Dec 13, 2014; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Bruins left wing
Milan Lucic(17) battles for position with Ottawa Senators defenseman
Jared Cowen(2) during the first period at TD Banknorth Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
“It’s about everyone stepping up and doing their job.”-Milan Lucic
The Boston Bruins are embarking on their first game of the new year this afternoon as they take on the Ottawa Senators for a 1:00 matinee. Despite putting together a strong, power-surging third period, the Bruins were unable to end 2014 on a high note and ended up falling to the Toronto Maple Leafs in a shootout on Wednesday night.
Believe it or not, this afternoon’s match-up should be exactly the type of game the Bruins need to re-gain composure and get their priorities straight for the remainder of the season. The Ottawa Senators are one of the only teams that have a worse record than the Bruins this season, finishing out 2014 with a 15-14-4-3 record. The other upside, the Senators have always struggled when playing against the Boston Bruins. There have already been two meetings between these two teams this season, the first on November 1st with the Bruins earning themselves a victory thanks to Matt Fraser paving the way. The second the Bruins were able to skate away with a point as they ended up in a shootout on December 13th that ended in the Sens favor.
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While the Boston Bruins come off of a shootout loss, the Senators will show up with an added confidence after a solid and convincing 5-2 victory against the Buffalo Sabres. However, they are going to be just as hungry and desperate as the Bruins are for victory this afternoon as they have their eye on the same prize: a playoff spot. Right now both teams sit out of playoff contention and the Boston Bruins can’t afford any more major mishaps as the margin for error is slim. As Joe Haggerty mentioned in one of his pieces earlier this week, the Boston Bruins have the right components to a playoff caliber team, they just need to work together.
“It’s about everyone stepping up and doing their job. If you look around the league, the teams that are winning and the teams that have won the last four or five Stanley Cups, it’s because everyone’s been able to step up and do their part,” Milan Lucic said. “It’s something we need to start doing in a night-in, night-out basis. It was there, you saw, from start to finish in that Detroit game.”
On the Radar
Bobby Ryan scored the deciding goal for the Senators in the shootout on December 13 and has been on a hot streak as of late. He is coming off of a hat trick against the Sabres and is tied for points lead on the team with captain Erik Karlsson with 25. He is third in goals with 10 and has 6 points in his last 5 games. If the Bruins hope to earn the much needed two points from this game, they aregoing to have to know where Ryan is at all times.
Craig Anderson is reported to get the start in net for the Senators, his first of the season after the Bruins faced Robin Lehner in the first two meetings. Anderson currently holds a 9-9-5 record, 2.41 GAA and .927 save percentage.