Event: Boston Bruins vs. New York Rangers
Date/Time: Tuesday, February 14, 2012 - 7 p.m. EDT.
Location: TD Garden (Capacity: 17,565), Boston, MA.
Broadcast Info: Tuesday's game between the Bruins and the Rangers will be broadcast live on NESN. The game can also be heard on 98.5 The Sports Hub, with Dave Goucher providing play-by-play, and Bob Beers providing analysis.
Last Time Out: After falling an embarrassing 6-0 to the Buffalo Sabres, the Bruins managed to come back and find their production, earning a 4-3 overtime victory over the Nashville Predators on Saturday. Patrice Bergeron, Daniel Paille and Milan Lucic each netted goals to bring the game to the extra frame and eventual shootout. There, Bergeron and Tyler Seguin put shots past Pekka Rinne to take two points.
Tim Thomas was in net and made 19 saves on 22 shots.
While the Bruins have had a bit of trouble since the two teams last meeting, the Rangers have been on a bit of a winning streak. They have won six of their eight games since then, falling only to the New Jersey Devils twice-- the most recent victim being the Washington Capitals.
Much of that has to do with Ryan Callahan who has scored five goals in his last three games. The captain now sits second in assists and second in total points on the team, just below Marian Gaborik.
Storyline: The last time these two teams met, the Bruins took a 3-2 loss in overtime after Andrew Ference checked Ryan McDonagh hard into the end boards and was called for a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct in the extra frame.
The Bruins were able to hold off for much of the penalty, but ultimately gave up the game winning goal to Gaborik, with just four seconds left to go.
Tuukka Rask took the loss, stopping 30 of 33 shots, and was obviously frustrated with how the game ended. Tim Thomas will most likely be in net tonight, as he was the first off the ice in this morning’s skate.
Players To Watch: As noted above, Ryan Callahan has made a big impact, even in the last few games. He, along with goaltender Henrik Lundqvist and leading scorer Gaborik should put on a show tonight.
For the Bruins, forward Nathan Horton is still out with a concussion, which means that once again players are going to have to step up. Last game, it was defensemen who scored, but lately Bergeron has been stepping up in his typical fashion, scoring a goal last game and another in the shootout.
Prediction: The Rangers are flying at this point, and it would be tough for any team to dismantle them. The Bruins do tend to play to their competition, so they have that going for them. Final Score: Bruins 3, Rangers 2 OT.
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