Boston Bruins: Five must-watch games in November
The Boston Bruins head into the month of November once again as one of the premier teams in the league. In fact, look at anybody’s power rankings, and you’ll find the Bruins at or near the top.
The Bruins finished October with only one regulation loss in 12 games. Their 9-1-2 record puts them in first place in the Atlantic Division and second place in the Eastern Conference.
David Pastrnak leads the way for Boston with an insane 24 points. Brad Marchand isn’t far behind with 21.
The Bruins need this strong start to carry over into November, as they embark on a stretch of 14 games in 28 games.
November 5 at Montreal
Although the Lightning and Maple Leafs continue to be the strongest competitors in the Atlantic, neither will ever replace the Canadiens as Boston’s chief rival.
Boston heads up to Montreal on November 5 to take on the Habs. They’ll renew the rivalry for the first time this season.
Last season, the Bruins and Canadiens met four times. The Bruins went 2-1-1 in these games, and they outscored Montreal 9-8.
Montreal should be a tougher matchup this year for the Bruins. The Canadiens are currently in third place in the division with a 7-4-2 record. Carey Price continues to lead the team with six of the seven victories.
The Bruins will need to stop an improved Montreal offense that features Jonathan Drouin and Brendan Gallagher. Each player has 12 points in 13 games.
The Canadiens, however, have a much more difficult challenge with Pastrnak and Marchand. For once, Boston, and not Montreal, is by the faster, more skilled team.
Boston-Montreal games never fail to live up to the hype. This game should be no exception.
November 15 at Toronto
Teams in the same division only play each other four times in a season. Boston and Toronto will meet for the third time on November 15.
The Maple Leafs defeated the Bruins 4-3 in overtime in the first matchup of the season. The Bruins bounced back with a 4-2 victory three days later.
The big question ahead of the third game will be whether or not the Leafs can stop David Pastrnak.
Like we saw in years past, Toronto doesn’t have an answer for Pastrnak. He ended the first game with two points, including the game-tying goal late in the third period.
Pastrnak again was a menace in the second game, as he had another goal and an assist.
The Leafs may have a difficult time against Boston’s top forwards because of some key injuries. John Tavares still is out of the lineup, so he won’t be able to matchup with Patrice Bergeron‘s line.
Also, Jake Muzzin, the only player who’s even close to a shutdown defenseman for Toronto, could miss the game against Boston. He left last Tuesday’s game with a lower-body injury.
If Boston’s offense continues to fire on all cylinders, this could be another long night for the Maple Leafs.
November 16 vs Capitals
The only team in the Eastern Conference currently with more points than Boston is Washington. The Bruins welcome the Capitals to TD Garden on November 16.
We all know how the Bruins usually struggle against Washington. All you have to do is look back to last year when the Capitals destroyed Boston 7-0 in the season opener.
This year, however, will be different, as the Bruins finally have the firepower up front to match Washington.
The Capitals roll in with Alex Ovechkin, who in his 15th season remains one of the best goal scorers in the league. He has 11 goals through 14 games this season, good enough for second place in the league.
Who is tied for first place with one more goal than Ovechkin? That would be Boston’s-own David Pastrnak, who has 12 goals in 12 games.
The Boston-Washington matchup will see two of the league’s best goal scorers go head to head for the first time this season. Something tells me there will be some offensive fireworks.
This game also looks like it could be a warmup for a potential Eastern Conference Finals meeting. As such, expect both teams to bring their A games into Boston.
November 21 vs Buffalo
The two titans of the Atlantic Division meet for the first time on November 21. But wait, didn’t the Bruins already play Tampa Bay and Toronto?
Surprisingly, the Sabres right now are Boston’s closest competitor in the division. Buffalo has nine wins in 13 games this year. This gives them 20 points, which is the same as the Bruins.
Buffalo owes its strong start to its forward group. Jack Eichel leads the team with 17 points, and Victor Olofsson stepped up with six goals already.
Buffalo also will come to town with Rasmus Dahlin, who at 19 is one of the best young defensemen in the NHL. He has 10 points and averages a little under 20 minutes in time on ice.
The Sabres, like the Bruins, also have a solid goalie pairing. Carton Hutton and Linus Ullmark each sport a sub-2.60 GAA average and have a SV% above .925.
The Bruins will need to be ready for the test against the Sabres. Buffalo will head to Boston ready to prove that its early-season success was no fluke.
This should be a competitive game that will show whether or not Buffalo is a contender or a pretender.
November 29 vs New York
Years ago, the Bruins started what became an annual matinee game the day after Thanksgiving. The NHL since stole this from Boston and turned it into a league event.
This year, the Bruins take on the Rangers in something the league now calls the NHL Thanksgiving Showdown.
The Black Friday game will be the second time the Bruins and Rangers meet. In the first game, the Bruins dominated en route to a 7-4 victory.
Marchand and Pastrnak proved to be more than the Rangers could handle in that game. Both players had five points; Marchand with two goals and three assists, Pastrnak with five assists.
Rangers goalie Henrik Lunqvist had a tough night against the Bruins. He gave up four goals in the second period, and he even lost his cool when he checked Pastrnak behind the net.
We’ll see if the Lundqvist and company can do a better job against Boston in the second game. They’ll need to tighten up to take any points.
Honestly, there’s a chance this game isn’t competitive or even all that exciting. That said, hockey the day after Thanksgiving always seems to deliver.
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November has the chance to be another strong month for the Bruins. If all goes as planned, they should finish this month like they finished October: at the top of the Atlantic Division.