Vancouver Canucks v Boston Bruins - League lead at stake
The final game of Saturday will be played at the Rogers Arena as the league leaders, Vancouver Canucks, play host to the Boston Bruins. This is the lone meeting between the two sides. The last time these two met was during the 2010 season where the Canucks
emerged as 3-2 winners after a shootout.
Both teams lead their division and are among the top teams in the league. They have the potential to win the Stanley Cup, which will make this game all the more exciting and entertaining. The Bruins are in superb form as they have come up with regular wins
every now and then.
There are currently on a six game road trip and have won their first three games. This superb recent form has resulted in them leading the Northeast league by four points from the Montreal Canadiens.
The Canucks on the other hand, are also on a road trip and have played three games. Out of the three games they have played so far, they have won two and lost one and even one point will extend their 17 point lead in the Northwest Division over the Minnesota
Wild.
The game is going to be very exciting as the Canucks will be hoping to come up with a win and increase their lead at the top of the league.
The Canucks have started to become one of the inconsistent teams in the league as they have come up with alternate wins and losses during the course of their last nine games. It has been more than a month since the last time the Canucks notched up consecutive
wins.
Manny Malhotra has emerged as one of the strong defensive players in the league as his goal in the last game against St. Louis won the game for the Canucks 3-2 in the end.
"I just wanted to get a quick shot", Malhotra said. "It was a great job by Raffi (Torres) and Jannik (Hansen) to create the turnover, a great forecheck".
The Canucks have played 62 games during the season so far, out of which, they have won 39 games in regulation time, nine games in overtime, and, scored a total of 87 points.
The Bruins on the other hand, have played 60 games out of which they have won 34 games in regulation time, seven games in overtime to score 75 points.
The Bruins are on a long road trip, which has given them the opportunity to score crucial points as they look to move into the top of the Eastern Conference. The Bruins have won a couple of recent games against the New York Islanders and the Ottawa Senators.
"Our game kind of fell off in January because we weren't making smart plays. We were coughing up pucks, weren't moving like we usually do", Milan Lucic said of his line with David Krejci and Nathan Horton. "These last couple of games, we're skating again,
we're strong on the puck and we're winning battles. If we want to be an effective line, that's what we need to do".
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