Bruins’ week ahead: Old friends visit before the holidays
COMMENTARY
Before the NHL shuts down for its Christmas break, the Bruins find themselves looking ahead to another busy slate.
For the third straight week, the Black and Gold face a stretch of three games in four days that include a back-to-back set on the road. Their lone home game this week features a reunion with another key cog of the 2011 Stanley Cup winning team.
Following his conditioning stint in Providence, Frank Vatrano was called up to Boston in hopes of making his season debut with Boston before the holidays. The former UMass-Amherst standout missed the first three months of the year after sustaining a foot injury at training camp.
Here’s a closer look at the Bruins’ week ahead:
Tuesday. Dec. 20 vs. New York Islanders, 7:00 p.m.
For the first time since he was bought out by the Bruins in the summer, Dennis Seidenberg will return to a place he called home from 2010-2016. Following a strong showing for Team Europe at the World Cup of Hockey, the Islanders inked Seidenberg to a one-year deal.
The signing seems to be paying off for Seidenberg, who has four goals and six assists. He is a plus-nine in 24 games.
“There was no secret that he came to the camp [looking for a job],” Chara said about his former defensive partner and Team Europe teammate in their improbable run to the World Cup Finals against Canada. “He came in as a seventh defenseman and worked his way up to be paired with Roman Josi [of Nashville] and he did a great job.”
“Obviously, he’s a great guy,” Chara added about Seidenberg. “Very reliable defenseman. A very steady guy and obviously someone who always did a little extra on the ice and off the ice.”
Reuniting with another former Bruin in Johnny Boychuk, Seidenberg has been one of the few bright spots for an Islanders squad that finds itself last in the Eastern Conference with 28 points.
The Bruins swept their three-game season series with the Islanders in 2015-16.
Thursday, Dec. 22 @ Florida, 7:30 p.m.
The ongoing saga with the Florida Panthers is becoming one of the league’s top storylines entering the third month of the season.
A month removed from the firing of Gerard Gallant that brought about the whole “taxigate” saga, the Panthers’ run of mediocrity is continuing under new coach Tom Rowe: They are 3-3-4 in the 10 games since the coaching switch, a run that included a 4-3 overtime loss to the Bruins — in their second win this year over Florida — on Dec. 5th at TD Garden.
On Monday, the Panthers announced that team owner Vincent Viola was named Secretary of the Army by President-elect Donald Trump. As a result, the team’s ownership will be put in a trust for the Viola family that is subject to approval by the NHL’s Board of Governors.
Friday, Dec. 23 @ Carolina, 7:30 p.m.
For the third time in as many weeks, the Bruins will conclude their three-game-in-four-night stretch on Friday.
If their last meeting was any indicator (a 2-1 shootout win for the Bruins on Dec. 1), the two teams should be in for another low scoring contest. Both teams head into the week in the bottom half of the scoring department. Carolina sits 17th in goals for with 80 while the Bruins find themselves 24th with 76. Defensively, it has been a different story as the Bruins sit ninth, having allowed 78 goals; while the Canes are not too far behind giving up 83 goals, good for 11th.
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