Lucic lays down the law with Montreal.
Last week the Bruins took their 9 game winning streak on the road. Tonight they are back in Boston with a 12 game winning streak ready to take on Original Six rival, the Montreal Canadiens. This will be the fourth and final time these two teams will face each other in the regular season this year. With a win the Bruins will split the season season series.
Tuukka Rask is expected to be in net for the Bruins tonight. On the season Rask has stopped 92.9% of the shots that have come his way. That impeccable goal tending is part of the reason Rask has only allowed 2.07 goals per game. Of the past 12 games, Rask has been in net for 7 of them and has only allowed 1.57 goals per game. While some games have been busier than others, his save percentage over the 7 games is 94.6%.
While Rask and backup Chad Johnson have easily been the best goaltenders during the month of March, they aren't the only reason the team has the best record in the Eastern Conference. Probably the biggest reason the team is having so much success is that each line is pulling their own weight on a nightly basis. While individual players may have had brief lapses of judgement, they've always had a teammate ready to back them up. Occasionally that teammate was the one wearing a mask, but frequently it has been a teammate backing up a play.
Another key reason for this great run has been special teams, specifically the penalty kill. Besides holding teams to only 3 goals in 34 power play opportunities (0.088), the Bruins have scored 2 short handed goals. It should also be noted that Colorado pulled their goalie for 5 minutes on Friday and still got shutout.
Expected to be in net for the Canadiens is Peter Budaj. Budaj has a lifetime 4-2-0 record against the Bruins to go along with his 2.64 goals against average. Budaj's last game in net came against the Bruins 2 weeks ago when he stopped 28 of 32 shots for the 4-1 loss in Montreal.
As usual, the best way for the Bruins to get a victory is to score first. While the Bruins have the second best winning percentage when scoring first, the Canadiens have the 4th worst winning percentage when trailing first. However, if the Canadiens score first there is no reason to fret. The Bruins have the second best winning percentage when giving up the first goal.
Another key reason for this great run has been special teams, specifically the penalty kill. Besides holding teams to only 3 goals in 34 power play opportunities (0.088), the Bruins have scored 2 short handed goals. It should also be noted that Colorado pulled their goalie for 5 minutes on Friday and still got shutout.
Expected to be in net for the Canadiens is Peter Budaj. Budaj has a lifetime 4-2-0 record against the Bruins to go along with his 2.64 goals against average. Budaj's last game in net came against the Bruins 2 weeks ago when he stopped 28 of 32 shots for the 4-1 loss in Montreal.
As usual, the best way for the Bruins to get a victory is to score first. While the Bruins have the second best winning percentage when scoring first, the Canadiens have the 4th worst winning percentage when trailing first. However, if the Canadiens score first there is no reason to fret. The Bruins have the second best winning percentage when giving up the first goal.
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