The Boston Bruins have pulled off a strong recovery in the month of January. Their 8-1-3 performance has gotten them back into playoff contention, and they’re closing on the leaders in the Eastern Conference. The Bruins will need to build on that momentum going into the month of February. The B’s are scheduled to play twelve games this month and their opponents represent the best and worst of both conferences.
The Bruins start their February by heading out to Madison Square Garden to take on Henrik Lundqvist and the New York Rangers. It should be one of the finest goalie duels of the year. Lundqvist has been hit-or-miss these last few games, but he’s still one of the elite in the league. Tuukka Rask was the best overall goaltender in the NHL in the month of January, and he’ll be looking to put in one of his best performances this season.
Puck Prose
The Bruins return to Boston for a three game home stand where they welcome a few old friends and a few old foes to the TD Garden. Johnny Boychuk and Chad Johnson come back with the New York Islanders to take on the Black and Gold. The Islanders have surprised a lot of people this year. Their hard work and key acquisitions have put them atop the Metropolitan Division and it will be another tough game for the Bruins.
The Montreal Canadiens will come calling on February 8th, and there is no love lost between these two teams. Carey Price has been one of the hottest goaltenders all season, and he has been the key to the Canadiens defeating the Bruins the last three games. If the Bruins want to secure a playoff spot in the top three in the Atlantic, they’ll need those two points. Then Tyler Seguin comes back to Boston for another go with the Black and Gold. The Bruins have had success keeping the Stars high flying offense in check, and they should be able to do it again.
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Canadian road trips haven’t been kind to the Bruins so far this year. This time around, things look like they will change. The Vancouver Canucks have been running hot and cold, and they’re likely going to give up two points to B’s. The Calgary Flames are tied with Canucks for points, and have had a similar hit-or-miss season these last few months. Their final Canadian road team is the Edmonton Oilers. Sadly, the Oilers are sitting in the bottom of the West (Which is totally bizarre. They have some of the brightest talent in the league, and a strong leader in Andrew Ference. It’s almost like they have no will to win.)
The B’s finish up their road trip by going to the Madhouse on Madison. The Chicago Blackhawks and the Boston Bruins always have spirited matches, and they’re usually some of the best games of the season for both teams. The Bruins have their work cut out for them, but they Black and Gold should come through.