Event: Boston Bruins at Tampa Bay Lightning
Date/Time: Tuesday, January 17, 2012 - 7:30 p.m. EDT.
Location: Tampa Bay Times Forum (Capacity: 19,204), Tampa, FL.
Broadcast Info: Tuesday's game between the Bruins and the Lightning 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: Less than 24 hours ago the Bruins left Miami after taking a 3-2 shootout victory from the Florida Panthers. The win wasn’t at all pretty, and forward Patrice Bergeron scored the only two goals in regulation, as well as the goal in the shootout that kept them alive to get the eventual game winner.
David Krejci was the one to earn the goal, putting it through the five-hole of Scott Clemmensen, and stealing the team two points
Goaltender Tuukka Rask had to stop four breakaways in the game, before the shootout and still managed to stop 38 saves on 40 shots, including two in overtime.
Tampa Bay hasn’t had so much luck in the winning department, and is still looking for it’s first win of 2012. It’s last game was on Sunday, where they came back to tie the game 3-3, before the Pittsburgh Penguins leaned into them and picked up three unanswered goals, finishing the game 6-3.
They are now 0-6-1 in their last seven games, and have a tough schedule ahead of them.
Storyline: The hero from the last time these two teams met, Rich Peverley will not be in the lineup tonight after taking last game off for some personal reasons back in Boston. Peverley had two goals in the 4-1 win back in October--the first win of the season for the Bruins.
David Krejci and Daniel Paille also scored in that game. Martin St. Louis scored the lone goal for the Lightning.
The last time the Bruins were down in Tampa was Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Final, where the Lightning took a 5-4 win to force a Game 7 back in Boston.
Tampa Bay will have to try and step it up, because they currently sit in last place in the Eastern Conference, despite having Steven Stamkos who leads the NHL in goals this year (30).
Players To Watch:
David Krejci’s point streak finally came to a close against the Panthers, after 11 games. He did, however, score the game winner in the shootout, earning the two points.
But the person to watch is definitely Patrice Bergeron--not just because he scored twice last night, and again in the shootout. He has seven goals and four assists (11 points) in his last seven games, and, despite not making this year’s All-Star Game, is looking like he’s actually heating up going into the second part of the season.
For Tampa Bay, obviously keep an eye on Stamkos. He has 12 points in his last eight games, and 50 points on the season.
Prediction: The Bruins weren’t clicking at all in the beginning of the season, but they still managed to come out and beat this team. I think, even though they have struggled through the past couple of games, they should be able to find a way to win again. Final Score: Bruins 3, Lightning 1.
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