Boston Bruins vs Vancouver Canucks Live Stream Online

🔊Did the coach’s dismissal affect the “bears” so quickly? Boston sent head coach Jim Montgomery into retirement and immediately achieved two consecutive victories. It’s quite difficult not to link these events together. Vancouver, on the other hand, slightly stalled at the end of November and fell out of the Western Conference’s playoff eight, but started their road tour against Eastern Conference clubs with a win.

Head-to-Head

A few years ago, this matchup was quite emotional, with the 2011 Stanley Cup Final still remembered in Canada for many years. That defeat of the “Canucks” led to mass riots in British Columbia. But over time, emotions have settled. Last season, the opponents met twice and exchanged home victories. First, the “bears” prevailed at home (4:0), and then the Canadian hockey players returned the favor on home soil (3:2 OT). The most productive player in those encounters was Boston forward Pavel Zacha. The Czech scored a goal and made an assist.

Boston

The dismissal of Jim Montgomery clearly inspired the team from Massachusetts. Right after the specialist’s departure, the “bears” defeated Utah (1:0) and Detroit (2:1). In each of these matches, the team diligently held back opponents’ attacks and waited for mistakes from their opponents without forcing events. This is a familiar style for the team, which they tried to abandon for several years. Apparently, now they’ve decided to return to their original settings. New coach Joe Sacco decided not to invent anything new. So far, this approach is yielding results.

Vancouver

The “Canucks” failed in the second decade of November, losing four out of six matches in this stretch. They only managed to beat Calgary (3:1) and Chicago (4:1). The trip to the East didn’t promise anything good in this context, but Rick Tocchet’s charges successfully visited Ottawa and took two points in Canada’s capital (4:3). Vancouver’s tournament position is still acceptable, and they are only one point behind the eighth spot in the West. The entire battle is still ahead.

Probable Lineups

Boston: Swayman – Lorei, McAvoy – Geekie, Zacha, Pastrnak

Vancouver: Lankinen – Hughes, Hronek – DeBrusk, Pettersson, Sherwood

Goalkeepers

Boston’s goaltender Jeremy Swayman lost his status as the first-choice goalie with the arrival of the new coach and now shares playing time equally with Joonas Korpisalo. Nevertheless, the American managed to secure a victory against Detroit with a 95% save percentage.

Vancouver’s goalkeeper Kevin Lankinen continues to regularly take to the ice while waiting for Thatcher Demko’s return. The game against Ottawa can’t be called extremely successful for the Finn – he conceded three times after 29 shots on his goal.

Editorial Prediction

Apparently, every “bears” game will now be accompanied by defensive masterclasses from the team. This is how they plan to play consistently. It’s hard to guarantee success for such a tactic, but the short-term effect is already evident. Vancouver, in turn, will face a deep defense for the first time in a long while and is unlikely to impress spectators with a large number of goals scored. We recommend betting on – total under 6 goals.