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Preview: Winnipeg Jets at Boston Bruins

The Jets are at TD Garden to take on the Boston Bruins tonight. Coming off of a nice win against the Sabres, the Jets obviously hope to keep their wins on the road going with another against the ailing Bruins. If they play smart hockey, they just might be able to do it too.

Keys to the Game

Winnipeg Jets

1) Broken and Missing Pieces: The Jets are without Adam Lowry, Mathieu Perreault and Toby Enstrom this game. Focusing on filling the spots these players occupied and picking up some of the slack will be paramount for the Jets to win.

(Also, may I just add, that Lowry was damn lucky that he got off insanely easy for his hit on Kaleta? Because he absolutely did with just a one game suspension.)

2) Be Aggressive! B! E! Aggressive!: The Bruins are facing a lot of adversity with a lot of their top players injured. Without Zdeno Chara and, to a lesser extent, Adam McQuaid on defense the team has seemed lost more often than usual and the Jets can easily benefit from these injuries. In addition to those two players, the Bruins are also missing David Krejci and Chris Kelly, both veteran players who can be real difference makers on the ice. If the Jets come on strong and act as the aggressors in this game, they’ll have a much easier time getting to the net and getting goals.

3) Viva la Power Play: Now, because above I said they should be aggressive that doesn't mean the Jets need to take stupid penalties for silly things like fights. In fact, by not engaging in the Bruins attempts to coax them into scraps, the Jets can gain the upper hand in this game. Draw those penalties while the power play is seemingly more functional than it has been in the past (Evander Kane PP goals, what?!) and use this advantage to frustrate the Bruins because frustrated Bruins do not play very well.

Boston Bruins

1) Play smart, not silly: The major losses on the roster have worked against the Bruins in recent games, but they're slowly regaining momentum again. Which version of the Bruins shows up tomorrow night will determine how the game goes. If the Bruins that are ready to play and are smart on the ice show up, the Jets are in for a long battle. If the Bruins that a slight wind could knock over show up, the Jets will effectively win the game in the first period and the rest will just be to wait out the clock.

2) Pastrmania is running wild: David Pastrnak, the much hyped Bruins 2014 first round draft pick, has played his first game in the NHL and will be on the ice tonight. There’s a possibility that he will be even playing on a line with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand, which would place him quite high as far as time on ice goes. Using the quick, crafty player for all he’s worth will benefit the team and can help the Bruins get moving on offense.

3) Don’t hang your goalie out to dry: One of the biggest flaws with the Bruins is that the defense often breaks down over the course of the game and leaves whatever goalie is in net in a precarious place. The Jets absolutely will capitalize on any defensive breakdowns and the Bruins need to remember that the goalie is their friend and they need to be nice to him on the ice and help him out regardless of if it’s Tuukka Rask or Niklas Svedberg.

Play to boo mercilessly

But wait! Because I am a nice person, I am giving you another choice!

Prediction

Jets 3

Bruins 4

(I think this one goes to overtime though. I just have feelings about it.)

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Talking Points