Following their 7-3 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers at Lake Tahoe Sunday night, the Boston Bruins had three days to rest, get healthy, and have two practices. For the fourth time early in this season, the Bruins will hit the road again for another trip, this time another three-game trip through the state of New York.
Tonight, the Black and Gold will play their third game of the season on Long Island against the New York Islanders. The previous two trips have been two frustrating games that have been problems for the Bruins in different ways. Sitting on top of th East Division standings at 11-3-2, Boston will look to solve those problems they have had at the hands of the Isles and pick up a win.
Can the Bruins finally get the best of the Islanders?
The Islanders have handed the Bruins two of their three regulation losses this season, In fact, the Islanders have earned at least one point in their first six home games of the season.
The @NYIslanders have collected at least one point in each of their first six home games of a season for the seventh time in franchise history. #NHLStats pic.twitter.com/sac79orpkV
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) February 23, 2021
One of the problems that Boston has had this season is that they have not been able to solve Islanders goalie Semyon Varlamov. In two games, he has stopped 55 out of 57 shots and had a 1-0 shutout on Jan. 21.
In the second meeting on Feb. 13 at the Nassau Coliseum, Brad Marchand gave the Bruins an early 1-0 lead, but the Isles scored the next two goals before Patrice Bergeron tied the game late in the second period. New York scored two third-period goals, including a shorthanded tally from Jean-Gabriel Pageau late in the game to seal a 4-2 victory.
In the two games, getting the puck on the net has not been an issue for the Bruins. It’s getting them into the net and by Varlamov. Against the Flyers Sunday, the Bruins took advantage of some shaky goaltending by Philly’s Carter Hart in the first two periods to build a 6-1 lead. Against the Islanders, they won’t have the advantage of some shaky goaltending.
If the Bruins are going solve the Islanders tonight, they will have to first find a way to get some pucks by Varlamov, which as we have seen in the first two meetings it is easier to say than do.