Can the Vegas Golden Knights go out on a high? That will be the question as they look to beat the Boston Bruins in the final game before the bye week.
With the 2020 NHL All-Star Game taking place in St. Louis this weekend, the Vegas Golden Knights have one more bit of business to contend to before they have a week off.
But they face a real litmus test in the Bruins who, despite having cooled off as of late, are still one of the elite teams in the NHL.
They boast one of the most potent top lines in all of hockey and they can kill teams in a plethora of different ways.
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On that note, let’s delve into some storylines to keep an eye on between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Boston Bruins…
Storyline 1 – Go out on a high
This is the last game before the All-Star Break for both teams and the Vegas Golden Knights would love nothing better than to go into the bye with that winning feeling.
Locked in a five horse race for the Pacific Division, the Golden Knights could move atop the division with a win at TD Garden and that should serve as enough motivation.
If Vegas can claim a statement win by beating the Bruins and head into the week off on top of the Pacific, then that should give them confidence and set up a huge run down the stretch.
Storyline 2 – DeBoer’s final look
After replacing Gerard Gallant as the Head Coach of the Vegas Golden Knights last week, Peter DeBoer made it clear that he would use the final three games before the All-Star Break as an opportunity to study what he’s got to work with.
Well, after a win in Ottawa and a shootout loss in Montreal, DeBoer will be wanting to see a big night from his team as he prepares to really lay the groundwork during the break.
Opting to stick with the same lineup from the previous two outings, DeBoer will no doubt be watching certain players closely today as he begins to implement his systems and way of doing things.
Storyline 3 – Krejci game-time decision
The Boston Bruins boast many potent weapons and they have an elite center in David Krejci, who is fourth on the team in points with 32 (11 goals, 21 assists).
However, Krejci is a game-time decision and the veteran has missed Boston’s last two games with an upper-body injury.
With the All-Star Break coming up, the Bruins may opt to not risk putting Krejci back out there today.
However, not only is Krejci still an offensive juggernaut but his absence also provides depth problems for the Bruins who, like the Golden Knights, struggle with secondary scoring.
If Krejci is indeed good to go, then a tough test will get all that much tougher for the Vegas Golden Knights.
Storyline 4 – Put the shackles on the top line
We’ve mentioned it already but the Boston Bruins are led by a dynamic top line that can lay claim to being one of the best in the National Hockey League.
In Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak, the Bruins have a trio of players that can hurt you in a variety of different ways.
Like suffering death by a thousand cuts.
After all, Bergeron is one of the best two-way forwards of all time while Marchand can produce as well as being an absolute pest.
And then there is Pastrnak who is on pace for an historic career-year having tallied 70 points (37 goals, 33 assists) in just 50 games.
The trio have combined for 176 points between them and if the Vegas Golden Knights can keep them quiet today, then that will greatly increase their chances of entering the bye week with a W.