Boston Bruins Look To Double Up On Wins Over Leafs After Their Win On Saturday Night
Puck Prose
The Boston Bruins will be taking on a very hot Toronto Maple Leafs team for the second time in just three days. The Maple Leafs were able to shake off a very poor October and rebound with a 6-2-2 record so far in November. After a very close game that ended with the Bruins walking away as 2-0 winners, the Maple Leafs will be looking to cut the season series in half, but the Bruins might have something to say about that.
Saturday’s game was scoreless until the 16:17 mark of the third period when Zdeno Chara drilled a slapshot past Maple Leafs goaltender James Reimer. The Bruins ultimately went on to add an empty-netter and double their lead, but the game had all the makings of a “whoever scores first, wins” contest. Both Tuukka Rask and James Reimer played stellar hockey, combining for 57 out of 58 saves with only one goal allowed for Reimer and a shutout for Rask. Tuukka Rask improved his regular season record against the Toronto Maple Leafs to 12-3-1, and he will look to once again improve it on Monday night with the Bruins in Toronto.
The Bruins defense played decently well against the Maple Leafs, and Bruins forward Matt Beleskey credited that as the reason for the Bruins offense finding a way to succeed. “Good defense leads to good offense. When we’re good defensively, we have a much better chance of winning games.” Bruins head coach Claude Julien also made similar comments about the team’s defense to reporters. “That’s something we can certainly build on, understanding that if we’re stingy, we’re going to get that much better of a chance to win,”
While the season is still young, the playoff picture is always discussed, but Zdeno Chara didn’t seem too concerned with the playoffs when asked about the playoff picture. “It’s early in the season and everybody wants to win and we need to stay focused and it’s pretty much right away when you win a game, you’ve got to focus on the next one,” He finished by saying “Little things make a difference in a game.” The season is indeed young, and the Bruins will need to take every game as they come and waste no time in preparing for their next games if they do plan on ultimately making the playoffs after the regular season is over.
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The Boston Bruins are currently dealing with injury troubles to both their forward and defense positions with Chris Kelly out for the entire regular season, David Pastrnak remaining out with a foot injury, Frank Vatrano being deemed a game time decision, and Kevan Miller being placed on the Injured Reserve on Sunday.
The Bruins did make a waiver claim and picked up former-second round pick Landon Ferraro from the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday to fill Miller’s roster spot, and the Bruins newest addition could see his first action in a Bruins uniform against the Maple Leafs. Claude Julien had this to say about Ferraro. “Haven’t seen (Ferraro) a ton, but even watching him this morning, you can tell he’s a good skater, strong skater.” Detroit is notorious for building their team through the draft, and Claude Julien echoed that when he said: “He’s fast, he’s gritty, I know he kills penalties; he’s a second-round pick and Detroit usually drafts pretty well.” It’s always a weird feeling for a player when they start fresh in a new city and on a new team, but Landon Ferraro seems to be ready for the change. “I turned my phone off for a bit and just tried to unwind. Was a stressful 24 hours, but ended well. Happy where I am.” When asked about what he can bring to the team, Ferraro also said “Feel like I can get in on forecheck and try and spend as much time down there as possible. I like being on a PK-where I’m comfortable”
It’s unclear whether Ferraro will play for the Bruins on Monday, but he should be able to provide some valuable bottom-six minutes to a Bruins team that can sorely need some better defensive play all-around.
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