Two huge matchups of the NHL’s original teams will make a perfect end to a great weekend of pucks. Let’s take a look.
Detroit Red Wings at Boston Bruins: Faceoff at TD Garden is set for 12:30 p.m. ET with coverage on NBC. The Bruins are hanging by a thread with a precarious two-point lead in the Eastern Conference for the final playoff spot. The Florida Panthers, Philadelphia Flyers, and Ottawa Senators are all within striking distance. Detroit is five points behind the Montreal Canadiens for the top spot in the Atlantic Division. Detroit has won three out of their last four, while Boston has lost seven out of their last 10.
What to Watch: The desperate Bruins continue to suffer from a lack of a finisher on offense. The Bruins rank a poor 20th in the NHL for goal scoring and 23rd for power play efficiency. The Red Wings are one of the most complete teams in the NHL and rank seventh for both goal scoring and goals against.
Who to Watch: Detroit center Pavel Datsyuk is known as the Magician and with good reason as he brings uber skill and puck handling skills to the game that is a joy to watch. Datsyuk has 22 goals and 30 assists. Left wing Tomas Tatar has 25 goals to lead Detroit. Boston left wing Milan Lucic has slumped to 14 goals on the season with the perpetual inability to control his inner jerk.
Why to Watch: Playoff desperation for the Bruins and their large and passionate fan base. Detroit’s skill against the Bruins brawn makes for a stark contrast. Two great original six uniforms will take us back with generational memories.
Boston general manager Peter Chiarelli and head coach Claude Julien made hockey relevant in Boston again but are under intense fire for a season that hangs in the balance. Boston chairman Charlie Jacobs said at the start of the New Year that anything less than the playoffs would be unacceptable, and implied that heads would roll if the B’s missed the post season. Boston is an aging team with a glaring lack of scoring but Chiarelli’s hands have been tied due to salary cap issues. The situation has made for intense drama in Beantown and adds to the high stakes of this national TV matchup.
New York Rangers vs. Chicago Blackhawks: Faceoff from United Center is set for 7:30 p.m. ET with coverage on NBCSN. The Rangers have won seven out of their last ten games to close within two points of the New York Islanders in the Metropolitan Division. The lethargic Blackhawks have lost four out of their last seven games and are eight points behind the Nashville Predators in the Central Division
What to Watch: The Blackhawks must continue to compensate for the loss of top scorer Patrick Kane. The Blackhawks defense remains strong and ranks second for goals against and fourth for penalty killing. The Rangers are a better team than last year’s Eastern Conference champions. The Rangers must continue on without top goaltender Henrik Lundqvist.
Who to Watch: Center Antione Vermette arrives from the Arizona Coyotes to try and jumpstart the Chicago attack that has slumped to 12th for goals scored. Blackhawks center Jonathan Toews is among the most complete players in the game, not to mention a respected captain. Hawks defenseman Duncan Keith remains an elite rearguard and a past Norris Trophy winner. Rangers left winger Rick Nash has been dominant this year after a subpar couple of seasons in which he suffered through concussion issues. Nash has 38 goals as the comeback player of the year in the NHL. Ranger goaltender Cam Talbot has been competent as Lundqvist’s replacement with a .917 save percentage. Rangers defenseman Keith Yandle arrived Sunday from Arizona with plenty of attention.
Why to Watch: Two of the top teams in the game with large and passionate fan bases will be competing to stay in the hunt for home ice advantage in the playoffs. The United Center will be packed with one of the top atmospheres in the game. Both teams are complete and play a full 200-foot game. This is yet another classic original six matchup with two of the best uniforms in the game.
Head coaches Alain Vigneault of New York and Joel Quenneville are two of the elite bench bosses in the game. This game will have plenty of skill and playmakers to make for the perfect end to the weekend.
