Game 33: Bruins-Flyers Preview

It has been quite the eventful week for the Boston Bruins. A thrilling come from behind win against Toronto got things rolling. A heavyweight fight with Montreal and then the now infamous Jarome Iginla sweepstakes followed that. Boston will end the week Easter Sunday in Buffalo for a face-off with the Sabres. But first Boston must tend to a meeting with the Philadelphia Flyers Saturday afternoon at the Wells Fargo Center.

Boston (21-7-4) comes in at fourth in the Eastern Conference, while Philadelphia (13-7-3) sits second to the bottom. The matinee matchup will mark the second of three games slated for the season.

Back on March 9 these bitter rivals hooked up at TD Garden in a game in which Boston dismantled the Flyers. Winning 3-0, the Bruins faced little resistance and dictated all facets of play. Philly has been pitiful on the road this season but has played to a respectable 9-5-2 record in front of the hometown faithful.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

The Flyers have had a disappointing 2013 campaign and Boston will likely add to their misery. Philly simply struggles to keep goals off the board and it could prove costly against a Bruins team coming off a five-goal onslaught.

With both sides heading in different directions this season, the once illustrious rivalry has seem to lost a bit of luster with Philly taking on the role of whipping post. Regardless, Boston will be susceptible to a loss if their blue-liners play a passive style and don’t clear the paint. The Flyers have several guys with a nose for the puck and they each possess expert knowledge in goal scoring.

This matchup could be determined on special teams. Philly has the league’s best power play and Boston owns the top ranked penalty kill. If an outcome cannot be reached at even strength, the special team units will decide it. For Boston, these are two points that it expects to and should get. The standings a top the East are tightening day by day and with each passing game the days become more pressure packed.

Look for Boston to come out strong and hand the Broad Street Bullies yet another classic thrashing. The Bruins desperately need to keep pace with the East’s elite. With fifteen games left to play, the B’s have an awful lot of question marks to address. Today is a good day to start.