Boston aiming to go into break on a high note with another Saturday matinée
BOSTON – The Bruins will play their fifth consecutive Saturday matinée when they host the Vegas Golden Knights at TD Garden in the final game before the extended 4 Nations Face-Off break. Boston is aiming to head into the two-week reprieve as winners of three of its past four games.
“It’s an opportunity to get another two points, feel good heading into this break,” Charlie Coyle said following Friday’s practice at Warrior Ice Arena. “We had a good practice today to prepare and get ready. It’s a big two points on the line against a pretty good team over there. We’re excited about it.”
Interim head coach Joe Sacco said that the Bruins have approached the final four games leading into the break as they would playoff hockey, a mindset that has so far garnered two points in two of three games.
“It’s a massive opportunity for us, I really feel like that,” said Sacco. “I feel that if we can play a good, sound hockey game tomorrow against one of the better teams in the league the last couple years, it sets us up and puts us in a good spot going into the break No. 1 – because as we all know, the standings are tight…there’s a logjam there right now.
“Put ourselves in a better position and then when we get back, understanding what’s in front of us the last 25 games. You always feel a little better about yourself when you go into an extended break like that with a win under your belt.”
Sacco speaks with media on Friday at WIA
The Bruce Cassidy-led Golden Knights enter Saturday’s matchup coming off a 3-1 win over the Devils on Thursday night, a victory that snapped a four-game losing streak. Vegas, which is closing out a four-game, Northeast road trip, is 32-17-6 on the year with 70 points, placing them two points back of Edmonton for the top spot in the Pacific Division.
“Knowing Bruce and how his teams play, we have to be well prepared for a grinding type of game [on Saturday], they’re stingy defensively…they’re a big team, they make it hard for you to get to the inside, they have a big D corps, and they check well,” said Sacco, who spent six years alongside Cassidy with the Bruins.
“For us, it’s about trying to put a focus on getting to the inside of the ice as best we can [on Saturday]. For us, it’s the same thing – when we’re at our best, we’re stingy, we’re good defensively, we’re tight.”
Jack Eichel leads Vegas with 67 points (19 goals, 48 assists) in 54 games, while Pavel Dorofeyev paces the club with 22 goals. Mark Stone (13-34—47), Shea Theodore (7-39—46), and Tomas Hertl (20-21—41) round out the team’s top five scorers.
Goaltender Adin Hill is 20-10-4 with a 2.64 goals against average and .900 save percentage.
“They’ve got a lot of firepower and skilled guys over there,” said Coyle. “They work, they play the right way. They’ve had success and been a good team this year. We’ve got to expect them to play like that and come out and have a fast start and we’ve got to match that and make sure we get to our game as soon as we can.”
Coyle speaks with media after practice at WIA on Friday
FORWARDS
Brad Marchand – Elias Lindholm – Charlie Coyle
Morgan Geekie – Pavel Zacha – David Pastrnak
Trent Frederic – Matt Poitras – Justin Brazeau/Oliver Wahlstrom
Cole Koepke – Johnny Beecher – Mark Kastelic
DEFENSEMEN
Mason Lohrei – Charlie McAvoy
Michael Callahan – Brandon Carlo
Nikita Zadorov – Andrew Peeke
Parker Wotherspoon – Jordan Oesterle
GOALIES
Jeremy Swayman
Joonas Korpisalo
