Event: Boston Bruins vs. Carolina Hurricanes
Date/Time: Tuesday, October 18, 2011 - 7 p.m. EDT.
Location: TD Garden (Capacity: 17,565), Boston, MA.
Broadcast Info: Tuesday's game between the Bruins and Hurricanes will be broadcast live on NESN. The game can also be heard on the 98.5 the Sports Hub Radio Network, with Dave Goucher providing play-by-play, and Bob Beers providing analysis.
Last Time Out: Saturday night the Bruins came back to win a 3-2 shootout victory against the Chicago Blackhawks. A goal by Nathan Horton in the middle of the third period tied the game up, and Tyler Seguin was the only player to score in the shootout for either team. Tim Thomas was back to wowing the audience, making 27 saves through overtime and blocking three shootout attempts from Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Patrick Sharp. Bruins forward Chris Kelly scored the first goal for Boston on the shorthanded opportunity.
Storyline: It hasn’t been long. In fact it’s there has only been one game in between the time these two teams last met. After losing their first three games, the Hurricanes beat the Bruins and then went on to to defeat the Buffalo Sabres on Friday. This will be the first game for them since Friday, and the first for the Bruins since Saturday, so both teams will be rested heading into the Garden.
Tyler Seguin and Brad Marchand were the goal scorers last Wednesday and had six of the 28 Boston shots on net. However, the Bruins never led in the game, and the Hurricanes seemed to dominate the better part of the third period to put the nail in the coffin. The Bruins are hoping that going home to the Garden will bring better fate than the first three games of the season.
Players To Watch: Nathan Horton will definitely be in the scopes tonight. After scoring his first goal on Saturday, the hope is that he has broken the binds and he’ll provide the kind of offense that he did last year. If that’s the case, expect Milan Lucic and Tyler Seguin to shine along with him. Coach Claude Julien said that first line center David Krejci will most likely not return for tonight’s game, but is considered "day-to-day."
Steven Kampfer and Adam McQuaid also received good news after Monday’s practice and could be getting back to full strength soon.
Hurricane center Jeff Skinner will be the one to watch for Carolina, as he leads the team in points (2 goals, 4 assists) despite sitting at a minus-6 rating. Cam Ward will also be an important factor, especially if the Bruins manage to get their offense going. He had 26 saves against them last Wednesday.
Prediction: Saturday was a wake up call for the Bruins and since they are back in Boston, it will be hard for them to fall that hard again. Final Score: Bruins 4, Hurricanes 1.
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