The Boston Bruins are showing no signs of slowing down after going 3-0-0 in their last week of games.
Boston defeated the San Jose Sharks, New Jersey Devils and the NHL-leading Tampa Bay Lightning to remain in second place in the Atlantic Division. The B’s will look to widen the gap over the third-place Toronto Maple Leafs in their upcoming week with games against the Pittsburgh Penguins and surging Carolina Hurricanes.
The Bruins finished off the month of February with a 11-0-2 record and hope to carry that momentum into March, which began with a 1-0 win over the Devils on home ice.
Let’s take a look at the upcoming week:
Tuesday, March 5 vs. Carolina Hurricanes, 7 p.m. ET
The Hurricanes have been a surprise this season. Carolina sits third in the Metropolitan Division, just three points behind the defending Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals. The Canes come to TD Garden riding a five-game winning streak that included the team scoring at least four goals on three occasions. Boston’s defense has been a force of late and will be tested Tuesday with Sebastian Aho. The Carolina center has 27 goals and 46 assists on the season and has 11 points over his last 11 games.
As hot as the Hurricanes have been, Boston certainly will give them a run for their money. Whether Tuukka Rask (14-0-3 in his last 17 starts) or Jaroslav Halak (4-0-0 in his last four starts) start between the pipes, the Carolina offense will be tested.
Thursday, March 7 vs. Florida Panthers, 7 p.m.
The Panthers have a tough road before heading to Boston. They’ve now lost four straight with a loss Sunday against the Ottawa Senators and now must prepare for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Florida manhandled Boston 5-0 in its first meeting this season when Aleksander Barkov Jr. accounted for three assists and Mike Hoffman potted two of the five the goals. Both Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau have been assist machines for Florida, combining for 87 on the season. The B’s defense will be tested by Hoffman, who’s the lone 30-goal scorer thus far on the Panthers.
Saturday, March 9 vs. Ottawa Senators, 7 p.m.
The Senators are in a tough stretch, losing seven of their last eight before securing a win against the Florida Panthers on Sunday. Ottawa sits eighth in the Atlantic Division and has struggled offensively this year. No one on its roster has yet to amass 20 goals and the team has not won consecutive games since Feb. 7-9. It certainly will be a tough test for the Sens, as the Bruins’ defense and offense has been firing on all cylinders, which could spell bad news for Craig Anderson if he starts in net. The goalie leads the league in losses with 22 and has not won a game since Dec. 17.
Ottawa will look to muster a win out of the season series after the B’s have gone 3-0-0 against their division rival this year.
Sunday, March 10 vs. Pittsburgh Penguins, 7:30 p.m.
Boston concludes the week on the road against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Pens sit in fourth place in the Metropolitan Division ahead of Tuesday’s game against the Florida Panthers. Pittsburgh has been in a bit of a rut of late, losing three of its last five.
Sidney Crosby has been a bright spot for the team. The captain amassed his 440th goal with the Pens, passing Jaromir Jagr for second place in franchise history for goals. But Crosby and Co. will need to get past the B’s defense and it will be no easy task with Zdeno Chara, Brandon Carlo and Charlie McAvoy playing their best hockey of late, surrendering just three goals over their last 11 games.
