Penguins Roll On to Fourth Win, Bruins Take On The Canadiens
On Tuesday, the Pittsburgh Penguins (7-3) won 4-2 over the New York Islanders (4-4-1), rolling on to their fourth-straight win. Penguins captain Sidney Crosby got hit in the nose by a puck, but it didn’t stop him from remaining in the game.
For northeast hockey fans, Wednesday night will provide a good match up between the Boston Bruins (6-1-1) and the Montreal Canadiens (6-2). The Bruins are finding success with new goaltender Tuuka Rask while the Canadiens have two rookie forwards, Alex Galchenyuk and Brendan Gallagher, making great contributions for the team.
Other Wednesday games include Anaheim vs. Colorado (-113, 5 o/u) and Dallas vs. Edmonton (-123, 5 o/u).
Pittsburgh defeats New York, 4-2
Penguins center Sidney Crosby
At the start of Tuesday’s third period, the Penguins had a three-goal lead and looked ready to finally beat their division rival. But not so fast for a Marc-Andre Fleury shutout.
The Islanders hit two goals but the Penguins’ last score by Pascal Dupuis at 19:21 sealed the win. This came after the team saw seven power players with only seven minutes remaining in the game.
Fleury said of the game via ESPN, “I didn’t feel like we were out of control or undisciplined. Maybe we made a few mistakes and that ended up costing us. Other than that, I thought we worked pretty hard and played pretty well.”
For Crosby, he got struck in the nose during the second period and briefly left the ice. After a few minutes he returned and later learned he does not have a broken nose.
The Penguins sit at the top of the Eastern Conference and are 8 to 1 to win the Stanley Cup this year.
Boston vs. Montreal
Bruins goalie Tuuka Rask
One of the keys to Boston’s success in this short season to date is its new goaltender Tuuka Rask. He took over for Tim Thomas and has had an good transition and also a short memory.
Last Thursday, Rask gave up six goals (four consecutive ones came in the third period) on 31 shots vs. Buffalo but shook it off for his next game on Saturday with a 21-save shutout–a first–vs. the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Bruins have given up two or fewer goals in their last five games. Against the Maple Leafs, they had a 34-21 shot advantage and versus five consecutive opponents, they have outshot them. Their power plays need some work as they’re 3 for 30, placing them close to the league’s bottom.
For the Canadiens, one of the keys to success has been their rookie duo of forwards Galchenyuk and Gallagher, who have a combined four goals with 12 points.
Looking at Wednesday’s game, history is on the Bruins side as they’ve won four straight games against the Canadiens. They has come by one goal in each one with the most recent matchup on Feb. 15 at 4-3. But for Rask, he struggles against the Canadiens: he has five consecutive losses (a 3.45 goals vs.average).
Montreal plays well at home, winning five straight games. On Sunday, the Canadiens defeated Ottawa 2-1 for a second consecutive overall win, giving up one goal for a second straight game.
Goalie Carey Price had 32 saves in Sunday’s game and has won his six previous starts, The team has only allowed 17 goals–toward the fewest in the NHL– but Price struggles against the Bruins. He has four losses against them and a 2.24 GAA.
But so far so good with the team’s new coach, Michel Therrien. He’s back for round No. 2 with the team and defenseman Josh Gorges said of him, “You never know what to expect when you have a new coach, new system and everything. We have a group here that wants to get it done. They want to pay the price, win the battles.”
For the Bruins, the win streak will continue on Wednesday (-123, 5 o/u).
