Senators, Bruins Clash Right Before Winter Olympic Break

The Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics officially begun today, but the Boston Bruins’ several Olympians are not entirely finished with their NHL games. The B’s still have to endure another game against the Ottawa Senators, who have been playing with a chip on their shoulder in recent games.

The Bruins couldn’t manage to eek out a thrilling game-winner against the St. Louis Blues on Thursday, falling victim to T.J. Oshie‘s wrap around in the dwindling minutes of overtime.

What Will the Bruins Put on Display vs. the Senators?

Are the Bruins going to play this game to the best of their ability? The Senators can match the Bruins’ physicality if needed, but this matchup will be closer to a routine game for both teams. Every player on the ice will put their best foot forward hoping for victory, but nothing more will come out of this contest. Unless, of course, the score remains tight towards the end of the third period and overtime becomes a possibility.

The Bruins may not try to spur a comeback when they are down two goals in the third period, but Claude Julien will definitely demand that his team come ready to seize one more win before the Olympic break.

Bruins Don’t Have Chara But Will Be at Home

Another feature of this matchup is centered upon the fact that Bruins captain and best defensemen Zdeno Chara will not be skating for his squad. He is now residing on a sizeable bed in Sochi, set to represent home country Slovakia in the winter games. The B’s, though, will be back at the TD Garden where they enjoy one of the best home records (22-6-2) in the Eastern Conference. 

Players to Watch for the B’s

Both of the top forward lines played fairly well for the Bruins up until the end of the Blues’ competition. Definitely keep your eyes on David Krejci, Milan Lucic and Jarome Iginla–Iginla and Lucic especially. I need to see these two players consistently drive hard to the net, creating gristly opportunities around the crease and in the low slot. The Bruins’ offensive attack must be aggressive to make up for the lack of experience on the defensive side.

Link: causewaycrowd.com/2014/02/08/senators-bruins-clash-right-before-winter-olympic-break/