Event: Boston Bruins vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
Date/Time: Saturday, December 3, 2011 - 7 p.m. EDT.
Location: TD Garden (Capacity: 17,565), Boston, MA.
Broadcast Info: Saturday's game between the Bruins and Maple Leafs will be broadcast live on NESN, as well as CBC in Canada, and the NHL Network. 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: Nothing has been forgotten between these two teams in the past three days. Neither team has touched a game since the Bruins blew out the Leafs in another 6-3 win. The B’s first line opened up finally after a severe drought they had going. Milan Lucic netted two goals, David Krejci had one goal and two assists, and Nathan Horton picked up two helpers.
Phil Kessel did come up with his first point against the Bruins this season. On Toronto’s second goal which tied up the game, Kessel set up Joffery Lupul, earning him an assist. He still has yet to score a goal against the Black and Gold this year.
Storyline: Obviously tonight will be a grudge match for the Maple Leafs. They are still looking for even a single point against this team, but have been heartily denied every time. The Bruins have outscored the Leafs 19-5 in their outings, including a 7-0 shutout in game two of the series.
Tim Thomas has an impressive 1.67 GAA when he’s in between the pipes against this team, though he credits his defense for some of the saves. Both Adam McQuaid and Johnny Boychuk provided him with coverage in last Wednesday’s game on a couple of shots that had him out of position.
Bruins forward David Krejci recently just signed a three-year contract extension the day after his three point game. There had been rumors about trading the 25-year-old Czech native up until Thursday before Peter Chiarelli said it was important for him to sign their "big players."
For the Leafs, goaltender James Reimer will return between the pipes and hope to end the losing streak against the Bruins. As Toronto head coach Ron Wilson said, a big part of their success will have to be on the special teams. The Bruins have been very disciplined against them, and because of that, they have only allowed the Leafs one power play goal so far this year, while taking four goals of their own with the extra man.
Players To Watch: That being said, I would keep an eye on Krejci. As he mentioned to the media, it takes a lot off his mind and he can just play hockey now and focus on that. He has four goals on the season, though he went through a 23 day spread without netting one. Don’t be surprised if that first line continues to improve throughout December.
Reimer is just coming back from an injury, so the Bruins are most definitely going to try and test him early. If he is feeling good, there is no reason to think he can’t provide a solid performance. However, the Bruins aren’t known for being courteous so I would expect them to make him uncomfortable in net.
Prediction: The Leafs are completely frustrated with the Bruins so far this year, and you can bet with their veteran goaltender in net, they will have some renewed confidence. However, they are back at TD Garden, so I think the Bruins will still hold the upper hand. Final Score: Bruins 5, Maple Leafs 2.
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