Game 6:Confidence Leads to Domination

Tuukka Rask (Photo Credit: Steph Phillips)

The Bruins had a golden opportunity to put away the Toronto Maple Leafs and become the first team in the Eastern Conference to advance into the Semi-Finals on Friday evening. Unfortunately, their momentum began to build a little too late and they wound up at the short end of the stick, losing 2-1.

The entire locker room knows what is at stake the second they set foot in the Air Canada Centre tonight for the opening face off.  They have to prepare to set the tone the second the blades make their first cut into the ice and build off of that momentum if they stand a chance at owning this game and ending the series.

In order to set the tone, there is going to have to be solid efforts from every player on the Boston Bruins bench. It is no question the Nathan Horton, David Krejci and Milan Lucic line have been carrying the team through the playoffs along with the Merlot line. Tonight, it is time for Bergeron and company to pick up the pace and find the back of the net. For Seguin, it means taking the time to slow things down and create the plays rather than try to finagle himself through the defense and losing the puck along the way. For Marchand, it means making smart, crisp passes and then rushing to the slot for the given rebounds Reimer is bound to allow.

Tonight the Bruins will have to adjust their defensive pairings once again in the absence of Andrew Ference. Post-skating Claude Julien told the media that Ference is ‘day-to-day’ and did not make the trip to Toronto. In his spot Aaron Johnson filled in while Matt Bartkowski paired up with Adam McQuaid.  Wade Redden skated with the team this morning and is listed as a game-time decision.

Expect Tuukka between the pipes once more as the Bruins try to seal the deal against Toronto once again, this time on their turf and advance to the next round. Face off is at 7:00PM ET and can be seen on NESN.

B’s Go For Three; Game Four Preview

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!

Trekking to Toronto for Game 3

Dougie Hamilton awaits the puck (Photo Credit: Steph Phillips)

Currently the series between the Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs is tied at a game a piece, the Bruins winning Game 1 by a 4-1 margin and the Leafs taking Game 2, 4-2.  Tonight the Bruins look to take a series advantage in Toronto for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference QuarterFinals.

Tonight the Bruins lines will once again be shuffled around as Andrew Ference is eligible to return tonight after serving a one-game suspension. With the likely return of Ference to the lineup, rookie d-man Dougie Hamilton will likely be participating in tonight’s game from the stands, supporting his teammates. Aside from the defensemen switching places, there won’t likely be any more line changes.

The Leafs came out Saturday night at the Garden ready to play a strong, physical game. The Bruins unfortunately came up at the short end of the stick as they tried to match the intensity level.  Their first twenty minutes rang of opportunities (literally) with Tyler Seguin using his speed and agility to undress the Leafs defense single-handed.  If the Bruins stand a chance at owning the Maple Leafs through Game 3, they are going to have to be prepared for a fast-paced, strong physical game for the full sixty minutes. Their focus needs to be on breaking out in the neutral zone to create odd-man rushes that nine times out of ten will beat James Reimer.

Saturday’s game ended with Shawn Thornton sending a message to the Leafs, deciding to tango with Matt Fraser. Some may take it as overflowing emotions from a well-fought game, others may say it’s a message being sent for tonight. A message preparing the Leafs to be ready for the Bruins revenge.

The team looks to hit the reset button and own the next three games in order to advance into the next round of the playoffs and need to show the grit and determination that their minor league affiliate has shown against the Hershey Bears. Tonight’s game is being broadcast on NESN and can also be heard on 98.5 the Sports Hub, home of the Boston Bruins radio network.

Who’s Hot…

Johnny Boychuk has been able to record two goals in the past two games for the Bruins, despite a 24-game drought during the regular season. His blue line presence and heavy hitting have been a key factor for the Bruins so far and will continue to be as the series goes on.

Nathan Horton, David Krejci and Milan Lucic have flipped the switch just in time as their line has combined for 3 goals and 3 assists through 120 minutes of play.

Between the Pipes…

With Tuukka Rask getting the nod for the first two games of the series and proving himself as an elite top goaltender, it is most likely he will be between the pipes tonight as well. Through the regular season he sported a 1.97 goals against average, good for top 5 in the League. He will battle against James Reimer at the opposing end of the ice for Toronto.

 

Author’s Note: We apologize for this post going up later than usual. We were having some technical difficulties. Thanks for your patience. 

Can the Bruins Go Two Up Against Leafs?

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!

Providence Playoffs: Heading Down to Hershey

Ryan Spooner at the face off against the Worcester Sharks (Photo Credit: Stephanie Vail/Flickr)

The Providence Bruins currently sit down two games to the Hershey Bears in a 5-game series. For Providence, tonight is do or die.  Despite finishing first in the league with 105 points and 50 wins, statistics mean nothing when it comes to the playoffs.

Throughout the series the Bruins have struggled to find their rhythm and a large part of that is due to team inexperience when it comes to the postseason. There’s no question, when playoffs hit, a switch is flipped and the dirty,gritty game that originated back in the 1800’s comes to light. For the young Providence Bruins squad, this is a feat that many have yet to endeavor unlike their opponent Hershey Bears.

The Hershey Bears have been contenders in the AHL consistently for years. The Bruins haven’t been a factor since 2009. The expectations set forth on a team when they enter the postseason is a completely different mindset, one that the Hershey Bears were prepared to face at the drop of the puck in the first period of Game 1.  For the Bruins it took until the last game to fully understand what they were up against. While they put forward a better effort in Game 2, they still fell short losing in overtime.

Of the six goals the Bruins have scored this season, four of the scorers have appeared in the AHL playoffs before. The veteran presence is attempting to keep the team alive while the rookies who flourished in the regular season, flounder and try to stay above water. The Bruins can’t afford to have guys like Ryan Spooner, Craig Cunningham and Torey Krug ‘find their game’ in a five game series that could easily end in Saturday’s game.  They need to kick it into high gear and fast.

While the Bruins were able to turn things around and make major improvements, there are still plenty more to be made.  Their focus needs to be on containing the veteran AHL forwards that make up the offensive lines for Hershey and finding a way to break through them. If the Bruins can force the turnovers and create breakaway plays, they should be able to break down the Bears young defense and get to the net.

Like Svedberg, the Bears goaltender Phillip Grubauer is also making his playoff debut. The difference between the two, one is making saves while the other one isn’t (obviously).  Svedberg has been a brick wall all season long and is falling short when it comes to keeping his team in games. With the lack of faith and confidence in their goaltending, the Bruins are apt to fall apart. He, like the rest of the playoff-rookies on the team, need to get their heads in the game and push it to the next level if they plan on staying alive.

It’s do or die time for Providence as they head to Hershey to take on the Bears Saturday night.

Bruins/Leafs Game One: Leggo!

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!

Bruins Set Sights on Division Title Against Senators

Milan Lucic (Photo Credit: Steph Phillips)

Last night the Boston Bruins took on the Washington Capitals in the Nation’s Capitol for the last meeting of the regular season.  While they were able to take away a point in an overtime loss, the Montreal Canadiens dominated the Toronto Maple Leafs in their last season game 4-1, earning two to pull ahead in the Division.

Tonight it all lays on the line to be the best in the Northeast with the last game of the regular season. The Bruins have had fairly decent outings against the Senators this season, winning the previous four. However, they haven’t come easily. In fact, all four of the team’s previous meetings have been decided by a single goal. While statistically speaking the Bruins look fairly decent against the Senators, there are some deciding factors to today’s game that could make or break the team.

The Bruins need to come out with the same attitude they had against the Washington Capitals last night, committed to playing a full sixty minute game and battling to get the lead. They are going to have to step up their penalty killing units after allowing two goals against the Capitals last night from Mike Green.  Their power play has seemingly gotten better in the addition of Jaromir Jagr to the line up, however, the forward sat out last night’s meeting with flu-like symptoms and it remains undetermined if he will appear back in the lineup tonight.

The Bruins are going to need to pull out all of the stops against the Senators tonight if they plan on earning the Division title as the Senators have key d-man Erik Karlsson back in their lineup, along with veteran netminder Craig Andersson. Milan Lucic has been a driving force for the Bruins lately as he appears to have found his physical and scoring game in the nick of time, earning his first goal in 7 games last night and first multi-point game in the last dozen (1 goal, 1 assist).

“If we win, we’re second place [in the conference] so a lot’s on the line,” Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask said. “It’s good that there are no games that don’t matter. Every game has mattered this season and that’s the way it’s going to be until the end.”(via Bruins website)

Tonight’s game can be seen on NESN and heard on 98.5 the Sports Hub, this is definitely a game you are not going to want to miss.

Can the Bruins Conquer the Capitals?

Brad Marchand scored a short-handed goal the last time the Bruins faced off against the Hurricanes (photo credit:Steph Phillips)

The Boston Bruins look to conquer the Washington Capitals on the anniversary of last years playoff game 7 between the two. A game in which the Bruins were knocked out of the first round playoffs in overtime thanks to quick hands from Joel Ward, resulting in some class-less fans among the fan base.

Today, the Bruins look to redeem themselves as they face off against the Caps for the final meeting of the season. Their focus is to remain consistent and stay rue to their physicality, much like they did against Tampa Bay. Just like when they play the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Bruins are going to have to contain Alex Ovechkin as he has been a wrecking machine in the home stretch of the season, exploding in the points column.

The Bruins have managed to win two out of the last three meetings, tying for first place in the Northeast Division with rival Montreal Canadiens. If the Bruins are able to keep themselves focused and win the next two games straight, they will clinch the #2 seed int eh Eastern Conference and Division Title, having a game in hand against the Canadiens. With their previous two wins, they are feeling more confident in their game and the way they have been playing, knowing they still have some work to do. However, with the amount of improvements they made form Tuesday’s game to Thursday’s, there is no doubt they will be ready for Game 1 of the playoffs mid-week if they continue at their current pace.

The Bruins are currently being led by forward Brad Marchand. He paces the team with his 18 goals, veteran frorward Jaromir Jagr sitting in a close second behind him with 17 goals on the season. Milan Lucic has been making his presence known in the past couple of games, using his body to edge out his opponents against the boards and in the crease. He’s also made himself known on the shot-sheet as well, a welcomed sight as the playoffs near.

“We understand that Washington’s been a tough team for us in the past; it’s been a tough building for us to play in as well. So we’ve got a good challenge – I say a good challenge because that’s the kind of thing we need right now is a good challenge and we have to respond properly tomorrow.”(Claude Julien via Bruins site)

Brad Marchand also reiterated in stating:

“We’ve got a job to do,” said Marchand. “We want to get that second spot and we want to continue to build on it going into the playoffs. We played well [Thursday] night; except for the Philly game, the last number of games we’ve been playing pretty well. We want to continue to build on that and hopefully play our best in the playoffs.”

With Tuukka Rask earning the start in net against the Tampa Bay Lightning, there is the possibility that Anton Khudobin could be between the pipes against Washington in order to rest Rask for the playoffs. It is also likely that we will see the likes of Dougie Hamilton reinserted in the Bruins lineup and guys like Zdeno Chara sitting out for a days rest in preparation.

The Bruins are holding their hopes high to head home to Boston with a win in hand and only one more to attain. Faceoff is set for 7:00PM ET and can be seen on NESN.

Bruins/Lightning Nemo Makeup Game

Once upon a February a not so little storm named Nemo came through Boston and cancelled a Boston Bruins/ Tampa Bay Lightning game. The two teams were supposed to have met up three times already, but tonight will be that makeup. The B’s are two-for-two against Tampa Bay this season and are going to go for the sweep. While the Bruins are three games away from playoff season, the Lightning are two away from golf season. If the Bruins want to maintain the number two seed in the Eastern Conference (they are currently tied with the Montreal Canadiens for first but have a game on hand) then they will have to pick up the win tonight against Tampa Bay.

Can the Bromance revive the B’s? (Credit: Flickr/Slidingsideways)

Building Up Bruins Defense:
If I’m being honest here, the Bruins performance against the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday night was just terrible. There were too many turnovers and there were moments of weakness where the Bruins defense was exposed. With playoff’s so close, the Bruins cannot be losing to teams that didn’t even make the playoffs. The B’s will have to use these next three games as preparation for the Stanley Cup if they have any chance of making it past the quarterfinals.

Lightning Snap Losing Streak:
And they did it thanks to a Martin St.Louis hatty to help them beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-2. Prior to this game, the Lightning had lost six in a row and were well out of playoff contention. The win also prevented Toronto from sweeping the Lightning. With the Bruins up two games this season, will the Lightning be able to avoid another sweep?

Who’s Hot:
Well the Bruins Brad Marchand scored both game winners against the Lightning this season and is also the B’s leading scorer with 18 goals this season. As usual the B’s will have to watch out for Steven Stamkos who leads the Lightning with 29 goals and is second in the NHL in goals scored. Oh yeah and don’t forget St. Louis who currently leads the NHL with points (58) and assists (42). If the B’s don’t work on their defense, you can bet Tampa Bay will take full advantage.

 

Puck drops at 7:30 and the game can be found on NESN+!

Matinee Games: The Good,Bad and Upcoming

Brad Marchand scored a short-handed goal the last time the Bruins faced off against the Hurricanes (photo credit:Steph Phillips)

Yesterday afternoon the Boston Bruins hosted the Pittsburgh Penguins in a make-up game for their last and final meeting of the season.  Essentially the game was set for Friday night, but due to the manhunt that shut down Boston and its surrounding towns, it had to be postponed.

The Bruins came out roaring in the opening period, getting on the board first with Brad Marchand netting his team-leading 17th of the season.  Despite coming out and owning the first twenty minutes of the game, they seemed to lose the momentum when they came out in the second. Five minutes into the middle frame the Penguins were able to get on the board and tie things up. From then on they would surge to a 3-1 lead that carried them to the final 2.6 seconds in a desperate attempt from Tyler Seguin, making the end result 3-2 Penguins.

Penalties were the downfall of the Bruins yesterday afternoon, having three called in the third period against the best powerplay team of the league, not exactly their most brilliant move, despite being a top penalty-killing team. While the Florida Panthers may be struggling as well, they are going to have to bring a full 60-minute effort, something that has been lacking all season long, and play like it’s the Cup Final. Their emotion was present yesterday against Pittsburgh and they fed off the crowd, but were unable to get the result they wanted.

While last season the team’s focus was consistency, this season it’s CHEMISTRY and CONFIDENCE. With the ongoing injury list the Bruins have had this season and the inconsistency with certain players, the lines have seen a lot of changes. In yesterday’s game we saw Milan Lucic in the stands as his team took on the top seed in the Eastern Conference without the likes of top forwards Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and James Neal.

The Boston Bruins are now 1-5-1 in their last 7 games, losing the past four in a row. They are also now four points out of first place in the Northeast Division with two games in hand against the Montreal Canadiens.

The Florida Panthers may not stand a chance at making it to a playoff spot and haven’t found a way to beat Boston as of yet, but that doesn’t mean today will be easy. In fact, the Panthers are struggling just as much to find a victory after dropping to the Devils last night.

Nathan Horton‘s status for today’s matinee game is undetermined after he left the second period with what appeared to be a hand injury after getting in a fight. If Horton sits out today’s game, the likeliness of Lucic being re-inserted to the line up is highly probable over Jay Pandolfo, meaning Swedish elite Carl Soderberg would star in his second professional game.

The rotation of defensemen has been fairly steady through the past few games, helping to keep all nine d-men fresh in time for the playoffs. However, with rotation means change and adaptation, something the Bruins will hopefully be able to contain and work with.

With their new-found physicality, their over-flowing emotion and dire need for victory, the Bruins should come out ready to play one of their best games of the season today as they face the Panthers at 12:30PM.