They certainly didn’t play well enough to earn the unlikely two points in Anaheim on Tuesday night, allowing the Ducks’ special teams to steamroll ‘em (en route to Anaheim’s 18th win in 20 home games this year), and unfortunately for the Boston Bruins, the road doesn’t seem to get any easier.
Shifting the scene 30 miles to the north, a move to the Staples Center tonight, the home of the Los Angeles Kings and setting to their Game 6 win in the 2012 Stanley Cup Finals, brings about a similar tale for the Bruins.
In 22 home games this year, the Kings have left the ice without a point just five times. They’ve outscored their opponents 62-43 at the Staples Center, and enter tonight’s game (expected to be) rolling with the return of Jonathan Quick.
The 2012 Conn Smythe winner and (now) two-time U.S. Olympian hasn’t looked to miss a beat since returning from a groin injury that kept him out for 24 games, stopping 43 of 45 shots thrown his way, and good for a .956 save percentage.
Oh, and Quick has five wins and a .922 save percentage in just seven career games against the B’s.
For Boston, an emotional lift should come with the return of Milan Lucic.
The 25-year-old top liner sat out on Tuesday night due to a bout with food poisoning, but seems like a go for tonight barring some last minute salmonella. Lucic is currently third on the Bruins in both goals (12) and points (30) and will be a welcomed sight for linemates David Krejci and Jarome Iginla, who never looked settled with Carl Soderberg in Lucic’s place.
With Lucic in, and with Justin Florek gelling with the B’s fourth line, expect the Bruins to return a six-man defensive rotation, putting Boston coach Claude Julien in a situation where he has to sit hometown boy Kevan Miller (How often do you say that in Los Angeles?) in favor of Matt Bartkowski or Adam McQuaid or give Miller the thrill of suiting up in his own backyard.
Personally, I’d dress Miller and sit Bartkowski, a player whose game has been off and on in 2013-14, with the offs outweighing the ons as of late.
Despite a subpar 15-save performance on Tuesday, expect Tuukka Rask to get the nod for the Bruins once again. It’s been a tough go for the 26-year-old as of late, with 14 goals allowed and an .860 save percentage in his last four outings.
To state the obvious here, the B's are going to need Rask's best tonight if they're leaving LA with two points. The Kings are a team that plays a style similar to the B's, and they're not afraid of a close game (heck, they may even prefer that), giving the hometown Kings an obvious edge in crunchtime. Factor in an LA roster with noted Bruin-killers such as Jeff Carter and Mike Richards -- two players that have combined for 13 goals and 30 points in their regular season career against Boston -- and this will have to be a 60-minute, four-line effort from the Black-and-Gold.
But, again, that seems to be stating the obvious guideline of this nightmarish trip.
Eriksson cleared for contact
Some good news, no strike that-- great news, for the Bruins came yesterday with the word that right winger Loui Eriksson (concussion) has been cleared for contact.
Taking turns on the Bruins’ third line with Carl Soderberg, Ryan Spooner, and Matt Fraser, there’s still no real timetable for Eriksson to return, but this is obviously a huge step in his road back. Obviously, the Bruins really don’t want to rush No. 21 back into the lineup, especially when you look at the fact that he suffered two concussions less than a month and a half, and it doesn’t look like they will. At least you hope not.
“He's never had a chance to get his game going. He's had some setbacks with those concussions,… Julien said of Eriksson’s first season with the Bruins, adding, “I think we're going to see a better player if he can stay healthy. There's a lot to his game that we have yet to see.…
Eriksson has five goals and 14 points in 24 games for the B’s this season.