Moving into Saturday, the Boston Bruins split their two games in Alberta with a victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday and a loss to the Calgary Flames on Thursday night, ironically both coming in overtime - giving them a three-point trip to the Energy Province.
In both games, there was a stark difference between what determined the end of the game. In game one, the Bruins blew a four-goal lead and held on just tightly enough to pick up the victory. In the second game though, they made a comeback and could not find the back of the net again after their second goal and it was a case of pure bad luck that resulted in the loss.
Despite the results and Boston breaking even on the scoreboard in its last two games, here's why fans should be looking at Saturday's game with the Vancouver Canucks with positivity.
The Bruins already beat them already... Pretty bad too...
The first reason of positivity that Bruins' fans can look at the game against the Canucks with positivity is that they already beat them. Not only did they beat them, but it was a smack down where they defeated them 4-0 in Boston.
Before you say anything about Boston being a hard place to play, they made it look easy. The Bruins scored two shorthanded goals in the first period alone, but also scored under a minute into both the first and second period.
In addition to the first two goals that Boston scored to open the two periods, they scored twice to open the second period. Sure, that may have been it for the game, but by that point it was 4-0 and Vancouver had just about reached the point of no return.
The Canucks have not been looking very good recently
In their last 10 games, the Canucks have won just four of them. Sure, eight of their last 10 have been on the road, but when you are a team of the caliber that they are, it should not matter where you play.
To make matters worse for Vancouver, they have had a habit recently of playing down to their competition. Take for instance, its 10-7 loss to the Minnesota Wild. Earlier in the season, the Canucks would have no business losing that game, and today they should not either.
The worst part about their play in February is their goal differential of 33-to-38, or in lay man's terms -5. Overall, on the season, it is a +51, but this month didn't do them any favors.
They will most likely have Swayman in net
After having Linus Ullmark in net against Calgary, and Jeremy Swayman in against Edmonton, if you examine the pattern that head coach Jim Montgomery plays, it will most likely be Swayman in an All-Star showdown between the University of Maine product and former Boston College product Thatcher Demko.
It is always possible that Montgomery mixes it up, as Ullmark did pick up his first shutout of the season against the Canucks and is familiar with how they operate, but it is not likely considering that, like in marketing or sales, you never do the same thing twice.
Swayman will be operating on three days of rest and will be ready to face off with the high-flying offense of Vancouver, in the matchup that he should have been in in Boston. Maybe it will be time for Swayman to get payback for not getting a hug during the All-Star Skills Competition.
The Bruins after watching Demko not give Swayman a hug: pic.twitter.com/BgpwB1YanF
— Conor Ryan (@ConorRyan_93) February 9, 2024
When/where is the game? How can I watch it?
The game is in Vancouver, British Columbia at Rogers Arena - puck drop on NESN is at 7:00 p.m.