With tonight being Game Three of the Eastern Conference Semi’s between the Boston Bruins, there are two possible outcomes of the game. The first (and obviously the best) is that the Bruins can go up three games to zero and have a chance to clinch the series on Thursday. The second is the Rangers get their long overdue second win and get their first win of the series, meaning there would definitely be a game five. So now you can see why I’m so pro option one!

Will Krug have another big game? (Credit: Flickr/ Slidingsideways)

Both teams started off today with an optional skate, with most of the Bruins taking part in the skate. Claude Julien had some time with the media this am and let it be known that though Wade Redden and Dennis Seidenberg have been skating with the team, they will not be in the lineup tonight. Seidenberg, on a positive note, seems like he’ll be ready to go soon enough.

Be Better Bruins (well some of you):
As we know there have been some stars of this series thus far cough cough Torey Krug, Brad Marchand, Tuukka Rask cough cough. But there’s been a few that just haven’t shined so bright and I’m looking at you Chris Kelly, Rich Peverley, and Tyler Seguin when I say that. The third line struggles seems to be a common theme this season for the Bruins but the playoffs are not the time for that.

On his line, Kelly said:

“We want to stay positive and stay up; obviously it’d be nice to contribute”  (Via Bruins Twitter)

Both Kelly and Peverley have continued to be great faceoff wise but are losing ice time due to every line being a little bit better. And then there’s Seguin. Seggy has had a lot of chances to score during these playoffs but has yet to hit the back of the net. A little more push from this line and I think we’ll see some scoring.

Digging out the Rangers:
When you’re down two games, the only way to go is up right? At least that’s what Coach John Tortorella thinks about his team. He notes that though they lost on Sunday, that they played a lot better from Game One. This is the second series in a row that the Rangers have gone down two. But they came from behind in the last series to beat the Washington Capitals so I expect us to see a new team tonight in New York.

Goalie Showdown:
Though he’s not a Vezina finalist, Rask has been the star for the Bruins thus far. While the team gave up turnover after turnover, Rask stood strong in his net stopping puck after puck. The reason the Bruins were able to hold onto to their lead is due to the tremendous effort in net from Rask. On the other side IS a Vezina finalist who’s finding himself in a strange position. Sunday was the first time in 151 games that Henrik Lundqvist gave up five goals. He also appeared to  have injured his shoulder but in the playoffs everyone gets bumped up. Lundqvist is a goalie goal there’s no disputing that so expect him to shake off Game Two and be back in fighting shape for tonight.

Rookies Rookies Rookies:
The odds are that once again the rookies will be getting the start for Game Three for the Bruins. But this is no longer something to be concerned about as these three rookies are outshining some of the vets. Krug as I mentioned before has scored two goals in two goals, and the only current B’s player to have done that in his rookie year was Seguin. Then there’s Matt Bartkowski and Dougie Hamilton. All three defensemen have contributed to scoring in some way in this series and as they get more comfortable on the playoff ice, so does their confidence.

Puck drops tonight at 7:30 and you can check out the action on NBCSN!
For the New York side of things check out Black and Blueshirts!

Nothing says playoff hockey like a Sunday matinee game right? Well today the Boston Bruins took on the New York Rangers in Game Two of the Eastern Conference Semi Finals at the TD Garden. The B’s went into this game holding a one-game edge over the Rangers and looked to pick up another win. Neither team would change their lineup from Game One and it would be Tuukka Rask versus Henrik Lundqvist in net.

Torey Krug had another big game for the Bruins today! (Credit: Flickr/ Steph Vail)

5:28 into the first, the Bruins would get on the board. Torey Krug would score his second playoff goal in his second playoff game for the B’s. Krug is the 4th Bruins to score goals in first two playoffs goals among the ranks of Cooney Weiland, Don Gallinger, and current Bruins Tyler Seguin. At 8:01 Ryan Callahan would tie up the game on a beautiful deke off a Bruins turnover. There’s no one to blame for that goal but that turnover. The Rangers would get two chances on the power play in the first but they weren’t able to use the man advantage. And here I am thinking the Bruins have the worst power play unit.

Within the opening minutes of the second period, Gregory Campbell would get the Merlot line on the board for his first of the playoffs. Krug would get the assist on that goal and I think it’s safe to say this kid is legit. But just 56 seconds after the B’s goal, the Rangers would fire back. Rick Nash would notch his first of the playoffs and we’d have a tied game once again. With 7:52 left on a 4-on-4, Johnny Boychuk would give the Bruins the lead once again with a rocket shot high-glove on Lundqvist. After all the shots on net Boychuk had during Game One, it’s good to see him score. This is Boychuks third goal in postseason and once again is proving how HUGE the B’s defense has been in scoring thus far. As the second period came to an end, the Rangers lead the Bruins with shots on net 27-21. However, it’s the Bruins leading the game 3-2.

In just 26 seconds, the Bruins managed to open the third period with a goal. Brad Marchand would make it a 4-2 off yet another perfect pass from Patrice Bergeron. These two should always be on the same line, ALWAYS! Marchy now has four points this season (2g, 2a). The goal also marks the first time in 32-career games VS Boston that Lundqvist has allowed more than 3 goals in a game. Milan Lucic would make it a 5-2 game with 7:21 off a David Krejci shot. It looked like Krejci would get the rebound off of Looch pass, but number 17 would get the rebound. The Rangers wouldn’t come back from the 5-2 deficit and the Bruins would take Game Two.

The Bruins are now two games away from the Eastern Conference Finals. All three rookies registered points for the Bruins today and Coach Julien will have some decision making to make once the injured veterans come back. But for now we can celebrate another win for the Bruins.

Game Three is Tuesday night in New York.
BELIEVE IN BOSTON!

The Boston Bruins Game 7 Eastern Conference Quarterfinal Game against the Toronto Maple Leafs was a thing of history after the B’s overcame a 4-1 deficit to take the game in overtime. Anyone that follows Boston hockey knows never to stop believing in the team and it paid off.

Will Barkowski have another huge game tonight? (Credit: Flickr/ Slidingsideways)

Now we’re in the semifinals facing off against the New York Rangers in what is sure to be another spectacular series. With the Bruins having the higher seed in standings, they once again have home ice advantage and with that the fans of the TD Garden. Tonight is Game 1 in Boston.

It’s expected that it will be Tuukka Rask versus Henrik Lundqvist in net. Yes that means the B’s will have to get back Vezina winner and goalie god Lundqvist but it’s doable. King Henrik has a career 1.67 goals against average and .943 save percentage in 30 career games against the Bruins. Six of those games have been shutouts. He is also currently on a series shutout streak of 120 minutes because in the Rangers last series against the Washington Capitals he didn’t allow goals in either Game 6 or 7.

Noticeably absent from Bruins scoring during the first series was both Brad Marchand and Tyler Seguin but it’s not for lack of shots on net. Out of all players in the NHL, Seguin had one of the most shots on net during round one. Unfortunately none of them were able to register for goals. If Seguin wants to score he’ll need to figure out how to get past defenders not relying on just speed because obviously he’s fast. For Marchy, he needs to get back to his “nose faced killah” agitator ways. In regular season the pair scored 34 goals in 48 games. Marchand left the ice this am with what looked like an injury but is expected to be in the lineup tonight.

The Bruins will be relying on younger d-men to carry to team thanks to slew of injuries to the veteran players. Dougie Hamilton and Matt Barkowski were huge in the Game 7 win, with Barkowski even scoring his first NHL goal. They will need to continue to bring that impact with this new series. New to the lineup is Torey Krug who is expected to play tonight. Krug has been a star for the Providence Bruins and tonight has the chance to prove himself in the NHL ranks.

This series isn’t going to be easy for either team. Both clubs are gritty and play a similiar style of hockey aka aggressive so needless to say I wouldn’t be surprised if it came down to a game 7.

With tonight being the first game, a tone will be set and at the end of 60 minutes (ideally) one team will have a game advantage. Puck drops tonight at 7:30 and you can check it out on NBCSN! Unfortunately this means no more commentary from the great Jack Edwards but you can follow his twitter for all his thoughts on the game (which are sure to be hilarious/amazing).

BELIEVE IN BOSTON!

Tonight the Boston Bruins have the chance to go up three games to one against the Toronto Maple Leafs and from that the chance to clinch the series Friday night back at the TD Garden. On the other hand, tonight the Leafs have the chance to yet again even out the series 2-2 and force a game six.

(Credit; Slidingsideways/Flickr)

Monday night was a big night for the Bruins having them not only take advantage of the series, but do it in front of a Toronto crowd that hadn’t seen a playoff game IN Toronto since 2004. Needless to say the crowd was pumped but unfortunately didn’t get the win they’d been looking for. Tonights game is also in Toronto so you can bet the crowd will be just as wild in pumping up the Leafs.

Bringing the Bruins Hockey
The Bruins were simply the better team on Monday night. They were winning faceoffs (45-of-75) and not giving up the puck as easily as they were for Game two. It helps that Tuukka Rask is in net because he shut the door on the Leafs Monday stopping 45-of-47 shots. The past two games, it was the defense coming in HUGE for the Bruins scoring wise but game three it was all about the offense. And particularly the line of Nathan Horton, David Krejci, and Milan Lucic, who combined for two goals and eight points in the game three victory. The line has now combined for five goals and 17 points in the series. The Bruins are one of the few teams that have stars on all four lines of their offense and Monday was a prime example of that. If the B’s can continue to work their offensive magic and get past James Reimer or any other Leaf backup, then they should be to pick up the win.

Toronto Can Talk but Can They Win?
It’s no secret that the Maple Leafs were the more dominant team in Game two but they seemed to have lost all of that momentum in Game 3. The Bruins lead the NHL in faceoffs all year so it’s no surprise going up against a mediocre faceoff team like Torono that the B’s would have the upper hand. However the Leafs are reasoning the B’s faceoff success with cheating something Claude Julien refers to as “crying wolf”.  When in all actuality the Leafs lost because of all their turnovers and the brick wall that is Rask. The Leafs had a season high 47 shots on net Monday night but only managed two past Rask. If Toronto want’s to win they’ll have to figure out what the spark was on Saturday that gave them the edge and use it. Otherwise the B’s offense will complete to run through their defense.

Who’s Hot?
For the Bruins, it’s David Krecji. Krecji right now is easily playing the best postseason of his career with two goals and seven points in just three games. Those stats lead all players in the postseason. Krecji’s liney Milan Lucic is also having a stellar performance thus far with a five-point scoring streak and six assists in the three playoff games. On Toronto’s end is Boston’s fave Phil Kessel who has registered a goal in each of the past two games.

The puck drops tonight at 7pm tonight and you can check it out on NESN!

BELIEVE IN BOSTON!

Emotions were high in Toronto as the Boston Bruins took on the Toronto Maple Leafs for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. Once again it would be Tuukka Rask in net against James Reimer. This is the first playoff game played at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto so needless to say Toronto fans brought their A-Game with cheers and emotion. At the end of this game, one team would hold a one-game lead over the other.

Adam McQuaid scored his first playoff goal EVER tonight! (Credit:Flickr/Slidingsideways)

Right from the start both teams came out of the gate looking refresh and ready to win. Both Goalies were making the stops and both teams were getting shots on net. It was a pretty back and fourth start to the game. With 6:18 remaining in the first, the B’s would win the face off and with a quick release Adam McQuaid would get the Bruins on the board first. This is Quaider’s first career playoff goal through 35 playoff games. Thus far the Bruins have scored 7 goals in this series and four of them have come from defensemen. Milan Lucic would get his fourth assist of the postseason and David Krejci would get his second. Toronto would get the first power play of the game off of a Jaromir Jagr tripping penalty with just over two minutes left in the game. B’s would kill the penalty and the first period would come to an end. The Bruins would end the first with 17 shots on net, while the Maple Leafs had 12.

Early into the second period, the Bruins would get their first power play of the game after Ryan O’Byrne gets two for an interference call. The B’s PP I would say is a “work in progress” as in it’s been working on getting better for as long as I can remember so needless to say they couldn’t take advantage of the extra man. At 14:03 Jagr with the takeaway feeds it to Rich Peverley who would make it 2-0 for the Bruins. Its the first points for both Pevs and Jagr of the postseason. The Maple Leafs would go on the power play but it would be short lived since they would soon get a penalty of their own. We had ourselves a little four-on-four action and then the B’s would have an extra man for 40 seconds. Neither team would get anything from the PP and at this point Toronto was looking a little desperate. This wouldn’t be the last of the Toronto man advantage in the period and with 6:15 left in the second they would finally use it. Jake Gardner would get the Leafs on the board and make it a 2-1 game. 50 seconds later Nathan Horton would score another goal for the Bruins making it 3-1 B’s. The Bruins would give Toronto ANOTHER PP but this time it would be the B’s who would utilize it with Daniel Paille scoring a shorthanded goal off a pass from Phil Kessel with 3:23 left in the period. THANK YOU KESSEL (it never gets old).

The third period would start with four seconds of 4-on-4 followed by yet another Toronto power play for 1:27 seconds. 47 seconds into that power play, Kessel would get a goal. For the record, I’m not taking back that TY Kessel from above. Now the game is 4-2 and the B’s have a little less breathing room. Four of the seven Toronto goals this series have been on the man-advantage. With the two minute warning, Toronto pulls Reimer hoping to make a comeback but it’s short lived with a Krejci empty netter. Jack Edwards said it best by referring to that goal as a “dagger in the heart” of Toronto.

Bruins would win 5-2 and now lead the series 2-1. They face off again in Toronto for Game 4 Wednesday night.

BELIEVE IN BOSTON!

The Boston Bruins took Game one over the Toronto Maple Leafs and are looking to go for win number two. The B’s played a full 60-minutes Wednesday and came out on top 4-1. It was the first time in a while that all four lines of the Bruins stepped up and the win displayed that. While it looked like a complete domination against Toronto, I’m not counting them out.

Tonight the game will end with the B’s being up by 2 games and carrying the momentum that goes with that or the Maple Leafs tying up the series.

(Credit: Flickr/ Slidingsideways)

Bruins Change It Up:
With Andrew Ference being suspended for tonight’s game, the Bruins have no choice but to change up their defensive pairings that were so successful Wednesday night. Ference is a player that isn’t afraid to make his presence known against any team and Coach Claude Julien has the job of putting someone in his place that will take on that responsibility. So tonight either Dougie Hamilton, Matt Bartkowski, or Aaron Johnson will be back in the lineup in place of Ference. If I’m betting on this, I think Dougie will make his NHL playoff debut as he is the one out of the three who has had the most ice team this season. Also in terms of defense, Adam McQuaid was paired with Zdeno Chara at yesterdays practice which means Quaider could be potentially facing off against Toronto’s top line tonight.

Another thing to note is Wednesday Rich Peverley was a healthy scratch for the forwards so there’s a chance he’ll jump back into the lineup as well.

Toronto Takes a Step Back:
It’s no secret that the Maple Leaf’s didn’t leave Game One feeling like they gave it their all. They were out shot 40-20 and simply outplayed. But that game is in the past now and they Leafs are looking to make a comeback tonight. Most of the Toronto players are newbies when it comes to playoffs and the team has said that those nerves have been shaken off and their ready for Game Two.

The Maple Leafs will be without defenseman Mike Kostka after he broke his finger in the second period of Game One. Either Ryan O’Byrne or Jake Gardiner will be added into the lineup for Game 2. Also, expect to see some line changes for the Maple Leafs.

Bergeron Line FTW:
It’s no coincidence that every time Phil Kessel was on the ice with his line, the Patrice Bergeron line was also there. Bergeron along with Tyler Seguin, and Brad Marchand have been one of the B’s most consistent lines all season and they continued that pressure in Game One. Kessel, who lead Toronto with 20 goals and 52 points during the regular season was limited to just one shot in under 14 minutes of ice time on Wednesday. Bergeron, who is easily one of the best two-way players in the league, can be blamed for that.

Who’s Hot?
Boston players Milan Lucic and David Krecji. Looch has one goal and five points in the past three games, while Krejci has two goals and five points in four games. Krejci was the player of the game for the Bruins and was sporting their “player of the game Army Ranger’s jacket” after the game.

Expect Tuukka Rask to get the start for the Bruins as he was nothing but solid Wednesday night.

Puck drops TONIGHT at 7pm and you can check it out on NESN!

BELIEVE IN BOSTON!

So playoffs are here and obviously I’m super excited hence the “leggo” in the title. With such a speedy shortened season, we found regular season for the Boston Bruins end Sunday. Well now it’s Wednesday and the quest for Lord Stanley’s cup has officially become. It all starts tonight and it starts against round one opponent the Toronto Maple Leafs. Eastern Conference Quarterfinals LEGGO (yes I’ve now mentioned this word three times).

Boston sits in the fourth seed for the Eastern Conference while Toronto ended up right behind them in fifth. All that separated the teams was a mere five points. Both teams had the opportunity to place higher but they stumbled to the finish of regular season losing more than winning. But it’s playoffs now so that’s all a thing of the past.

Expect Horty to be back in action TONIGHT! (Credit: Flickr/ Slidingsideways)

Let it be known that this is the first time since 1974 (14th overall) that both teams have met in Stanley Cup Playoffs aka this is a pretty big deal. I’m talking Original Six rivalry big deal!

Redemption Time:
Remember that time the Boston Bruins won the Stanley Cup two seasons ago? That was pretty great…no that was amazing. Remember that time they lost in the Quarterfinals to the Washington Capitals last season? Yeah, not so great. The Bruins are looking to go much further in the playoffs like Stanley Cup Finals further. But to do so they need to put the regular season slump in the past and rely on Bruins hockey to go the distance.

Toronto on the other hand is in the playoffs for the first time since the 2004 playoffs. They were eliminated that year second round thanks to the Philadelphia Flyers. That’s nine years of no playoffs aka I expect the Maple Leafs will be hungry for victory with Boston being the first victim.

THANK YOU KESSEL!
Expect to hear this said quite often this week Maple Leaf’s fans. Sorry I’m not sorry in advance! One of the obvious key points in this match up will be former B’s player Phil Kessel and current B’s player Tyler Seguin. Let me refresh your memory in case you forgot. Back in September of 2009, Kessel was traded to Toronto for three draft choices, two of whom turned out to be first-rounders. Those first rounders are Seggy and rookie defenseman Dougie Hamilton, both of which have been key for the Bruins this season. In 16 games against Toronto, Seguin has 10 goals and six assists. Expect to see plenty of Kessel related signs in the TD Garden tonight and through out the series.

It’s Officially Tuukka Time:
Back in 2011, Tim Thomas was a playoff goalie god for the Bruins while Tuukka Rask was backup chillen. With Thomas out of the picture, it’s Rask in position number one for the B’s, and needless to say he has big shoes to fill. His regular season record is Vezina worthy for sure (check out my nominee preview today on Intermission Report), and I think he’ll be reliable tonight and for the rest of the playoffs for the Bruins. In his last 14 games, he hasn’t allowed more than two goals more than six times. In regular season he finished with a .929 save percentage and 5 shutouts.

Key Players Return:
Both teams will be getting some pretty necessary key scorers back from injury. For Boston, it’s Nathan Horton who has missed the past five-games with an upper body injury. Horton as we all remember was clutch for the Bruins in their 2011 Stanley Cup run and I have no doubt that he will be just as influential this time around. Jaromir Jagr should also be back in action for the B’s after missing both games this past weekend with flu-like symptoms. Jagr, the ever so amazing veteran, has been an ideal offensive fit for the B’s and should be extra beneficial during the playoffs. Toronto will have Tyler Bozak back in action who missed the last two games due to an upper body injury. Bozak finished his season with the Leafs with 12 goals and 16 assists

So tonight is Game one and with Boston having the home-ice advantage, it’s being played at the TD Garden!

Here’s a look at the rest of the schedule (so you can play your life around it like me!):
Game 2 @ Boston: Saturday May 4, 7:00pm
Game 3 @ Toronto: Monday May 6, 7:00pm
Game 4 @ Toronto: Wednesday May 8, 7:00pm
Game 5 @ Boston: Friday May 10, 7:00pm
Game 6 @ Toronto: Sunday May 12 (if needed)
Game 7 @ Boston: Monday May 13 (if needed)

Puck drops at 7pm TONIGHT and you can check out the game on NESN!
BELIEVE IN BOSTON!

With it being the last game of the regular season for the Boston Bruins, two points have never been more important. With a win, the Bruins will win the Northeast division and the second seed in the Eastern Conference. With a loss, the Bruins will be the fourth seed in the division, but will have home ice edge. Basically TWO points decide the first round of playoffs for three different Eastern Conference pairings.

Since it’s a “need to win” kind of the night, the Bruins kept the same lineup as last night and Tuukka Rask would get the start opposite Robin Lehner. 

Peverley (Credit: Flickr/Slidingsideways)

The “need to win” vibe was definitely filling the TD Garden right from the start. Most notably I want to point out former Senator Kaspars Daugavins who would end up leading the team with 3 shots on net (of 13 for the B’s) after the first. He’s been very good the past few games and hopefully will pick up his first B’s goal soon. With 3:01 left in the first, the Senators would get the first goal of the night. Erik Condra would get his fourth goal of the season. Soon after, Milan Lucic would drop gloves with Chris Neil. Two fights in the last three for Looch, it’s safe to say he’s back! The Bruins would end the first on the PK with Brad Marchand getting a late slashing call. Despite being down, the B’s would be leading the Senators in shots on net 13-9.

Depite being on their supposed “A-Game” the Bruins haven’t been registering any goals on Lehner. It’s clear that they are trying to pick up the two points as much as the B’s. The Bergeron line once again brings pressure and gets several good shots on net but no goals past Lehner. With under 10 minutes to go in the second, Jared Cowen would make this a 2-0 game for the Senators. This is not the time for the B’s to be letting high point goals…or any kind of goals in. With exactly two minutes remaining in the game, the Bruins would go on the power play. Usually, that really doesn’t do much for the B’s scoring wise but apparently it woke the B’s up. With just 3.4 seconds to go Wade Redden would chip the puck to Rich Peverley for the Bruins to get a power play goal and make it a 2-1 game. Boston is still out shooting Ottawa 28-19 after two periods. Now the third period is more important than ever!

It took 14 seconds into the third but Dennis Seidenberg and the Bruins would tie the game.  Looch and the Daug Man would both get assists on the goal. That would be Daugavins first point as a Bruin and like I said earlier this was overdue. Just so we’re keeping track that would technically be two goals in 18 seconds for the Bruins. With 3 and a half to go, Ottawa would once again get the lead. Plain and simple, they caught the Bruins standing still. Jean-Gabriel Peageau would get that goal for the Senators. The Senators would seal the deal with an empty net goal.

With the loss, this means the Bruins are now the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs and will take on the Toronto Maple Leafs. That series is set to start Wednesday!

Patrice Bergeron (Photo Credit: Steph Phillips)

Tonight prior to the start of the Bruins game they announced the winners for the Eddie Shore, Elizabeth Dufresne, John Bucyk and Three Stars Awards. 

The Eddie Shore Award is given to the player that shows exceptional hustle and determination throughout the duration of the season. It almost goes without saying that the recipient of this award for the 2013 season is Patrice Bergeron. Bergeron has once again been an integral part of the Bruins team and without his stellar faceoff percentage and offensive prowess, the Bruins wouldn’t be in the playoffs.

The next award given was the Elizabeth Dufresne, given to the player who was the most outstanding player at home throughout the season. Once again, Patrice Bergeron was called upon. His home-ice statistics for this season: 8 goals, 13 assists, +20 rating in 20 games. He averaged 14:26 of ice time and took 419 faceoffs, winning 280 of them for a 66.8% overall. There was also a $25,000 donation made to the OneFund Boston Foundation with this award.

The recipient of the John Bucyk Award is awarded to the player for outstanding service in the community along with a $1,000 donation to a charity of the players’ choice. This year’s recipient for his contributions to charitable endeavors, Gregory Campbell.

Last but not least came the Three Stars Awards, given to the team’s top three performers of the season that  contributed most to team’s success throughout the year. Star #3 of the year went to Tyler Seguin who ranked 4th on the team in points and second in goals with 32 and 16 respectively. Star #2, Patrice Bergeron who by the end of tonight’s game will have locked up #1 with his faceoff percentage for best in the league. The Boston Bruins #1 Star of the season, Tuukka Rask, earning himself 5th in the National Hockey League with his 1.97 goals against average and a save percentage of .930 ranking him 3rd in the league.

Earlier this week the team also announced this year’s 7th Player Award recipient, being awarded to Bruins rookie defenseman Dougie Hamilton, a player who fans voted exceeded the expectations set for him this season.

There’s only one trophy left for the Bruins to win and after tonight’s game, they have to play their hearts out and bring the Stanley Cup back to Boston. We are after all, BOSTON STRONG.

With just four games remaining in regular season, the Boston Bruins head to Pennsylvania to take on the Philadelphia Flyers for one last  time this season. While the Bruins clinched the playoffs last week, the Flyers unfortunately won’t be fighting for Lord Stanley’s Cup this year. Sunday the Bruins were able to pick up a win from another team not in the playoffs aka the Florida Panthers and they are hoping they can do the same tonight in Philly. However they are going to have to get past a rival team that has had a recent resurgence of offensive wins.

B’s celebrate a goal from Sunday’s WIN! (Credit: Slidingsideways/ Flickr)

The B’s Slump is Over…Hopefully.
With a 3-0 win over the Panthers, the B’s avoided a four-game losing streak which would have been a season worst. That win helped the Bruins regain the top spot in the Northeast division. The Bruins are currently tied with the Montreal Canadiens for first with 59 points but the Bruins have a game in hand hence why they are number one. The win Sunday was especially necessary for Boston since it was the B’s first victory following the bombings. Hopefully that win was the sign of more to come as playoffs are right around the corner.

Tuukka Time:
Tuukka Rask picked up well needed victory for the Bruins shutting out the Panthers and stopping 28 shots on net. That’s the kind of performance the Bruins are going to need if they want to succeed in the playoffs. Now I’m unsure if Rask will get the start in net because I’m sure Coach Julien is thinking playoffs right now and resting his best. If that’s the case backup Anton Khubdobin will get the nod and get his 14th start of the season. Dobby is 9-3-1 for the B’s and will have no problem filling in in net.

Flyer Soar:
You would think a team that’s out of playoff contention would just be “ehh” when it comes to finishing the season. But that is far from the case with the Flyers. They have won their last three and have scored 16 goals within those three goals. In other words, the Bruins defense will NEED to be on it’s A-game if the B’s are trying to pick up two points. Bruins/Flyers to me is always a good matchup and with either team taking a victory so far it’s anyones game tonight.

Who’s Hot:
Brad Marchand has goals in two straight games, and five points in his last five. He’s currently leading the B’s in scoring with 18 goals. Jakub Voracek has three goals in the past four games for the Flyers. In 45 games this season, he has 20 goals.

Injury Report:
Nathan Horton did not make the trip to Philly due to an upper body injury and obviously will not be playing. I think this is another smart move by Julien to make sure his top guys are ready when playoffs come. Adam McQuaid is listed day-to-day with a lower body injury but could be back in the lineup tonight. The Flyers are missing forwards Zac Rinaldo (ankle), Maxime Talbot (leg), and Jody Shelley (hip), and defensemen Braydon Coburn (shoulder), Andrej Meszaros (shoulder), Nicklas Grossmann (concussion), Kent Huskins(concussion) and Bruno Gervais (torn stomach muscle).

Puck drops at 7:30 and you can check out all the action on NESN!