Second Helping: Bruins Host Celebrini and the Sharks Tonight
Saturday night hockey on Causeway Street, Bruins fans. Boston hosts the San Jose Sharks tonight at TD Garden, with puck drop at 7 p.m. ET and the game on NESN. If you caught Thursday's game, you know the vibes are good around here right now, and this is a nice chance to keep them rolling.
The Bruins come in at 8-2-1 with 17 points, first in the Atlantic Division, second in the Eastern Conference and third in the whole league. San Jose is 6-4-1 with 13 points, fourth in the Pacific. This is the second and final meeting between these teams this season, and Boston already took the first one.
Remember the first one?
Back on Oct. 13 in San Jose, the B's won 6-3. Fraser Minten scored twice and was named the first star, and Charlie McAvoy, Matthew Poitras, Pavel Zacha and Will Borgen also found the back of the net. It wasn't all easy, though. The Sharks outshot Boston 38-26, and Jeremy Swayman had to make 35 saves. Macklin Celebrini and Ivar Stenberg both scored on the power play that night, which is something to keep in mind tonight.
A Thursday to remember
The Bruins are coming off a 6-0 win over Nashville, and it was about as complete as it gets. Michael DiPietro stopped all 28 shots for the shutout, David Pastrnak had two goals and an assist, and McAvoy set up four goals by himself. Casey Mittelstadt, Elias Lindholm, JJ Peterka and Mark Kastelic also scored. Boston is now 4-1-0 at home and 7-2-1 over its last 10 games.
Pasta and Chuck
Captain Pastrnak is on a heater. He leads the team with 16 points, six goals and 10 assists, and he has nine points over his last five games. Three of his goals have come on the power play. Lindholm, Morgan Geekie and Minten all have eight points, and Minten is a plus-7 on the season.
Then there's McAvoy. Since coming back from his suspension, he has six points in five games, five of them assists, and he's averaging almost 25 minutes a night. The kids keep chipping in too. Poitras has four goals in eight games, James Hagens has seven points in 11 games, and Peterka has four goals. Marat Khusnutdinov has five points as a dependable middle-six forward, and he gets another night in front of the home crowd after signing his new deal.
Who's in net?
Good problem to have. Swayman is 6-1-1 with a 1.98 goals-against average, a .928 save percentage and a shutout. DiPietro is 2-1-0 with a 1.69 GAA, a .941 save percentage and that shutout from Thursday. Either way, Boston allows just 2.0 goals per game, second-best in the NHL. We'll find out who gets the start closer to puck drop.
Scouting the Sharks
This is the last stop on a six-game road trip for San Jose, and it's been a good one. The Sharks are 3-1-1 on the trip and have won two straight, including a 6-2 win in Ottawa on Thursday. Yaroslav Askarov made 41 saves in that one, and the Sharks scored two shorthanded goals. They also love a late finish. Five of their six wins have come in overtime or a shootout.
Celebrini is the guy everything runs through. He has 14 points in nine games, five goals and nine assists, and six points over his last five. He's also averaging nearly 23 minutes a night. Tyler Toffoli and Stenberg each have eight points, and three of Toffoli's four goals have come on the power play. Will Smith has seven points, and Jacob Trouba has six from the blue line.
In goal, Alex Nedeljkovic is 3-0-1 with a 2.37 GAA and a .917 save percentage. Askarov is 3-4-0 with a 3.43 GAA and an .883 save percentage, though he looked great in Ottawa.
Three things we're watching
1. Respect the power play. San Jose converts 25.7 percent of its chances, sixth in the league, and it scored twice with the extra man in the first meeting. Boston's penalty kill sits at 80.6 percent. Staying out of the box is the easiest way to keep Celebrini quiet.
2. Win the draws. The Bruins win 52.8 percent of their faceoffs, eighth in the NHL. The Sharks are at 47.1 percent, 26th. Starting with the puck means more time in the offensive zone and less time chasing.
3. Get to the Sharks early. San Jose has allowed 3.27 goals per game, 21st in the league. Boston scores 3.82 per game, fourth-best. A strong start in front of a Saturday night crowd could make this a long night for the visitors at the end of a long trip.
By the numbers
Boston has outscored opponents 42-22 this season. San Jose has been outscored 37-33. The Bruins have the better offense, the better goaltending numbers, home ice and the head-to-head win from earlier this month. The Sharks have a dangerous power play, a red-hot young star and nothing to lose on the final night of their trip.
Our prediction
We're fans, so you already know where this is going. Bruins win, Pasta adds to his team-leading point total, and the Garden goes home happy on a Saturday night. See you at 7. Let's go, B's! 🐻