Bruins to renew hostilities with league-leading Canucks

The cross-continental blood feud between the Bruins and the Canucks has simmered down. It has been nearly 13 years since the teams staged one of the most bitter, contentious Stanley Cup Finals that the B’s managed to win in seven games that each played out like mini-operas.

But could we see a renewal of hostilities tonight? The Canucks – a surprise team that continues to prove itself to be as legitimate as any contender  – come into the Garden on Thursday as the NHL’s top dog. Just two points behind them in the overall league standings are the Bruins.

It’s doubtful we’ll see the same kind of fireworks we saw when the teams tangled here the season after their epic Cup final tilt. All the names on the Vancouver roster are different, as they are for the Bruins, with the exception of Brad Marchand.

Marchand, of course, would represent a pretty big exception for Canucks fans, given his front and  center villainy in that long ago series. But it is a different era and these current players don’t have any real history against each other.

What the game does represent is  pretty good litmus test for both teams.

The Bruins no doubt are in a different mindset than their guests. While the Canucks scored an impressive win over the surging Hurricanes in Carolina on Tuesday, the B’s are coming off a woeful performance in their 4-1 loss to the Calgary Flames.

After that performance, the B’s are more concentrated on fixing their own game than what the opponent may bring. But perhaps facing the best team in the league can help snap the B’s out of whatever funk they were in on Tuesday.

“It’s a good challenge,” said Pavel Zacha after the loss on Tuesday. “It’s another game we have to think about and be 100 percent ready. They’re a really good team, so I think we have to get excited for the challenge.”

The Canuck arrive on a 10-0-2 heater. Their last regulation loss was over a month ago to St. Louis on Jan. 4. They lead the league in goal differential at plus-60. They lead the league in goals for (3.78 per game) and are second in goals against (2.54).

The Canucks and B’s are neck-and-neck on the power play. The B’s are a tick ahead of the Canucks at 26% (5th) and Vancouver is 25.8%. The B’s would seem to have an advantage on the penalty kill but that would be a bit deceiving. the B’s are now rated 11th (82.6%) and the Canucks are 16th (79.%). But the B’s PK been plummeting – they allowed two more PP goals to Calgary – and the biggest contributor is not being able to stay out of the box, according to coach Jim Montgomery.

They’re taken the third most minors in the league (201). Meanwhile, the Canucks have done a much better job of staying on the right side of the law. They’ve taken 156 minors, 25th most in the league.

And the Canucks are riding a high off the first big acquisition of the trade season, reeling in two-way center Elias Lindholm, a player the B’s reportedly had interest in. Who wouldn’t? Sometimes it can take a while for a big add-on piece to find his way, but Lindholm needed no such grace period. In his first game for the Canucks in the 3-2 win over Carolina, Lindholm scored twice, was a big part of the Vancouver penalty kill and made a game-saving block near the end of regulation. He could be a perfect set-up man for star wing Elias Petterson.

The Canucks have every right to feel good about themselves. Quinn Hughes is in Norris Trophy hunt, Thatcher Demko is at the top of the Vezina conversation, Brock Boeser (30 goals) is rejuvenated and Vancouver’s J.T. Miller leading scorer (22-46-68) might be playing some of the best hockey of his career. In charge of it all is Jack Adams front-runner Rick Tocchet.

Yes, the Canucks are very good once again, maybe even worthy of the antipathy B’s fans held for the 2011 version.

But the B’s aren’t so bad themselves, Tuesday’s lackluster performance notwithstanding. Calgary center Nazem Kadri’s banger of a quote after that game was telling in how the rest of the league views the B’s – and what they’re in for the rest of the season.

“A pack of hyenas can take down a lion,” said Kadri.

The B’s have shown they can play with anyone in the league, as evidenced by their record. But it wouldn’t hurt if the B’s found their inner hyena.

 

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/yED1Zte