Today one of the league's most prolific rivalries comes back to life after an 8 month hiatus as the Bruins (18-7-2) take on the Montreal Canadiens (17-9-3) tonight in Montreal.
This game is huge for the Bruins. The Canadiens are trailing the Bruins in the division by a point while the Penguins are trailing the Bruins in the conference by a point. The Bruins need this win if they plan to stay ahead of the game.
As much as I hate the Canadiens, they have been on fire for the past month. They are 8-1-1 in their last 10 games and are coming into this game on a 3 game win streak. We do have to take this streak with a grain of salt though because two of the three games they played were against the Devils, who are 11-12-6 this season with a -7 goal differential and who are sitting pretty at number 10 in the division with 28 points. It's not necessarily hard to beat the Devils, especially when it comes down to a shoot out, where the Devils are just lost.
This game is huge for the Bruins. The Canadiens are trailing the Bruins in the division by a point while the Penguins are trailing the Bruins in the conference by a point. The Bruins need this win if they plan to stay ahead of the game.
As much as I hate the Canadiens, they have been on fire for the past month. They are 8-1-1 in their last 10 games and are coming into this game on a 3 game win streak. We do have to take this streak with a grain of salt though because two of the three games they played were against the Devils, who are 11-12-6 this season with a -7 goal differential and who are sitting pretty at number 10 in the division with 28 points. It's not necessarily hard to beat the Devils, especially when it comes down to a shoot out, where the Devils are just lost.
But even so, the Canadiens are going to be a force to be reckoned with. To start, Carey Price has a 2.00 GAA and a .937 SV%. He's got a 12-8-2 record and has only allowed 44 goals on 694 shots. He's obviously a more than capable goalie in the face of high offensive pressure.
It only helps that his defense has been solid in front. Even though P.K. Subban is the second whiniest, wimpiest guy in the league behind Sidney Crosby, he is in prime form this season. With 4 goals and 20 assists with a +9 rating and a stellar performance on the blue line, he's on the road to being a top Norris trophy contender once again. He's got back up in Markov, Emelin and Diaz, which overall creates a pretty stellar defensive team.
The Canadiens have always been a high powered offensive team and this year is no different. They have scored 78 goals in 29 games, which is an average of almost 3 goals a game. Our biggest issue with their offensive is going to come in the form of not only P.K. Subban but guys like Plekanec and Eller, who have been prolific at making plays and obviously at scoring, with a total of 17 goals between them.
It only helps that his defense has been solid in front. Even though P.K. Subban is the second whiniest, wimpiest guy in the league behind Sidney Crosby, he is in prime form this season. With 4 goals and 20 assists with a +9 rating and a stellar performance on the blue line, he's on the road to being a top Norris trophy contender once again. He's got back up in Markov, Emelin and Diaz, which overall creates a pretty stellar defensive team.
The Canadiens have always been a high powered offensive team and this year is no different. They have scored 78 goals in 29 games, which is an average of almost 3 goals a game. Our biggest issue with their offensive is going to come in the form of not only P.K. Subban but guys like Plekanec and Eller, who have been prolific at making plays and obviously at scoring, with a total of 17 goals between them.
The Bruins are fully capable of beating the Canadiens but it isn't going to be easy, especially with the loss of Adam McQuaid. It was announced yesterday by the Bruins that McQuaid did not make the journey to Montreal after re-aggravating a lower body injury suffered almost two weeks ago. Kevan Miller will be McQuaid's replacement, which is more than okay with the way he played in his last adventure with the Bruins. Along with that, Krug was cleared to play, meaning we won't have to worry about Bartkowski this game. But I'm still a little wary because our defense has been a bit shaky as is, nevermind when one of our regulars is injured.
What this all means is that our defense is going to have to work even harder to keep pace with the Canadiens. With an offense like Montreal's, our defense can not afford any slip ups because the Canadiens know how to capitalize on them. We need to focus on keeping the puck in the offensive zone. The longer we can keep it there, the more momentum we can build and we've all seen how well the Bruins do once our momentum is rolling (i.e. game against the Rangers.) It's also going to be important that we block passing lanes because the Canadiens can set up plays like nobody's business and the only way to stop them is to block the lanes they use to do it. We also cannot under any circumstances allow break aways or we will end up in a situation like the one we got into with Sidney Crosby. Allowing any sort of momentum to build on their part is a big no-no.
Offensively, we need to shoot the puck. Plain and simple. Passes need to made sparingly and smartly. We can't do any of the long passes we've been favoring lately without risking turnovers which could end badly with the Canadiens. We need to make sure we're lifting the puck and aiming high on Price's gloved side, which is weaker comparatively. Getting him to move laterally will also be key because he's a bit slower than I'm sure the Canadiens would like in re-positioning himself. The Bruins need to be cognizant of these weaknesses and capitalize on them.
We also need to be on top of our physical game because we all know these games with the Canadiens always try to get physical and we need to put them in their place. If we can show them who's in charge, we can get under their skin. It will also help us win those key puck battles in the corners and create turnovers. A good fight wouldn't hurt either, as long as it is well time. Overall, a lot of pressure will fall on the offense tonight.
What this all means is that our defense is going to have to work even harder to keep pace with the Canadiens. With an offense like Montreal's, our defense can not afford any slip ups because the Canadiens know how to capitalize on them. We need to focus on keeping the puck in the offensive zone. The longer we can keep it there, the more momentum we can build and we've all seen how well the Bruins do once our momentum is rolling (i.e. game against the Rangers.) It's also going to be important that we block passing lanes because the Canadiens can set up plays like nobody's business and the only way to stop them is to block the lanes they use to do it. We also cannot under any circumstances allow break aways or we will end up in a situation like the one we got into with Sidney Crosby. Allowing any sort of momentum to build on their part is a big no-no.
Offensively, we need to shoot the puck. Plain and simple. Passes need to made sparingly and smartly. We can't do any of the long passes we've been favoring lately without risking turnovers which could end badly with the Canadiens. We need to make sure we're lifting the puck and aiming high on Price's gloved side, which is weaker comparatively. Getting him to move laterally will also be key because he's a bit slower than I'm sure the Canadiens would like in re-positioning himself. The Bruins need to be cognizant of these weaknesses and capitalize on them.
We also need to be on top of our physical game because we all know these games with the Canadiens always try to get physical and we need to put them in their place. If we can show them who's in charge, we can get under their skin. It will also help us win those key puck battles in the corners and create turnovers. A good fight wouldn't hurt either, as long as it is well time. Overall, a lot of pressure will fall on the offense tonight.
My three guys to watch tonight are:
1. Brad Marchand: As sluggish as he's been this season, Marchy always manages to get fired up against the Canadiens. He holds quite the grudge against most of their players (mostly P.K. Subban though) and he's not going to want to let the Canadiens get the better of him. This should fuel his drive to show them he's still got it. Not only will he be important offensively but he's going to play a huge part in creating energy because we all know he is going to instigate things tonight because let's face it, he's our version of P.K. Subban.
2. Torey Krug: Kruger's willingness to get physical and his versatility on the blue line make him the perfect player against the Canadiens. He's going to hit all of the keys to winning this game and he's going to be consistent in doing so. I also get the feeling that he's going to want to prove something against the Canadiens, since he's never played them before and has proved himself against similar teams. He's going to be a big part of our offensive drive tonight.
3. Tuukka Rask: Tuukka Rask has not had the best luck against the Canadiens. The second to last time we played Tuukka Rask allowed a goal in a shoot out after a rather tense game where he allowed 5 goals in regulation (and subsequently threw a Tuukka Tantrum). The last time we played we lost 2-1. Rask is going to come into this game with a vendetta and something to prove. No one wants to mess with an angry Finn with something to prove. It'll be interesting to see how he responds to the Canadiens and their offensive pressure this game. I think he's going to come up huge with some great saves and a little sass thrown in on the side.
1. Brad Marchand: As sluggish as he's been this season, Marchy always manages to get fired up against the Canadiens. He holds quite the grudge against most of their players (mostly P.K. Subban though) and he's not going to want to let the Canadiens get the better of him. This should fuel his drive to show them he's still got it. Not only will he be important offensively but he's going to play a huge part in creating energy because we all know he is going to instigate things tonight because let's face it, he's our version of P.K. Subban.
2. Torey Krug: Kruger's willingness to get physical and his versatility on the blue line make him the perfect player against the Canadiens. He's going to hit all of the keys to winning this game and he's going to be consistent in doing so. I also get the feeling that he's going to want to prove something against the Canadiens, since he's never played them before and has proved himself against similar teams. He's going to be a big part of our offensive drive tonight.
3. Tuukka Rask: Tuukka Rask has not had the best luck against the Canadiens. The second to last time we played Tuukka Rask allowed a goal in a shoot out after a rather tense game where he allowed 5 goals in regulation (and subsequently threw a Tuukka Tantrum). The last time we played we lost 2-1. Rask is going to come into this game with a vendetta and something to prove. No one wants to mess with an angry Finn with something to prove. It'll be interesting to see how he responds to the Canadiens and their offensive pressure this game. I think he's going to come up huge with some great saves and a little sass thrown in on the side.
Score Prediction: 4-3 Bruins Win
Until the end of this anxiety inducing game,
Keep calm and Bergeron!
Keep calm and Bergeron!