Event: Boston Bruins vs. Montreal Canadiens
Date/Time: Wednesday, February 15, 2012 - 7:30 p.m. EDT.
Location: Bell Centre (Capacity: 21,273), Montreal, Quebec.
Broadcast Info: Wednesday's game between the Bruins and the Canadiens will be broadcast live on RDS(HD), TSN, and NBCSN(HD). 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: It’s going to be a quick turnaround for the Bruins who took a 3-0 loss to the New York Rangers last night at TD Garden.
For the third time in six games, the Bruins did not record a goal, and instead gave up at least three goals against in each game.
More: Click Ticking as Bruins hit the road
Tim Thomas was in net for the B’s last night and recorded only 17 saves on 20 shots. He is 6-7-1 in his last 14 games and has failed to impress many as of late.
The Habs on the other hand have had a couple impressive games, going on a four-game win streak before losing to Carolina on Monday, 5-3.
Tomas Plekanec, Erik Cole and David Desharnais each netted a goal in the losing effort--all in the middle period--while Carey Price stopped 30-of-34 shots.
Storyline: This is the final regular season matchup between the Bruins and the Habs, and you can bet it will be a good one. The Bruins hold a 3-2 winning advantage over them this year, and the Canadiens have a little bit of extra confidence moving into tonight’s game.
The Bruins have been missing one of their top forwards for almost a month and it certainly has shown in their goal production. Though Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli commented that he is improving, it’s hard to think that he will be the solution to all of their offensive woes.
While the Bruins have back-to-back games, the Habs haven’t played since Monday and will be at home, which should give them a little more energy heading into tonight.
Players To Watch: Max Pacioretty currently leads the Habs in goals and in total points, marking him as a player to keep your eyes on. He has been lighting the lamp quite a bit in the recent past, scoring four goals in three games. However, the 23-year-old does only have one point against the Bruins this year.
Recently renewed defenseman Johnny Boychuk could also be interesting to watch after signing a three-year contract extension with the Bruins. He had the second most time on the ice in last night’s game, and no doubt he will have similar time tonight. Though he also only has one point against the Habs, his recent signing could spark some more production out of him tonight.
Prediction: The Bruins need to get back on to winning--or at least performing well--on a consistent basis. If they can do that and start off on the right foot tonight, they will be able to take the final game this season. Final Score: Bruins 4, Rangers 3 OT.
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