The Boston Bruins look to gain some confidence after a poor round robin debut against the Flyers, as they face off against the Tampa Bay Lighting at 4:00 PM.
These were two of the leagues best teams in 2019-20. The Bruins, who won the President’s Trophy, finished with a record of 44-14-12 (100 points), while the Bolts finished right behind the B’s with a record of 43-21-6 (92 points).
The Bruins have appeared in two games since the NHL’s return, which have both been very disappointing 4-1 losses. They played the Blue Jackets in an exhibition before getting beaten by the Flyers this past Sunday.
For the Lightning, it’s been the exact opposite. They’ve also played in two games.. but have won both, and looked fairly solid, which is quite the polar opposite, of the Bruins.
It’s time for the Bruins to flex their muscles a little bit, and show the world they’re still the top team in the NHL. Their lackluster performances, while almost meaningless, leave much to be desired, and in a week or so, these games are going to count. They need to be better in ALL areas of their game. Shooting the puck, instead of trying to make a highlight reel pass, is a great place to start.
Here are key team stats and where both finished among the NHL:
| Stat | Boston | Tampa Bay |
| GF/GP | 3.24 (9th) | 3.47 (1st) |
| GA/GP | 2.39 (1st) | 2.77 (8th) |
| PP% | 25.2% (2nd) | 23.1% (5th) |
| PK% | 84.3% (3rd) | 81.4% (14th) |
| Shots/GP | 32.1 (10th) | 31.1 (19th) |
| Shots Allowed/GP | 30.0 (8th) | 30.9 (12th) |
| Faceoff% | 51.0% (7th) | 50.5% (11th) |
The game can be found on NBCSN.
Bradley’s Prediction
I think this is going to be a very physical game, much like the last time these two teams met, when there was a line brawl seemingly after every whistle. The Bruins will win this game 5-3, with the top line leading the way.
-Bradley Whitesell (@Bradiey98)
