Bruins Look for Series Sweep Against Devils

In the third and final regular season meeting between the Boston Bruins and the New Jersey Devils, the B’s currently have the 2-0 lead. Can they go for the third and sweep the Devils? I guess we’ll find out tonight as the B’s head to the dirty Jersey for one last regular season showdown.

(credit: Slidingsideways/ Flickr)

The last time these two teams met up was just six days ago, with Jaromir Jagr making his Bruins debut and managing to score the lone goal of the evening. Anton Khudobin would get the shutout for the B’s and there’s a good chance he’ll nab the start tonight with the B’s playing back to back tonight and tomorrow.

Devils Doomed?
With only 9 games remaining in New Jersey’s schedule, they are currently riding a seven game losing streak. They are currently sitting outside the playoff brackets and are going to have to pull it together if they want a chance to make a run for the Stanley Cup. This is the longest losing streak the Devils have been on since their ’85-’86 season. A big reason for their loses stems from their poor overtime performance this season. They are 2-7 in shootouts this season and with a rushed schedule, now isn’t the time to be losing valuable points (one of those losses comes from the B’s).

B’s back on track?
The Bruins offense certainly stepped it up on Monday with a 6-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. That was the most goals the B’s have scored in a game this season. The line of Brad Marchand, Jagr and Gregory Campbell combined for two goals and two assists, while Tuukka Rask stopped 40-of-42 shots. However with the offense being on their A-game, it’s time for the B’s defense to step it up. There’s no excuse for why Rask had to stop that many shots. If the Bruins win tonight they will move past the Canadiens and regain first place in the Northeast division.

Who’s hot?
David Clarkson leads the Devils with 13 goals this season and scored their only goal in their most recent loss. Meanwhile, Tuukka time is 3-2-1 in his past six starts with a 2.16 GAA and .921 save percentage.

Injury Report:
B’s will be without Patrice Bergeron (head) and Adam McQuaid (shoulder). The Devils are most likely without Ilya Kovalchuk even though he did practice with the team on Tuesday. This will be Kovalchuks 8th straight missed game.

Puck drops at 7 and you can check out the action on NBCSN for Rivalry Night!

Love For Lokomotiv

Chara is to play in the charity game in memory of the Lokomotiv team (Photo Credit: Steph Phillips)

Bruins captain Zdeno Chara will be taking part in the charity game being held on August 4 to remember those that were lost in the plane crash carrying the Lokomotiv hockey team last fall.  He is among a group of European and Russian players who were deeply touched by the tragedy with the news hitting close to home as one of the players, Pavol Demitra-a Slovakia native and friend of Chara’s, died soon after take-off when the plane crashed.   Chara left Bruins practices last September to attend Demitra’s funeral services and was understandably emotional while talking about the untimely death of one of his closest friends in hockey.

The game is being held in Switzerland and is being known as a “Memory Night.” In this game there will be two teams, the Swiss League’s Kolten Flames against an All-Star team that is consisted of current and retired NHL players.  Among the players are: Evgeni Malkin,Ilya Kovalchuk, Pavel Datsyuk, Ilya Beyzgalov, Sergei Gonchar and Alex Semin.  Alexei Kovalev, Alex Yashin, Sergei Fedorov and Sandis Ozolinsh are among the retired NHL players/current KHL players that will take part in the exhibition.

“Memory Night” reminds us how much of a short time it has actually been since the tragic accident took place, a day in hockey that will certainly never be forgotten. May the memories of those lost on that tragic day forever live on in our hearts.