Bruins week ahead: Chara inches closer to return
After an impressive 4-1 win Sunday at TD Garden over the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Bruins will look to build off of the momentum gained Sunday in their three games this week.
The Bruins will travel to Philadelphia Tuesday before returning home Thursday to host the Carolina Hurricanes. The Black and Gold will conclude their week Saturday afternoon in Buffalo against the Sabres.
There’s a chance the Bruins could get back the services of captain Zdeno Chara at some point this week. Chara has missed the Bruins last three games since leaving Tuesday’s loss to the St. Louis Blues after one shift in the second period. Chara has not practiced with the team since suffering the lower-body injury and according to head coach Claude Julien, the 6-foot-9 captain skated on his own prior to Sunday’s contest with the Lightning.
Let’s take a closer look at the Bruins’ week ahead:
Tuesday at Philadelphia Flyers, 7:30 p.m.
The Bruins will head to the city of brotherly love to take on the Flyers for the first time this season. It’s been a rocky start for the Flyers this season. At 10-10-3, the Flyers sit sixth in the Metropolitan Division and have four wins in their last 10 games.
The Flyers come into Tuesday’s contest as one of the league’s best offensive teams. Their 3.1 goals per game are good enough for third in the league. The Flyers also have the second ranked power play, converting on 25 percent of their opportunities. Flyers power forward Wayne Simmonds is off to a hot start and has been the key to Philly’s offensive outburst. His 21 points has him eighth in the league while his 11 goals place him seventh.
Goaltending has been an issue for the Flyers and one of the main reasons as to why they find themselves at the bottom of the Metropolitan division pack. Steve Mason has a 3.04 goals-against average in 17 games while Michal Neuvirth has a 3.54 through nine contests.
The Bruins took just one of three contests against the Flyers last season.
Thursday vs. Carolina Hurricanes, 7 p.m.
In the first of two December matchups between the Bruins and Hurricanes, the Black and Gold will look for back-to-back wins on TD Garden ice for the second time this season. The Hurricanes have struggled on the road this season going 3-5-4 away from PNC Arena.
Special teams have been the Hurricanes’ bread and butter this season. Ninth in power play percentage and first in penalty kill percentage have really helped the young Hurricanes in the early stages of 2016-17.
Jeff Skinner has rebounded thus far from a tough season last year as the 24-year-old leads the team in goals with nine, assists with 10 and points with 19. Longtime goalie Cam Ward has started nine of the last 10 for Carolina as Eddie Lack has been on injured reserve under the league’s concussion protocol for the last six days.
The Hurricanes will travel to Madison Square Garden on Tuesday to take on the Rangers before making the short trip to Boston for Thursday’s contest.
Saturday at Buffalo Sabres, 1 p.m.
The Bruins will meet the Sabres for the second time in as many months. Back on November 7th behind Tuukka Rask’s 32 saves, the Bruins blanked Buffalo, 4-0.
Buffalo hopes to have former Boston University Terrier Jack Eichel back at some point this week. Eichel has been skating the last few days and is getting closer to returning. Thanks to a high ankle sprain, Eichel has yet to play in a game this season.
The Sabres have just two wins in nine contests since the two met in early November. Buffalo was expected to have a more competitive team this season but early on that has not been the case. The return of Eichel could change that.
With a trio of favorable matchups for the Bruins, the club hopes this could be the kick-start to a run that gets them back into a playoff position as the new year approaches.
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