The Boston Bruins are on a hot streak right now, but they will be in tough against four very good teams this week. It is not going to be easy for any team to beat the Boston Bruins if the team continues to play the way they have been, so it will be interesting to see how everything plays out. With three road games after playing the Dallas Stars in Boston, the chances of the Bruins remaining undefeated away from home are not likely.
Puck Prose
Bruins v Stars
In a game that will potentially have the league’s three top scorers, it would be wise for coach Claude Julien to play the boring defensive chess match and just wait for opportunities to strike. The Bergeron line, and Zdeno Chara, should be on against current NHL point leaders Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn. If they can hold them back, the chances of victory increase. I see the Bruins playing a heavy game and dictating the pace with a strong possession game. Dallas will get their goals, but Rask will find a way to win at home with Boston taking this one with a score of 3 to 2.
Bruins v Capitals
A similar team to the Dallas Stars, the Washington Capitals have offensive threats galore. Therefore, the same approach that the Bruins will have with Dallas would be worth repeating. While, again, the goal will be to shut down the big forwards, the Bruins will need the third and fourth line players to step up and outwork their opponents. I feel like I am being very bold to say that the Bruins will be able to pull off the same trick twice and hold back both Dallas and Washington, but I am going to give this win to the Bruins. Boston will surge in the third, like they did in their last game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, and win the game 3 t0 1.
Oct 10, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Bruins center Chris Kelly (23) gets set to face-off against the Montreal Canadiens right wing Brian Flynn (32) during the third period at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
Bruins v Canadiens
This is where it gets ugly. The Bruins will be playing in Montreal territory on a Saturday night. The emotions will be high and typically that has not done the Bruins many favors lately in this rivalry. With the Bruins playing again on Sunday against the New York Islanders, my choice would be to play backup Jonas Gustavsson against the Canadiens.
I would have Tuukka Rask play against both Dallas and Washington, so he is going to need the rest before playing New York. Also, Rask has just gotten his confidence back and his record against the Canadiens is bad. I would rather let Gustavsson have a shot at a win than have Rask possibly lose and fall off his game again. Whoever ends up starting this game, I do believe that the Montreal Canadiens will beat us again. I also have a sickly feeling that this will be the first game that Bruins get shut out, with the final being 2 to 0.
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Bruins v Islanders
This game will have a lot to do with how tired the Bruins are after playing the three games prior. That is another reason why Tuukka Rask could be used in this game instead of against Montreal. The Islanders are a deep and fast team that will take advantage of tired play. A back to back against Montreal and then New York, with both being on the road, is not going to be easy. So, because of this, I will say that the New York Islanders squeak past the Bruins in a 3 to 2 victory.
These predictions have the Bruins slowing down, with a 2-2-0 record which would put their overall season total at 8-5-1. Of course, this is not an ideal result of what’s to come, but it cannot be denied that the competition is stiff. If the Bruins can manage more wins than losses in the week ahead, it will be huge indication of how good this team will truly be this season.
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