For the second time in two weeks, the Boston Bruins will meet the Vancouver Canucks. This time, the two teams will square off in Western Canada in the fourth game of the Black and Gold's current five-game road trip. To date, they are 1-1-1 with losses to the Buffalo Sabres in regulation, the Calgary Flames in overtime, and the Edmonton Oilers, 6-2.
The win over the Oilers on New Year's Eve snapped a six-game winless streak at 0-4-2, and one of those losses was against the Canucks, 5-4, in a shootout two weeks ago at the TD Garden. It was as disappointing a loss as Boston has had this season.
Now they will be facing Vancouver, which is coming in off a 4-3 shootout loss to the Seattle Kraken on Friday night and on the second leg of a back-to-back. It was their fourth straight loss at home, and their last win on home ice was in early December.
Bruins face must-win situation against Canucks
You might be thinking that it isn't a must-win at the midway point of the season, but things are getting dangerous for the Bruins in terms of the postseason. The Eastern Conference is a major logjam, and they are two points back of the final wild card spot as play begins on Saturday. Who knows how many points further back they'll be by the time the puck drops at 10 p.m. EST.
Vancouver will be without Marco Rossi, acquired from the Minnesota Wild last month as part of the Quinn Hughes trade, and Connor Garland. Former Bruins forward Jake DeBrusk is struggling mightily and was a healthy scratch earlier this week against the Kraken.
If the Black and Gold are going to hang around in the playoff race, stringing together wins and picking two points in any fashion late Saturday night is a must.