Two in a Row?

David Krejci looks to continue his scoring streak! (Credit:slidingsideways/flickr)

The Boston Bruins haven’t won two in a row since January but they’re looking to finally get over that speed bump today in a matinee game against the New York Islander. The Islanders are hanging out at 14th place in the Eastern Conference while the Bruins are 2nd. I would say this means great things for the B’s for the game today, however when it comes to playing bottom ranked teams the Bruins aren’t exactly amazing. The B’s have won the last two against the Islanders this season  scoring 6 goals each time. This game is important for the simple fact that the B’s are holding onto first place in the Northeast division by only 3 points with the Ottawa Senators in second.

Who’s Hurt:
Andrew Ference left Thursday’s game in the third with a lower body injury and wasn’t at practice yesterday. Rich Peverley is on route to return in the next 4-6 weeks with a MCL sprain in his knee. On the bright side, Johnny Boychuk has been skating with the team after getting a nasty hit last Saturday though when he returns is still unknown.
On the Isles side goalie Al Montoya left their road trip early with an upper body injury and was replaced on the roster by Anders Nilsson. Defenseman Dylan Reese is out with a knee injury but is expected to return soon.

Who’s Hot:
David Krejci!! Let me just say how happy this makes me to put him in this category. After Tyler Seguin joined Krejci and Milan Lucic’s line, the results have been magic. Krejci and Seguin both ended their scoring drought but Krejci decided to not just end it but trample it with a hat trick. Islander wise the Bruins need to watch out for scoring machines Matt Moulson and P.A. Parenteau.

Who to Watch For:
With Ference and Boychuk out, I expect to see former Islander and newly acquired Bruins Mike Mottau get in the lineup. Mottau is excited to play against his former team and had this to say this morning:

“You might know some tendencies of their forward play, or their D and what they try to do – their systems and stuff.” added the new B’s D-man. “But overall it’s just the same game and no friends out there.” (Via NHLBruins)

Today’s game is really going to come down to the goals. The Islanders have been very quick to get on the board lately but the Bruins still hold the edge of the team. I think the Bruins just need to not get complacent. The new lines seem to be working well and after today’s game we could either FINALLY have two wins in a row or be right back where we started. As for who is getting the start, I’m thinking Tuukka Rask but we’ll just have to wait another hour or so to find out!

Puck drops at 1 on NESN.

 

 

Trade Deadline Dwindling

P.A. Parenteau could be just what the Bruins need heading into the playoffs. (Photo Credit: Dinur/Flickr)

With a thin trade market this year and the deadline nearing, GM Peter Chiarelli has some tough decision making to do. While it is likely the Bruins will be going into the playoffs with generally the same roster as last season, a couple minor tune-ups wouldn’t hurt.

The number one rumor for the Bruins circulating as of late is Washington Capitals‘ Mike Knuble. Knuble has been a healthy scratch for the Caps as of late to which Coach Dale Hunter explained, was due to a poor plus/minus rating. Knuble was demoted to the fourth line back in late October and hasn’t registered a point for the Capitals since December 5. While his performance has been much like a roller coaster, statistics aren’t always the full story. Despite all of this, Knuble’s veteran game and great defensive presence would benefit the Bruins,especially helping fill the void of Peverley and Horton.

There has also been some skepticism of Ray Whitney joining the Bruins roster. While the Bruins have struggled to fill spots due to injury as of late, it was no question the shoes of Mark Recchi were hard to fill. With a player like Ray Whitney on the roster, the Bruins would fulfill a similar leadership roll. Whitney has played in 61 games this season and posted 17 goals and 31 assists for 48points, similar statistics to that of Nathan Horton.

While Rick Nash has been scoped out by seemingly every team in the League, in order to aquire him the Bruins would need to sacrifice a lot to bring him in, which is something they aren’t willing to do. They’re trying to go with the less is more aspect.

Taking a look at the UFA(Unrestricted Free Agents) of 2012, there is only one other person that sticks out to me. P.A. Parenteau of the New York Islanders. Parenteau has had a breakout season this year with the Islanders registering 56points in 61 games played. While the majority of his career has been spent in the minors, this could be just what Boston needs for a Cup run. Someone who is able to put up the numbers and potentially fill an open roster spot.

While the clock is winding down and there are no definite, set in stone plans as to who,if any, will come to Boston, there is still the hope of Horton returning in time for a big finish. (Fingers crossed.)