Game 42 Preview: Scary Bears

Remember when the Bruins started like 0-7-0 and everyone in the mainstream media was freaking out? Yeah, so the Flames won’t be facing those same Bruins tonight. Since that start, the Stanley Cup Champions have gone 25-3-1. Yes, they’ve gotten 51 out of a possible 58. That’s completely unreal. On top of that, the Bruins’ goal differential is +60.

So… they’re pretty good. “Sophomore Sensation” Tyler Seguin is leading the team with 15 goals and 33 points despite having played against the oppositions top lines the whole season. That, plus his Corsi Rel of 13.1, is very impressive for a second year player. Of course, playing with Patrice Bergeron-long a darling of stat heads like myself-and having Tim Thomas stop pucks for you is going to be a boon for any player.

Bergeron’s having his typical tough-minutes, kill-the-competition season. Bergeron starts in his zone 45% of the time yet finishes in the O-Zone about 50% of the time while maintaining a Corsi Rel of 8.8 and fighting the 3rd highest CorsiRelQualComp on the team aside from Boston’s shutdown pairing of Zdeno Chara and Johnny Boychuk. Thomas has his customary .943 EVSV% and a .940 SV%. Dude is amazing-and it looks even better when you realize he’s 37 years old.

As for the Flames? Well, they get to go home after this one; which can only be good news after compiling a 1-3-1 record in the first five games of their road trip. Their play has looked uninspired and sloppy, and that's been against 2 of the worst teams in the league and a couple of teams on their level. It's entirely possible that the Flames just won't give a shit about this one and lay an egg.

Greg Nemisz and Brett Carson were sent down yesterday, the latter for a “conditioning stint”. Raitis Ivanans (I don’t care enough about him to check if I spelled his name correctly) has been recalled and will likely be on the 4th line for this one.

Players to Watch

Jarome Iginla-He'll be here until he pots number 500.

Tyler Seguin-Kid's legit. Will be better then Hall going forward, mark my words.

Lastly…

If the Flames keep it within 3 I'll be shocked.

by Richard Hammond