Bruins and Kings Clash at TD Garden in Battle for Dominance
As the Boston Bruins prepare to host the Los Angeles Kings at TD Garden, fans are bracing for what promises to be a gripping encounter. The Bruins, coming off a mixed bag of performances, are looking to assert their dominance on home ice.
In their last game on December 24 against the Minnesota Wild, the Bruins showed resilience but ultimately fell short in a 3-2 loss. Despite outshooting the Wild with 21 attempts and securing two powerplay opportunities, they only managed to convert once with a powerplay goal. Their faceoff win percentage stood at an unimpressive 45 percent and they ended up with a minus-five plus-minus rating – an area that needs tightening up.
The defensive aspect also left much to be desired as they gave away six penalties totaling 15 penalty minutes. However, it's worth noting that their shorthanded unit performed admirably under pressure with a perfect save percentage despite conceding one goal during those situations.
On December 23 against the Winnipeg Jets, BOS faced another setback in a more pronounced fashion. They were outscored five goals to one by the Jets while managing only four percent shooting accuracy from their total of 25 shots. The faceoff circle was again an Achilles' heel for BOS as they won just 43 percent of draws.
However, there is light at the end of this tunnel when looking back at their performance on December 20 against Minnesota Wild right here at TD Garden. The Bruins pushed hard into overtime but were edged out by just one goal in a high-scoring affair that ended four goals to three in favor of Minnesota Wild. They boasted higher aggression levels with thirty hits and better control over faceoffs winning them sixty-two percent of times which contributed significantly towards maintaining puck possession.
The upcoming game against LA presents an opportunity for redemption and it's crucial that BOS capitalizes on this chance by improving faceoff percentages and discipline while maintaining strong shorthanded play.
LA will not make it easy though; they come into this match-up well-rested and eager to take advantage of any cracks in BOS’s armor. It will be imperative for Boston’s goaltending unit which has shown flashes of brilliance despite recent losses, to step up once again if victory is within sight.
Fans can catch all action live from TD Garden or tune into ABC or ESPN+ nationally where coverage begins promptly at 12:30 PM EST on February 17th.