CHICAGO, IL - OCTOBER 24: Detroit Red Wings Right Wing Lucas Raymond (23) looks on during a game between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Detroit Red Wings on October 24, 2021 at the United Center in Chicago, IL. (Photo by Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire)
Boston Bruins vs. Pittsburgh Penguins predictions: 3 Things to Look Out For.
For the final time in 2024-25, the Boston Bruins will hit the road for a game. After two days off, the Black and Gold will be in Pittsburgh to play the Penguins in their final road game of the season and their next-to-last game of the season. They will close out a disappointing and frustrating campaign at home on Tuesday night against the New Jersey Devils.
Over the final two games, there is still some business for the Black and Gold to do, as it is an audition for a number of players going forward into the next season. Who is going to step up and make an impression to stick around, and who won’t? With that said, here are three things to watch for on Sunday afternoon.
Do the Bruins remain in contention for a Top 5 pick?
Tied 1-1 with the Chicago Blackhawks after two periods on Thursday night, the Bruins were in danger of moving ahead of the Philadelphia Flyers and out of the basement of the Eastern Conference. That all changed in a span of 93 seconds when the visitors scored three goals on three shots for a 4-1 lead on their way to a 5-2 win.
On Saturday, the Bruins got some good news as the Flyers went to a shootout and won, 3-2, over the New York Islanders to have Philadelphia go two points ahead of them with a game in hand. Who said there isn’t much to watch for this time of year?
Bruins younger players performance
The Bruins have had a handful of younger players in the lineup the last couple of weeks who are trying to impress enough to be in the mix for a roster spot next season. One of those players is Fraser Minten, acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs, who has played well and scored a goal against the Devils on Tuesday night.
Mason Lohrei of defense has struggled big time the last couple of weeks, both at even strength and on the power play with turnovers. This is the time for the youngster to make his mistakes and learn, but the mistakes have been more than you would like to see.
Fabian Lysell first career NHL goal?
As time has gone on, prospect Fabian Lysell has been more noticable with his speed and overall play. His chances to score his first NHL goal have been mounting, but he just hasn’t been able to bury one. Again, potting one in the next two games would do wonders for his confidence going into the off-season.
Let’s give the Red Wings credit for making this interesting..
The Red Wings won and the Canadiens lost. That means there’s still a ray of hope in Hockeytown. The Wings only need to win out, the Canadiens need to lose out, and neither the New York Rangers nor the Columbus Blue Jackets can win out.
Sounds simple, right? Hey, strange things have happened in the world of hockey, so I’m putting it past nobody. Still, let’s be realistic. The Wings have hardly a shot at this, even if they turned a few heads tonight.
Judging from the way they’d been playing, I doubt anyone saw a win coming against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Factor in Anthony Cirelli’s goal to open the scoring just one minute into the game, and you could just feel the omens coming. At that point, I thought Tampa was going to score seven times and that I’d be writing a different article.
Red Wings survive to fight another day, but how long will they last?
And wow, did they make tonight’s win over Tampa interesting? Yeah, they went up 2-1, before giving the lead back to the Lightning in the third period. At least until Marco Kasper had something to say about it. With Kasper notching his 17th goal on the year, it was enough to push the game into overtime, where the Wings stole the game 3:22 into the extra period with another goal from Kasper, his 18th on the season.
So, is it realistic to think the Red Wings can make the impossible happen? Honestly, you have young teams in the Canadiens and Blue Jackets, and that could play into Detroit’s favor since the big stage can get to them. Although the Wings are also young, they have enough of a veteran presence to at least guide them through the chaos, especially if they take their next game and the Canadiens lose again.
Like tonight, the Wings can’t panic, and keep playing with urgency. They did that, and it wasn’t existent last night in that bad loss to the Florida Panthers when they played like a team that gave up. It looks like I’ve spoken too soon, and I’ll call myself out on that.
What must the Red Wings take into the next game?
Other than treating it like another Game 7? Play smart hockey. Take smart shots, outmuscle your opponent, win enough faceoffs, and force the other team to chase you for most of the contest, and it’ll be tough to lose the next one. Oh, and keep stealing the puck when a team gifts it to you – 28 giveaways for Tampa tonight.
Don’t overcomplicate the game, and take what your opponent gives you. In other words, simplify the game. If the Wings do all of the above, I won’t guarantee that they’ll win, but I can guarantee they’ll give themselves the best odds to win. Now, let’s see if this gutsy performance was a one-off or if the Red Wings can make the most of this late, late-season push.
About The Author
