Vegas Comes to the Garden: Bruins Host Eichel, Marner and the Golden Knights
Monday night hockey is back at TD Garden. The first-place Bruins host the Vegas Golden Knights with puck drop at 7 p.m. ET. You can watch it on NESN in New England, and nationally on NHL Network.
Boston comes in at 10-4-1 with 21 points through 15 games, first in the Atlantic Division and second in the Eastern Conference. The Garden has been good to the B's, who are 6-1-0 at home. Vegas is 9-5-1 with 19 points, second in the Pacific, and 3-2-1 on the road.
Riding the Halloween high
Saturday's comeback against Chicago was one to remember. Morgan Geekie tied it with 12 seconds left in the third, and Elias Lindholm won it 5-4 in overtime. That snapped a two-game skid after one-goal nights in Carolina and St. Louis. Over their last five, the Bruins are 3-2-0, with two six-goal wins at home over Nashville and San Jose mixed in. They're 7-2-1 over their last 10, have scored 55 goals and allowed only 36.
Vegas is looking for a spark
The Golden Knights haven't been as sharp lately. They're 1-3-1 over their last five, with losses to Tampa Bay, St. Louis and New Jersey, an overtime loss in Columbus and one win, 4-1 over Ottawa. They lost 5-2 at home to the Devils on Friday, so they'll be hungry tonight.
Pasta's chasing history
Captain David Pastrnak leads the Bruins with 19 points in 15 games, eight goals and 11 assists. He's hot right now, too, with four goals and seven points over his last five. With 428 goals in black and gold, he's alone in third on the Bruins' all-time list, behind only Johnny Bucyk and Phil Esposito.
The supporting cast
Lindholm has 12 points, including five goals, and he's coming off that overtime winner. JJ Peterka has 11 points, and rookie James Hagens has 11 too, with five goals. Geekie has 10 points, eight of them assists, and Fraser Minten has 10 with five goals. Charlie McAvoy has six assists over the last five games. Marat Khusnutdinov has six points, three goals and three assists, and keeps doing the dirty work of a middle-six forward at both ends.
In goal
Jeremy Swayman has started 11 games and is 7-3-1 with a 2.35 goals-against average and a .912 save percentage. Michael DiPietro has been excellent in his four starts at 3-1-0, with a 2.26 GAA, a .929 save percentage and a shutout. As a team, Boston has allowed 2.40 goals a game. The starter for tonight hadn't been announced when we wrote this.
For Vegas, Carter Hart has started eight games and is 4-3-1 with a 2.76 GAA and an .889 save percentage. Adin Hill is 5-2-0 in seven starts with a 2.84 GAA and an .891 save percentage.
Scouting the Golden Knights
It all starts with Jack Eichel, who leads Vegas with 20 points, seven goals and 13 assists. Mark Stone leads the team with nine goals and has 17 points. Mitch Marner has 15 points in 13 games, 13 of them assists, and leads Vegas with four points over the last five games. Ivan Barbashev has 11 points. Vegas has scored 53 goals and allowed 44.
Three things we're watching
1. Shut down the big three. Eichel, Stone and Marner, Vegas's top three scorers, have combined for 52 points. Keep them quiet and Boston's in great shape.
2. Test the Vegas goalies. Neither Hart nor Hill is stopping 90 percent of shots so far. Get pucks and bodies to the net.
3. Keep the Garden rolling. At 6-1-0 at home, the B's have made TD Garden a tough place to visit. Another fast start would set the tone.
By the numbers
Boston's goal differential is plus-19 and Vegas's is plus-9. The Bruins have won one in a row, and the Golden Knights have lost one in a row. Two points separate these teams in the standings.
Our prediction
We're fans, so you know where this is going. The Bruins keep the good vibes from Halloween rolling, Pasta adds to his total, and Boston takes two points from Vegas. Puck drop is at 7 p.m. ET on NESN. Let's go, B's! 🐻