winning 4-1, tying the series at two-a-piece. Tonight, the Jackets will be looking to take the series lead after a shaky Game 4.

FIRST LINE SPARK

Patrice Bergeron scored off of two power-play goals with an assist from David Pastrnak (who started things off scoring minutes into the first period). Ohio’s own Sean Kuraly scored in the third to give the Bruins a 3-1 lead. Columbus lone goal of the night came after a controversial play that saw the puck hitting the protective net. It was ruled that it was continuous play, with Artemi Panarin scoring.

HOT BETWEEN THE PIPES

Despite a love/hate relationship from the Boston Media, goaltender Tuukka Rask has been outstanding in this series, while Sergei Bobrovsky has been incredible in net for the Blue Jackets. Solving the Bobrovsky equation has been a sticky point for the Bruins team, however with the 4-1 win the Boston Bruins have shifted the momentum. Rask has two wins with a 1.80 goals against average and a .924 save percentage. Bobrovsky has a .934 save percentage with a 2.23 goals against average.

Boston Bruins
(Photo Credits: JAMIE SABAU/NHLI VIA GETTY IMAGES)

The Blue Jackets were hit with multiple penalties in Game 4 and will be looking to keep out of the box:

“We let our emotions get the best of us last game. We took a lot of dumb penalties. They’re going to try to get in our heads but we need to keep our composure.”

Columbus Forward Cam Atkinson

Both the goaltending and special teams have dominated the series so far, and both teams will be looking to take the lead. Boston has the advantage in the 5-on-5 offense, however, both teams need to up their game. The Bruins top line was key in Game 4 and will need to continue to overcome their postseason struggles.

“Hopefully that fuels them to get going and you keep it up…when your best players are your best players, we’re generally going to be a tougher team to beat.”

Bruins Coach Bruce Cassidy

UPDATES

It was announced that Noel Acciari is a game-time decision. Chris Wagner may possibly play if Acciari can not.

WHEN TO WATCH: Tonight with puck drop at 7:15 PM, TD Garden, Boston

WHERE TO WATCH: NBC

Bruins vs Leafs

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

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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

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Game 1: Boston Bruins vs Toronto Maple Leafs

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Tonight, the Boston Bruins face a familiar foe in the Toronto Maple Leafs as they square off in Game One of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. While it may be déjà vu for fans on both sides, the Bruins and Leafs are hoping to bring some new elements to their game. With the defeat against Columbus, Boston was able to secure home-ice advantage, and will face Toronto for the third time since 2013 in the postseason.

The boys in Black and Gold are still out with a few injuries, namely Kevan Miller, Sean Kuraly and John Moore. It was announced that Providence’s Connor Clifton will be playing in his first Playoff and looks to  be slotted aside Matt Grzelcyk. Providence’s Karson Kuhlman will also be in the lineup as both have proven themselves this season, earning a spot on the roster. David Backes and Steven Kampfer will be healthy scratches. Pulling no punches and offering no real surprises, Coach Bruce Cassidy announced his starting line-up tonight:

Playoff fever is hitting the team for both veterans and newcomers. The Bruins are chock-full of second season players that had their real first taste of playing in the Playoffs last year as a Bruin. And much to the delight of fans, defenseman Brandon Carlo will finally play in his first Playoff game.

NEW FACES

Weymouth-native Charlie Coyle and Walpole-native Chris Wagner will debut in their first Playoff game in a Bruins uniform. Both have contributed immensely to Boston’s success towards the end of the season. The Bruins ended their season with 11 wins and seven losses, posting a 49-24-9 record with 107 points. They went 3-1-0 against the Leafs this year, however Toronto has a slight edge over the B’s during the Playoffs at 8-7.

Boston Bruins
PHOTO: MADDIE MEYER / GETTY IMAGES

Brad Marchand finished the season with a career high of 100 points, David Pastrnak finished with 81 points while Patrice Bergeron finished with 79 points. David Krejci, whom Cassidy calls an “underlying MVP”, has played in almost every single game this season with 81 games. Krejci has quietly been (along with Marchand) one the teams greatest play maker this season, with 53 assist-a career high for the Czech-born players. Back in the 2008-2009 season, Krejci had 51 assists.

LEAFS

Toronto has had the misfortune of losing to the Bruins in critical games during the Playoffs, however are hoping to exorcise that demon with the the addition of John Tavares. Along with Tavares, the Leafs have added more to their depth that includes Auston Matthews and Nazem Kadri. Tavares ended his season with 47 goals and accumulating 88 points.

The Leafs finished the season with 100 points and third in the Atlantic Division. They are eight in the league for the power play at 25.8%, and ranked fourth in the NHL in goals per game at 3.49. Much like Boston, Toronto has a roster of young talent that have netted 20 or more goals.

DEPTH

Auston Matthews netted 37 goals, while Mitch Marner had 26 goals. Kasperi Kapanen, Zach Hyman and Andreas Johnsson have all scored 20 or more goals this season for the first time. Marner has nine points against the Bruins during the Playoffs; Pastrnak became the youngest NHL player in history to net six points in a playoff game last year-breaking a Wayne Gretzky record.

For Toronto, shutting down the Bruins first line will be a huge focus, as well as goaltending. For Boston, they will need to limit the movement of Tavares, Matthews and Kadri.

BETWEEN THE PIPES

Expect Frederick Andersen in net for Game 1 for the Leafs. In the final few games of the season, the Leaf’s number one goalie went .898 in save percentage-reminiscent of last postseason against the Bruins, where he posted a .896 save percentage. Unlike the Bruins, Toronto has had a bit more tougher time in regards to having a reliable back-up goalie.

Garret Sparks has gone through a rough skid, and re-joined the team yesterday. He continues to work with the goaltending coach for 10 days. Michael Hutchinson, who had been elevated as Andersson’s back-up, missed practice due to his wife giving birth.

Boston Bruins
Photo: USA Today)

Rask’s record has dipped a little with the lowest being a .762 save percentage in the last game against Tampa Bay. Last postseason run against Toronto, Rask had a .899 save percentage. Expect Rask in between the pipes for Boston tonight.

QUOTABLE QUOTES

“They’re an elite team, and we’re going to have to have all facets of our game working to the best… It’s going to start with, right from the drop of the puck, playing the right way, and I think our team knows what our identity is…we have to be very respectful to our opponent, and we should be.”

Bruins GM Don Sweeney

“We trust all the guys in the lineup and the guys that are out, to be honest with you, have played well for us. Someone shows up sick tomorrow, the guys that are going on, we’d be fine with. We’re trying to put the best lineup out there to give us the best chance to win and see how that plays out.”

Bruins Coach Bruce Cassidy

“…Anytime you have a defeat like last season, it drives you to be even better have year, but this is a different team. There’s new guys on the team so it’s kind of a fresh start.”

Toronto Defenseman Jake Gardiner

“It was tough to watch, sitting out like that. It wasn’t fun, for sure. Being able to know I could have an impact on a game and not being able to play, not being out there with the guys you’ve spent a whole season with is tough, especially to see them lose like that and feel like you could have done something about it.”

Toronto Forward Nazem Kadri

PLAYOFF SCHEDULE

Game 1: Thursday, April 11 at 7 p.m. (TD Garden, Boston, MA) – NESN, NBCSN, CBC, TVA
Game 2: Saturday, April 13 at 8 p.m. (TD Garden, Boston, MA) – NBC, CBC, TVA
Game 3: Monday, April 15 at 7 p.m. (Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, ON) – NESN, NBCSN, CBC, TVA
Game 4: Wednesday, April 17 at 7 p.m. (Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, ON) – NESN, NBCSN, CBC, TVA

If necessary, Games 5-7 will TBD

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Boston Bruins vs Columbus Blue Jackets

Boston Bruins Clinch Home Ice; Marchand Hits 100

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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.