By Biz Jacobs, Contributor.
The Bruins won their first game of the new season, and now they are looking to extend that streak against the Colorado Avalanche this afternoon.
Event: Boston Bruins vs. Colorado Avalanche.
Date/Time: Monday, October 10, 2011 - 1 p.m. EDT.
Location: TD Garden (Capacity: 17,565), Boston, Massachusetts.
Broadcast Info: Monday's game between the Bruins and Avalanche 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.
Season Series: Today's game will be the first and only matchup between these two teams in the regular season. The Bruins will once again see the familiar face of Matt Hunwick who was traded from Boston, to the Avalanche on Nov. 29 of last year.
Storyline: The Bruins are coming off their first win against Tampa Bay on Saturday, and enter into their first matinee game this season. Last year, the Bruins finished with a dismal 3-6 record when playing an afternoon game.
Last time these two teams met, the Bruins took a 6-2 win, with Milan Lucic scoring two goals and David Krejci accounting for two of the assists. But perhaps more worthy of noting, Marc Savard was knocked out of the game with a hit into the boards by former teammate Matt Hunwick. Savard did not return to the game, or for the rest of the year. Savard still remains on the Injured Reserve list and though nothing has been confirmed, it is doubtful he will return any time soon if at all. The Black and Gold will have to figure out how to make their power play work a little better if they hope to capitalize on it today. Colorado comes in ranked 6th in the league for penalty killing, not allowing a single goal in four penalties against so far.
Players To Watch: It will be interesting to watch how the players react to their first early game of the year. While history doesn't paint a very nice picture of the games, I wouldn't put it past them to start the year off right. Keep an eye on the first line of Milan Lucic, David Krejci and Nathan Horton. If they can get the momentum going from the drop of the puck in the first period, they will be in good shape. However, if they can't get the ball rolling until the end of the first and into the second, I would be surprised to see them come back.
For the Avalanche, it's tough to say. They are still waiting for their first goal of the regular season, but one of the big impact players to date has been their rookie, Gabriel Landeskog. He is tied with Paul Stastny for the most shots on net and is only one of five members on the team without a negative plus-minus rating. He averages close to 16 minutes a game, and will most likely be a key for the Avs if they are going to win this game.
Prediction: The Avalanche have only played one game so far this season, and they haven't found the back of the net yet. I think the Bruins are going to use that to their advantage and take the win this afternoon. Final Score: Bruins 4, Avalanche 1.
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