Game 66: Who Are These Guys?

The Boston Bruins are gunning for a seventh-straight victory, potentially catapulting them into the top spot in the Eastern Conference. Overtaking the Pittsburgh Penguins would be sweet medicine for this team at the moment. 

However, that feat was not going to be easy. They had not won seven games in a row since 2011. Coincidentally, they had not taken the ice with their opponent on Thursday night since 2011 as well. 

The Bruins welcomed the Phoenix Coyotes into the TD Garden on Thursday, and it sure was a "double-take" moment witnessing the maroon and white on the ice. If you did not get enough of it, the Black and Gold will face this team next week back in Arizona. 

The Coyotes are in the middle of their own playoff push, chasing the final wild card spot in an intense Western Conference. Cross-conference matchups are always important games for Stanley Cup purposes, but both teams had their own agendas on this night. 

Many expected Chad Johnson to get the start in net for the Bruins, but Tuukka Rask was right back out there. Johnson was looking to extend his undefeated streak at home to eight games this season. Dougie Hamilton got back into the mix by replacing Torey Krug in the lineup.

Although this game seemed boring and uneventful at times, it was still a solid effort from the B's to claim two points. They opened up a two-goal lead and never looked back. The second period was brutal; both teams combined for five shots on goal. Turnover after turnover combined with good defense told the story here. With the 2-1 victory for the Bruins, they continue to look down at every team in the Atlantic Division. 

The Bruins will play their next game on Saturday afternoon against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Gold Star: Jarome Iginla...With a goal and three shots on net in this game, that was enough to be a force on the ice. That was the type of game it turned out to be.

Black Star: Shawn Thornton...By that same token, he could not get a fair amount of ice time. He had nine shifts with a little over six minutes of game action.