Boston Bruins Weekly Predictions: Malcolm Subban Starts

Boston Bruins Weekly Predictions: Malcolm Subban Starts

With the All Star Break coming to a close, 30 NHL teams will continue to battle for 16 playoff positions. This week, the Boston Bruins will be going up against two teams that have little chance of making the playoffs this year. Two straight games versus the Buffalo Sabres after a Tuesday matchup with the Toronto Maple Leafs should result in a decent amount of points for Boston. However, nothing is ever for certain this season and the Bruins will need to bring their top game to the ice every night if they want the wins.

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Bruins v Maple Leafs

Every team will be well rested and ready to recommence the season, so there are no excuses for either team going into this game. The Toronto Maple Leafs may have bleak playoff hopes, but history has shown that teams that are out of the playoff race begin to heat up closer to the end of the year. That notion of playing loose, and making good impressions with the coaching staff for the following season, gives teams like the Maple Leafs an extra kick.

The Boston Bruins will need to be aware of this and not take any team lightly. Early on, the Bruins need to establish their dominance and take the Toronto home crowd out of the game. Tuukka Rask will be in looking to make a fresh and strong start to the unofficial second half of the season. Unless Toronto forces the Bruins into a wide open hockey game filled with odd man rushes and turn overs galore, I expect Boston to have complete control of this game, with Rask getting a 3 to 0 shutout win.

Bruins v Sabres

It was recently announced that Jonas Gustavsson was placed on the IR and that goaltender Malcolm Subban has been called up from the Providence Bruins. It would be safe to assume that Subban would be starting in one of the two games against the Buffalo Sabres this week. I am going to say that he plays the first game against the Sabres and does not win.

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His performance will not be as awful as his first career start against the St. Louis Blues, but I do believe that the nerves will get to him and he will be the reason why the Bruins lose this game 4 goals to 2. Having Subban as the backup will remind fans and players alike how valuable Jonas Gustavsson has been to this team and will also result in Rask starting more games in the future than he probably would have if Gustavsson was still around.

In the second game against the Sabres, Boston will be back with a vengeance. Tuukka Rask will put together another solid performance which will give the team confidence and scoring chances coming the other way. Buffalo won’t have much going on in this game as far as puck possession or zone time as the Bruins will be disciplined and eager to impress the coaching staff after letting them down the game before. Look for Boston to put up 5 goals to Buffalo’s 2.

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The Boston Bruins are fortunate in that they are playing not so good teams when getting back into the swing of things. They need to take advantage of this opportunity and register as many points as they can. It’s true, every team is capable of beating every team in this league, but if the Bruins expect to be a serious competitor this year, they need to be able to defeat the teams below them in the standings.

To make your predictions for this week’s games, post in the comment section below. For more access to all things Boston Bruins, follow 29Bruins on Twitter.