If the Tampa Bay Lightning has it their way, they will unceremoniously spoil the potential returns of Brad Marchand and David Backes with a victory over the Boston Bruins.
The Tampa Bay Lightning picked up a much-needed two points last night with their 2-0 shutout victory over the Buffalo Sabres. Unfortunately, the Bolts had little time to celebrate their win. As soon as the Bolts headed back to the locker room, it was time to head to the next arena.
Tonight, the Lightning heads to the TD Garden to take on captain Zdeno Chara and the Boston Bruins. The Bruins are not exactly the kind of team you want to meet on the back end of a back-to-back series, but the Lightning has already proven this season they have what it takes to win on back-to-back nights.
While it is true the Lightning has momentum on their side right now, the Bolts will be faced with an interesting challenge tonight. In addition to taking on what has been widely acknowledged as a very physical team, the Boston Bruins, they will face a Bruins team who will be getting back two of their most important players.
According to the Bruins, the team is expected to get back forwards David Backes, Brad Marchand, and Ryan Spooner. Spooner is returning after a single-game absence; however, Backes and Marchand have been on the shelf for quite a while longer.
Brad Marchand has been on the sidelines for the last six games with an undisclosed injury. Backes, on the other hand, has had a much more daunting journey in front of him. David Backes has been forced to miss every single game the Bruins have played this month after undergoing colon surgery.
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With a storyline like this one in play, you can bet the hometown crowd will be behind their Bruins more than usual tonight. While cheers and jeers from a hometown crowd can be a great motivator for their team, it can also be a massive distraction for their opponents. The Lightning will have to work hard to tune them out and focus on the task at hand tonight in Boston.
Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos continues to lead the way for the Bolts in both assists and overall points while his partner-in-crime, Nikita Kucherov, leads the team in goals. Ironically enough, the Lightning’s 2-0 victory over Buffalo last night came at the hands of two defensemen.
Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev picked up his sixth goal of the season towards the end of the first period while the Lightning had the man-advantage. Meanwhile, defenseman Dan Girardi picked up his first goal of the season midway through the second period.
According to Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times, it would come as no surprise to see goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy back between the pipes tonight. Lightning netminder Peter Budaj has not seen much success between the pipes this season, but this could have a lot to do with the sheer lack of games he’s played.
The Lightning is in for a tough fight tonight, but they have proven on more than one occasion they have what it takes to be a contender in the NHL. Here’s a look at some of the key components to a Lightning victory over the Bruins tonight.
Be Aggressive
As we mentioned before, the Boston Bruins are widely known as a physical team. The Lightning is going to have to be aggressive, not only physically, but with the puck as well. There is an old saying which goes, “a team’s best defense is a good offense.” If the Bolts can keep the puck out of the hands of players like the returning Backes and Marchand, there is no way for these players to attack the net.
Also, the Lightning is going to need to put on a show of force from the very first puck drop. In other words, stop the problem before it ever becomes a problem. If the Bruins realize they can easily push the Bolts around, it will do nothing but escalate throughout the game. Stand strong from the beginning and let them know the Bolts will not be pushed around.
Be Consistent
This may very well sound like beating the same drum over and over again, but this particular key simply cannot be overstated. The Lightning needs to play a consistent 60 minutes of hockey. The Bruins are a very intuitive team and if they notice the Lightning settling in during the second and third period, they are going to go on the attack and give the Bolts something to worry about.
If the Lightning can come out of the tunnel and set the pace early on in the game and continue to maintain the same aggressiveness throughout the course of the game, they will find themselves in a solid position when the buzzer sounds to bring the game to a close.
Shoot The Puck!
Boston Bruins netminder Tuukka Rask has been having more than his fair share of difficulties this season. Rask has lost his last four starts, including the Bruins’ 4-2 defeat at the hands of the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday night. The Lightning will need to capitalize on Rask’s struggles and really bring the fight to the B’s.
This means more than simply going for the highlight reel shots. This means shooting the puck from the dirty spaces, firing off numerous rebounds, and really digging deep in each and every opportunity. The Lightning has more than enough firepower in their lineup to get the job done. The only things the Bolts have to do is simply put one skate in front of the other and play their game and not the game of their opponents.
There is no denying, the Lightning has a huge challenge in front of them tonight. With the return of two of their star players, the Bruins are going to have a lot of momentum behind them from the moment they hit the ice. It will be on the Lightning to quell this momentum and truly take charge of the game.
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The action is set to kick off at 7:30 pm EST tonight at the TD Garden in Boston. Keep in mind, tonight’s game will not be broadcast on Fox Sports Sun as usual. Tonight’s action will take place on the NBC Sports Network. As usual, we will be here to keep you informed of all the latest news and provide interesting commentary as the night progresses.