The Vancouver Canucks will travel to take on the Boston Bruins on Tuesday, hoping to bounce back from a loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday. The Bruins are currently on top of the Atlantic Division with a 31-10-12 record totaling 74 points, while the Canucks are 30-18-5 with 65 points on top of the Pacific Division.
Streak Breaker
While Vancouver dropped its last game on the road, it was previously on a six-game winning streak and looking good at the top of the Pacific. The Canucks have a strong group of core players with very impressive young talent rounding out the roster.
The Canucks were happily surprised with the talent of Elias Petterson last year, as he eventually took home the award for Rookie of the Year. They have had success with another rookie this season in defenseman Quinn Hughes.
Despite his brother being the No. 1 overall pick in the draft this season, Hughes has impressed everyone with eight goals and 31 assists so far.
It is no surprise that once again, Petterson has made a huge impact this season. The 21-year-old already has 23 goals and 32 assists, giving him a total of 55 points.
Center J.T. Miller has also contributed, leading the team in assists with 33. With the Bruins coming out of the All-Star break hot, Vancouver will be looking for these stars to step up for them.
Jacob Markstrom will most likely be getting the start in net for Vancouver in this one. He has been their primary goaltender this season over Thatcher Demko, who is just 10-5-2 this season. Markstrom is 20-13-3 with a 2.70 goals-against average and a .917 save percentage.
The Canucks are averaging 3.28 goals per game while allowing 2.96. They have center Tyler Motte and winger Micheal Ferland on their injured reserve list.
On A Hot Streak
The Boston Bruins are also sitting on top of their division. They have come out of the All-Star break on fire, putting together wins over the Jets and the Wild and allowing a total of two goals.
In their tough game against the Jets, the Bruins put their special teams on display, stopping all six of the Jets’ power plays, including two 5-on-3 situations. They also capitalized and scored on both of their power plays, getting the win and showing once again how strong they can be in those situations.
All-Star David Pastrnak is not only leading the Bruins but also the NHL in goals with 38 this season, tying his career high. He has led the NHL almost all season so far, but Auston Mathews and Alex Ovechkin continue to close in.
Pastrnak is also leading the Bruins with 75 points this season, while his linemate Brad Marchand has the most assists on the team with 46.
In net at home for this game will be goaltender Tuukka Rask. Rask put on an incredible display in his last start in the team’s 2-1 victory over the Jets, stopping 37 shots, including their six power-play chances.
Rask is 18-4-6 this season with a 2.23 goals-against average and a .927 save percentage. Rask was selected for the All-Star Game but had to miss the weekend with a head injury.
What To Expect
While both teams are on top of their games as well as their divisions, the Bruins are at home and look as good as they have all year since the break. I would trust Rask to put on another strong performance and for the Bruins to take this one at home in a tight game.
