Kings, Canadiens among second half tests for Boston Bruins

The Boston Bruins will have to wait until Thursday night before they resume the 2014-15 National Hockey League season on Long Island against the New York Islanders. The Black and Gold finished a largely inconsistent first half of the season strong with a  25-16-7 record and 57 points. They currently occupy the final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference, seven points clear of the Florida Panthers who have four games in hand on the B’s. The gap appears comfortable, but Boston knows they are not out of the woods yet.

Thirty-four games remain in the regular season for the Bruins. Here are five of them fans should circle on their calendars as the second half gets underway.

1/31 vs. Los Angeles Kings

The Stanley Cup Champion LA Kings make their only appearance at the TD Garden on Saturday night. Boston will look to avenge a 2-0 defeat in the City of Angels on December 2 in which backup goaltender Niklas Svedberg made 33 saves in a losing effort. Los Angeles is currently on the wrong side of the playoff line, trailing the Calgary Flames by a point for the final playoff spot in a parity-driven Western Conference. They will start a five-game road trip against the Bruins, looking to improve on a 5-9-6 record away from Staples Center. Boston has won six of eight since Charlie Jacobs was appointed as Bruins CEO, but the boss wants to see his team aim higher in the Atlantic Division. A stern test awaits Boston when they play the first of fifteen second-half games on Causeway Street.

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2/8 vs. Montreal Canadiens

The Canadiens and Bruins will matchup for the fourth and final time on Sunday night in a nationally televised affair. Montreal has gotten the better of Boston this season with three wins while outscoring the Bruins 13-5. The Habs are aiming for top spot in the Atlantic, trailing the Tampa Bay Lightning by three points but with three games in hand on their Sunshine State rivals. Boston will have to find a way to stop Max Pacioretty as the Connecticut native has six goals and 11 points in his last 10 games against the Black and Gold. The Bruins will face the Habs on the second half of a back-to-back for the fourth time this season after facing the Islanders on home ice the night before. The final regular season chapter of this Original Six rivalry is sure to be a fiery one.

2/22 @ Chicago Blackhawks

Boston will conclude a five-game, Western Conference road trip in the Windy City to face Joel Quenneville and the Blackhawks. Chicago came into TD Garden and beat the Bruins 3-2 in a highly competitive affair on December 11. The Hawks are right in the mix for a Central Division crown battling with the upstart Nashville Predators, St. Louis Blues, and even the Winnipeg Jets nipping at their heels. The league’s fifth-best offense (3.02 goals/game) is comprised of a balanced attack with captain Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Brandon Saad, Patrick Sharp, and summer signing Brad Richards leading the way. Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith lead the second-best defense (2.28 goals allowed/game) and best penalty kill in hockey (88.4%). A Sunday afternoon matchup on NBC awaits these two historic rivals.

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3/14 @ Pittsburgh Penguins

The Bruins will make their second and final regular-season trip to the Steel City in the middle of March to face Mike Johnston’s Penguins. Pittsburgh reigned victorious in Boston prior to Thanksgiving with a 3-2 overtime decision while the Bruins repaid the favor three weeks ago in Pittsburgh, winning by the same score. The Pens have come back to earth a bit after a blazing hot start to the season. Boston’s defense will have their work cut out for them containing not only Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, but also David Perron. The former Edmonton Oiler has scored five goals and seven points in his first eight games with Pittsburgh. The Bruins will have their work cut out for them when they travel to Consol Energy Center in a potential playoff preview.

4/4 v. Toronto Maple Leafs

The final home game of the season for Boston comes on Saturday April 4 against the freefalling Toronto Maple Leafs. The Bruins will celebrate Fan Appreciation Night early this season before they finish the regular season with a three-game road trip. Boston is 1-1-1 against the Leafs this season including an embarrassing 6-1 loss at Air Canada Centre back in November. Bruins fans are hoping to celebrate an eighth straight postseason appearance while Toronto could be simply playing out the string after a six-game skid that sees them 10 points off the pace in the Eastern Conference playoff race. The Black and Gold will look to conclude their home schedule with a bang while inflicting more misery on their Original Six rivals during the annual “shirts off our backs” night on Causeway Street.