Boston Bruins @ San Jose Sharks Preview: Wicked Fun
Are we going to see the return of Tommy Frickin' Wingels?
After the Sharks win against the Washington Capitals on Saturday, confidence is pretty high in San Jose. The California road trip, a very tough time for many Eastern Conference foes is not an easy task. The Sharks took care of the high powered Capitals and will now be playing the first place Bruins. If the Sharks prior game is any indication, they should make mince meat of the Bruins.
The Bruins on paper aren't anything to be too scared of but like many have throughout the league, the Bruins have been underestimated. Their stars Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron have remained steady but names like Ryan Spooner and Loui Eriksson have taken the pressure off of the main stays in the Bruins lineup. This isn't your normal Bruins team as Tuukka Rask has only been slightly above average this year. Different players have been contributing and making this team a much more well rounded squad.
Tale Of The Tape
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39-23-8 | Record | 38-24-6 |
1st in Atlantic | Rank | 3rd in Pacific |
49% | Score-Adj. Fenwick | 52.8% |
100.8 | PDO | 100.3 |
21.6 | PP% | 22.2 |
82.2 | PK% | 79.4 |
7PM PDT | SAP Center | San Jose, California
TV: NBCSN, NESN | Radio: SJSharks.com, 98.5 KFOX
Know Your Enemy: Stanley Cup of Chowder
Projected Sharks Lineup
Tomas Hertl - Joe Thornton - Joe Pavelski
Joonas Donskoi - Logan Couture - Melker Karlsson
Matt Nieto - Patrick Marleau - Joel Ward
Dainius Zubrus - Chris Tierney - Nick Spaling
Marc-Edouard Vlasic - Justin Braun
Paul Martin - Brent Burns
Brenden Dillon - Roman Polak
Projected Bruins Lineup
Brad Marchand - Patrice Bergeron - Lee Stempniak
Frank Vatrano - Loui Eriksson - David Pastrnak
Matt Beleskey - Ryan Spooner - Jimmy Hayes
Landon Ferraro - Noel Acciari - Brett Connolly
John-Michael Liles - Dennis Seidenberg
Tuukka Rask
Last Meeting
With two power play goals by Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau, the Sharks were able to hold off the Bruins in a high scoring affair. Patrice Bergeron added a goal late but it wasn't enough as the Sharks won 5-4.
Storylines
- Can win consecutive home games for the first time in more than two months.
- Frank Vatrano of the Boston Bruins has been tearing it up in the American Hockey League, will his luck continue against the Sharks?
- Bruins haven't lost in regulation in over eight games. Sharks are 6-2 in their past eight games. Which playoff bound team will prevail?