Boston Bruins Gameday 57: Come On Bruins, Light My Fire
After the Bruins got trampled on in Vancouver on Saturday night they look to bounce back against the Calgary Flames.
Both teams will be looking for a win to brush over their embarrassing weekend defeats. The Bruins surrendering to the hapless Canucks 6-1 and the Flames got thumped 6-3 at home to the Florida Panthers.
Players to watch
Dougie Hamilton– The former Bruin has been an absolute powerhouse for the Flames. Playing the second-most minutes on the Flames, 1005:49. Hamilton has 34 points in 59 games and has to be considered one of the NHL’s most elite defenseman. Not only does Hamilton produce offensively his analytics are impressive. A 56.66 CF% is marginally behind (0.01%) Matthew Tkachuk for the team lead. He has been on the ice for 46 Calgary goals and 38 goals conceded giving him a goals for percentage of 54.96%.
Patrice Bergeron– The undisputed king of the 200ft game will continue his phenomenal season this afternoon. 51 points in 51 games with plus-minus of 23 and shooting percentage of 14.4%. A player known predominately for his defensive attributes has combined that with offense and is looking for a personal best in both goals and assists.
Starting Goalies
David Rittich– The Czech rookie has played 13 times for the Calgary Flames this season possessing a .913 sv% and a 2.76 GAA. Rittich may not be a bonafide starter in the NHL but has shown some promise and could shock the Bruins. The cliche of getting pucks on net fast couldn’t be more appropriate here. Not letting an inexperienced goalie get settled, will give the Bruins a great chance in the Saddledome.
Tuukka Rask– Coming off of a howler on Saturday in which he was mercifully pulled after conceding four goals on eight shots, expect a performance from Rask. He will come out strong this afternoon and put the Canucks game behind him. It’s what elite goalies do in the NHL, and it’s what Tuukka Rask does. A shutout or save percentage over .920% wouldn’t surprise me at all.
What’s at stake
Calgary have fallen out of the wildcard spots due to their lose at the weekend and an Anaheim Ducks victory. A win today propel them back into the playoff picture. This team has playoff aspirations and rightly so in my opinion.
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Boston will be looking to increase the pressure on the faltering Tampa Bay Lightning even with the Bruins slip-up in Vancouver. The Bruins are three points behind the Lightning with three games in hand. A win this afternoon may force the Lightning’s hand in terms of a trade. Similarly, a loss this afternoon for the Bruins could lead to some trade activity in Beantown.
Prediction
The Boston Bruins sort out their defensive frailties and show more jump and intensity when exiting the zone. Communication on the blue-line is vastly improved and link up with the offense seamlessly. Calgary cause the Bruins all sorts of problems but the Bruins collectively out play the Flames individual brilliance.
Boston 5 Calgary 2.