Jan 25, 2013; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; New York Islanders goalie Rick DiPietro (39) blocks a shot by Boston Bruins left wing Daniel Paille (20) during the second period at TD Banknorth Garden. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

Tonight, the Boston Bruins(26-9-4)will be back at the TD Garden to take on the New York Islanders(20-16-4). Tonight’s game will be crucial for both teams. The Islanders are on the verge of clinching their first trip to the Stanley Cup Playoffs since the 2006-07 season.  At present, New York currently holds seventh place in the Eastern Conference. However, they are  tied with both the Ottawa Senators and New York Rangers at 44 points each. The Islanders will need to do everything they can to try and get a point here if they want to stay in the race.

Boston, on the other hand is doing pretty well. The Bruins regained the division lead with Wednesday’s 5-4 victory against the New Jersey Devils. They currently have a one point lead over the Habs going into tonight’s game, and will need a win not only to guarantee a place in the post-season, but to keep the seed as high as possible. The Bruins have beaten the Islanders if both previous match ups (4-1 and 4-2, respectively.)

The Bruins will likely still be down several key players for this game. Patrice Bergeron is still down from a concussion he sustained against Ottawa on April 2nd. We’re also likely to be down our leading scorer, Brad Marchand. Marchand was struck by Anton Volchenkov in the head in a very deliberate fashion. (He has a phone hearing at 10:45 with the Department of Player Safety regarding that hit. Expect a ‘Shanaban’ for that move.)  “After the second period, our trainer said he wasn’t going to be back,” Bruins Head Coach Claude Julien said about #63. ”Whether that’s being cautious or not, I don’t know. I’ll let our doctors give me the verdict before I say anything, but I haven’t talked to anybody about him since the game finished.”

The Islanders will be going into this game down a few players of their own. Currently, New York defensemen Brian Strait (ankle) and Joe Finley (undisclosed) will likely be out for the game as well.

Feb 26, 2013; Uniondale, NY, USA; Boston Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask (40) makes a save on a shot by New York Islanders right wing Michael Grabner (40) during the first period of an NHL game at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Last night we saw the Boston Bruins take on the New York Islanders. It was the last of a five game away stretch for the B’s, and there were making an attempt to finish the away stretch with a 4-1 record. The Bruins had gone 7-1-1 against the Islanders in the last few attempts, and it seemed like it was going to be an easy game for the Bruins. The Islanders however, played with youthful exuberance that bordered on desperation. They fought hard to keep the bigger and tougher Bruins at bay.

The Bruins scored early in the second period, and never looked back. The Bruins beat the Islanders 4-1 despite not having one of their better games on the ice. The Bruins are now 12-2-2. The Bruins are still second in the Northeast Division, a single point behind the Montreal Canadiens. (The Canadiens have still played three more games than the B’s.) So, let’s get to the three stars.

February 26, 2013

Boston Bruins vs New York Islanders (Boston @ New York)

Final Score: Boston Bruins 4 – New York Islanders 1

Three Stars of the Game: Third Star: Patrice Bergeron,  Second Star: Brad Marchand , First Star: Tuukka Rask

Causeway Crowd’s Three Stars of the Game:

Third Star: Patrice Bergeron. Tonight, Bergy earned his 100th career multi point game. They were both assists. He got one for the McQuaid goal in the first, and the second for Marchand’s go ahead goal in the second.(From Billy)” [Bergeron]played a great 2 way game, continues to win face offs and hit. [He was]robbed a handful of times by Nabokov.” Bergeron is proving why he was last year’s Selkie winner.

Second Star: Brad Marchand.  (From Billy)”[Marchand] gets his 10th goal of the year and it turns out to be the game winner. He’s playing well and skating even better. (From Matt)” What else can we say about Marchand other then he is having a phenomenal season thus far.  He scored his tenth goal of the season tonight and that is leading the team.  The goal put the Bruins ahead 2-1 and the Bruins never looked back from there.  Marchand, is proving himself as a legitimate scorer in this league.” With a 34.5% shot percentage, he is legitimately the best sniper in the entire league. While he hasn’t hung up his instigator skates entirely, this more mature Marchand is giving headaches to his opponents up and down the NHL.

First Star: Tuukka Rask. (This is also the first time that Causeway Crowd and the NHL have agreed on who should be the three stars of the game. Was bound to happen sooner or later I suppose.) (From Matt)”Tuukka Rask was flat out unbelievable tonight.  He made 36 saves on 37 shots and was big for the Bruins all game.  There is no question in my mind that he is one of the top goalies in the league this year as he continues to play at a high level.  This was Tuukka’s fourth game in a row and he has won all of them.  Even though he may be getting tired, I think Claude Julien needs to keep riding with him until he cools off, he is too hot right now not to be between the pipes.” (From Billy)”[Rask]stood on his head all night and just continues to make save after save. He was in the zone tonight.” Indeed. He’s 10-1-2 in the crease. His ten wins ties him with the best in the league, and he’s in the top ten with his .930 save%(6th) and his 1.89 goals against average (4th).

Jan 25, 2013; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Bruins defenseman Johnny Boychuk (55) and New York Islanders right wing Kyle Okposo (21) battle for the puck during the first period at TD Banknorth Garden. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

The Boston Bruins will head to Long Island, New York for the last game in this five game road trip to take on the New York Islanders. This will be the second time that the two teams have faced each other this season with the Bruins winning the first game 4-2 in Boston.

The Islanders are in a bit of a struggle lately. They are last place in their division with 17 points and have recently sent goalie Rick DiPietro to their AHL affiliate team, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. The Islanders will now rely on Evgeni Nabokov to be their number one goalie. The Islanders have a 2-7-0 record on home ice and that is worst in the league. Although they are struggling, their one bright spot this season has been forward John Tavares. He has been exceptional scoring 13 goals this season (tied for the NHL lead) and has 25 points (third in the NHL).

The Bruins seem to be on a roll now after having one of the best games of the season against the Florida Panthers on Sunday. The Bruins have won their last three games and will look to win four games out of five on this long road trip. The Bruins have been getting outstanding play from the whole team the past three games. Goaltender Tuukka Rask, has averaged a .937 save percentage over this span and is playing at an elite level. The team has averaged 3.6 goals per game and has killed 9 out of 9 penalties (including 21 straight). And hey, they even scored two power play goals, which is an improved number as of late. The effort and determination is all there and that is why the Bruins are playing so well right now.

After this game, the Bruins will move on to a brutal part of their schedule. They will go through a stretch of games in which they do not have two days off in a row until the end of March! Since the Bruins have played the least amount of games this season of any team in the NHL, I guess it is about time that they caught up with the rest of the league.

The Bruins want to come out once again and make a statement against the Islanders and end this road trip on a good note.