Even though they are in the midst of a three-game homestand, all of their opponents are either ahead of them in the standings or have given the B's tough losses. If you are a glass half-full individual, this is what you want to see.
As a fan, this week should be a measuring stick for all of us and this team. The B's need to be challenged, and facing teams ahead of them in the standings at this time is ideal.
On Thursday night, the Bruins welcomed the New York Rangers to town. The winner of this game would occupy sole possession of seventh place in the Eastern Conference. This was also the first meeting of the year between these two teams, so there was no measuring stick to go by this season.
The Rangers, last season's Eastern Conference representative in the Stanley Cup Final, are continuing to push opponents to the brink with their deep roster. As for the Bruins, they have new-found depth themselves in the form of an 18-year-old rookie rounding out the top line. Regardless, "Original Six" matchups are always intriguing.
Speaking of said 18-year-old, B's general manager Peter Chiarelli announced that rookie David Pastrnak WILL stay with the team for the remainder of the year. So what if they have to use up one year of his rookie deal? He recorded four goals in two games and this team has not seen a spark like this all season. They needed him, as evident by their current hot streak. Now, the rest of the Eastern Conference is on notice: The Bruins are coming.
With the Bruins sending out the same lineup as they did on Tuesday, they looked to keep any superstition in tact during this winning streak.
The B's hopped out to a 2-0 lead; Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci were the goal scorers, the top guns for the Black and Gold. Aside from their offense, they were stellar on the penalty kill throughout the first two periods. The Rangers have excellent depth and they produced first-class scoring chances, so for Boston to keep them in check was no small feat. It also helped that Tuukka Rask was on his game.
In the third period, the Bruins imposed their will from a physical standpoint. Whether it was dropping the gloves--there were two occasions on this night--or standing strong in the defensive zone, the Rangers just could not find any openings to get back into this game. At the end of the night, the B's tallied one more goal to give themselves the 3-0 victory. #fiveinarow
The Bruins will round out the week on Saturday night when they host the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Gold Star: Tuukka Rask: He stopped all 30 shots that he faced on this night. With all the hype on the recent goal output by this team, we forgot just how good this guy really is in net.
Black Star: Kevan Miller...He really did not impose his will on some of the undersized New York forwards, which was somewhat surprising.
Game Forty-Five Box Score
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