April 13, 2023: Bruins at Canadiens — 5 issues you must know

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Listed below are 5 issues you must learn about Thursday’s recreation between the Canadiens (31-44-6) and Boston Bruins (64-12-5) on the Bell Centre (7 p.m., TSN2, RDS, TSN 690 Radio, 98.5 FM).

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The ultimate recreation: That is the final recreation of the common season for each groups. Whereas the Canadiens are in twenty eighth place within the general NHL standings and can miss the playoffs for the second straight season, the Bruins have clinched the Presidents’ Trophy as regular-season champions and likewise broke the league report for many factors in a season with 133 after beating the Washington Capitals 5-2 Tuesday night time in Boston. After their seventh straight win, the Bruins had yet another level than the 1976-77 Canadiens, who completed an 80-game season that didn’t reward factors for time beyond regulation or shootout losses with a 60-8-12 report. The Bruins have earned 11 further factors from six time beyond regulation wins and 5 shootout wins.

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Draft lottery: The Canadiens remained one level behind the Twenty seventh-place Arizona Coyotes after Wednesday night time’s 4-2 loss to the Islanders in New York. The Coyotes will wrap up their season Thursday night time at house in opposition to the Vancouver Canucks. If the Canadiens end the season in twenty eighth place they are going to have an 8.5 per cent probability of successful the NHL draft lottery and choose no decrease than fifth general. In the event that they end Twenty seventh, their odds of successful the lottery will drop to 7.5 per cent. The Canadiens additionally maintain the Florida Panthers’ first-round choose at this 12 months’s draft due to the Ben Chiarot commerce final season. With the Panthers clinching a wild-card playoff spot, that choose can’t be greater than seventeenth general.

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Spotlight-reel purpose: Captain Nick Suzuki scored a highlight-reel purpose whereas the Canadiens have been short-handed in opposition to the Islanders, giving him 25-40-65 totals to guide the workforce in scoring. Suzuki has set profession highs in objectives and factors, whereas matching his profession excessive in assists. Kirby Dach ranks second on the Canadiens in scoring with 14-24-38 totals, adopted by Cole Caufield with 26-10-36. Caufield nonetheless leads the Canadiens in objectives regardless of lacking the final 35 video games following season-ending shoulder surgical procedure. Suzuki wants yet another purpose to tie Caufield. Samuel Montembeault will begin in purpose for the Canadiens in opposition to the Bruins.

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Presidents’ Cup jinx? Because the Presidents’ Trophy was first handed out on the finish of the 1985-86 season, solely eight groups that completed with one of the best report throughout the common season went on to win the Stanley Cup: the 1986-87 Edmonton Oilers, the 1988-89 Calgary Flames, the 1993-94 New York Rangers, the 1998-99 Dallas Stars, the 2000-01 Colorado Avalanche, the 2001-02 Detroit Pink Wings, the 2007-08 Pink Wings and the 2012-13 Chicago Blackhawks. The Bruins have now gained the Presidents’ Trophy 4 occasions — this season, in 2019-20, in 2013-14, and in 1989-90 — however didn’t win the Stanley Cup in any of these seasons. Once they gained their final Stanley Cup in 2011, the Bruins completed seventh within the general standings with a 46-25-11 report for 103 factors.

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Merely one of the best: The Bruins head into Thursday’s recreation 22 factors forward of the Carolina Hurricanes, who rank second within the general standings with a 51-21-9 report. The Bruins rank second within the league in offence (scoring a median of three.65 objectives per recreation), first in defence (permitting a median of two.1 objectives per recreation), eleventh on the ability play (22.7 per cent) and first in penalty-killing (87.1 per cent). David Pastrnak leads the Bruins in scoring with 60-51-111 totals, adopted by Brad Marchand (21-45-66) and Patrice Bergeron (27-31-58). No. 1 goalie Linus Ullmark has a 40-6-1 report with a 1.89 goals-against common and a .938 save proportion. The Bruins are anticipated to decorate their common lineup in opposition to the Canadiens with just a few exceptions, together with Ullmark, who didn’t make the journey to Montreal after experiencing some muscle tightness in Tuesday’s recreation.

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