Just the Facts:
Game Time: 8:00 PM, Air Canada Centre.
TV Broadcast: NBCSN, TVA, SN.
Radio Broadcast: 98.5 The Sports Hub
Rival SB Nation Site: Pension Plan Puppets
Season Record: Bruins: 10-6-0, 3rd in Atlantic Division | Maple Leafs: 8-5-2, 5th in Atlantic Division
Leafs Lines:
James van Riemsdyk - Tyler Bozak - Phil Kessel
Daniel Winnik - Nazem Kadri - David Clarkson
Leo Komarov - Peter Holland - Mike Santorelli
Richard Panik - Trevor Smith - Josh Leivo
Defensive Pairings:
Dion Phaneuf - Cody Franson
Jake Gardiner - Roman Polak
Morgan Rielly - Stephane Robidas
IR: David Booth, Brandon Kozun, Joffrey Lupul
Bruins Lines:
Milan Lucic - Chris Kelly - Seth Griffith
Brad Marchand - Patrice Bergeron - Reilly Smith
Matt Fraser - Carl Soderberg - Loui Eriksson
Daniel Paille - Gregory Campbell - Simon Gagne
Defensive Pairings:
Dennis Seidenberg - Dougie Hamilton
Joe Morrow - Adam McQuaid
Torey Krug - Zach Trotman
IR: Kevan Miller, Zdeno Chara, David Warsofsky, David Krejci
Game Notes:
- Remember how confident Toronto was about facing the Chara-less Bruins earlier this season? Even after their 4-1 loss, our friends over at Pension Plan Puppets referred to Boston defensemen as quotation mark "defensemen." I get it, though. Game 7 still stings. After a 4-2 victory against the Devils Monday night, Boston is 6-1-0 without Zdeno Chara. Bruins "defensemen" have been eliminating crucial chances. Torey Krug played his first game since finger injury and while he had "challenges with shooting and stick vibrations" at first, he's "all good" now.
- David Krejci did not travel with the team for this two-game road trip, so Kelly is still centering Lucic and Griffith. Bruins undeniably feel the absence of key veterans Krejci and Chara but their ability to adapt has been impressive. In a game where injuries are all too common, adaptation is a huge indicator of long-term success. Ridiculous Griffith goals definitely don't hurt either.
- Both teams are looking to extend winning streaks. It seems like Toronto "defensemen" could hurt their chances though, considering they're allowing an average of 33.3 shots against per game compared to Boston's 27.3.
NEVER FORGET:
He...almost smiled. Play like Carl. Smirk like Carl.
Also, don't forget Game 7.
Last Game in Fancy Stats:
Can they invent a Fancy Stat specifically for Seth Griffith's goal?