(Could former Hurricane Erik Cole be heading to Boston in the next two weeks?)
Game Fifty-Eight
Boston Bruins @ Carolina Hurricanes
February 17th, 2008 @ 7:00PM
GAME PREVIEW:
- Saturday night marked the fourth straight loss for the Bruins (longest streak of the season) and second loss on their current five-game road trip. The Bruins though have been showing huge signs of improvement in the last two games, actually playing the full three period and then some. The B's just are not getting the bounces they got earlier this season and the puck is having a harder time getting in the net. But as I said things have turned around, especially the play of both Patrice Bergeron and Milan Lucic. Both players have been all over the ice in the last two games and seemed to finally have come alive. Hopefully this will be noticed by the rest of the team and translate into some future momentum and wins. Tonight is the fourth and final game in the Bruins/Canes season series, in which if the Bruins win they will sweep (3-0-0). The season series has brought some great games between these two teams, including two 4-2 Bruins wins at the Garden and a 5-1 blowout in Carolina. This is just the type of thing this team needs to get themselves out of this slump. Look for the lines to be mixed up again as Claude continually tries to find the perfect match-ups to make-up for the missing fire-power (ie: Ryder & Kobasew). Finally congrats to former Bruin Glen Wesley, who will have his number retired tonight.
GAME QUICK HITS:
- TSN released their "Top 10 Best Lines in the NHL"this season and two of the Bruins four strong lines made the cut. Ranked eight overall is the line of Lucic, Savard and Kessel with a total of 138-points this season and a plus-55. Then right behind them at the ninth overall spot is the line of Wheeler, Krejci and Ryder who have put up a surprising 125-points and a plus-85. Congrats boys...
- Mathieu Schneider is now a Hab.The Canadiens are the first team to strike a high-profile deal before the trade deadline, and it's a good one. The Habs gave up 2009 2nd round and 2010 3rd round draft pick for the much sought after defenseman.
- ("Everyone knocks him because he doesn't have the "butterfly style" of the others in the league. They said the same about Hasek!"). Former Bruins P.J. Stock makes his end of the season award picks over at his blog at CBC Sports and I guess he has a bigger man-crush then me on Tim Thomas, picking him as his winner for the Vezina Trophy and hopeful for the Hart Trophy.
- The Bruins power play unit has been 0-for-14 during their four-game losing streak and 2-for-36 in the last nine games overall. Something needs to start clicking for the B's, who were ranked third overall before the ASG.
- Former Bruin Sergei Samsanov will be on the ice tonight. Samsanov has 12-goals and 19-assists this season with the Canes and is on pace to have his best season since leaving Boston.
- According to sources, the Bruins are close to trading for the Oilers Erik Cole. The Bruins would receive Cole for Matt Lashoff, Vladimir Sobotka and a draft pick. Lashoff gone = YAY but Sobotka gone = BOO! Why can't we just give up some draft picks like the Habs did? (H/T to Stanley Cup of Chowder who broke this story first)
- Glen Wesley will have his number retired tonight. Wesley was an assistant captain on the Cup winning Canes team a few years back.
- Blake Wheeler will play alongside Lucic and Savard tonight as Kessel moves down to the "peach fuzz"line of Krejci and Sobotka. Glad to see Julien shuffling around the lines.
CREASE REPORT:
- Bruins: Tim Thomas (24-7-5) last played on Friday and ended up being the losing goaltender in a 1-0 game versus the Devils. Thomas only faced a total of 18-shots that night but came up huge with a few flashy saves. This was the first time this season that Thomas lost back-to-back games in regulation. Manny Fernandez (14-3-3) lost for the second straight time in the shootout on Saturday against the Predators, this was his second start since returning back to the lineup. Manny has allowed 6-goals in his last two starts and really can't be blamed for either loss so I will give him the benefit of the doubt.
- Hurricanes: Cam Ward(22-18-3) is the Hurricanes go-to guy and has started in the last four games. Ward recorded a shutout in his last start against the Sabres but allowed 4-goals in each of the two starts before then. He was even pulled in a game against Florida after allowing 4-goals after only 13-shots. Michael Leighton (6-6-2) replaced Ward that night but still didn't get the start in the next game so I would say Ward will be in net tonight considering he is coming off a shutout.
INJURY REPORT:
- Bruins Injury Report: RW Michael Ryder(sinus fracture), who has been out of the lineup since February 6th, has began practicing with the team again with a full cage and is expected to return in the next week or so. RW Chuck Kobasew (leg) missed his second straight game on Saturday night, but is expected back sometime this week. RW Petteri Nokelainen(eye injury) also missed his second straight game on Saturday due to an eye injury he suffered via a Dan Boyle high-stick. No word on Nokelainen's return has been announced. LW Marco Sturm (knee) is on the IR for the rest of the season and any chance of a playoff return has been ruled out.
- Hurricanes Injury Report: RW Scott Walkerhas been on the IR since January 29th with an undisclosed upper-body injury. D David Tanabehas been on the IR since September 20th with a concussion. RW Justin Williams broke his hand in the Canes last game and will be out of the lineup for at least a month. D Tim Gleason missed the Canes last game with an undisclosed upper-body injury and is probable for tonight's match-up.
GAME PREDICTIONS:
(post your predictions in the comments section)
- Chris: Bruins 4-2 (for the third time this season)
