Morning Skate: February 4

The Morning After:
Yesterday’s results:
Islanders 2, Senators 1 (OT)
Panthers 2, Jets 1
Kings 1, Blues 0
Flames 3, Blackhawks 1
Blue Jackets 3, Ducks 2 (OT)

RLD 3 stars of the night:
1. Jaroslav Halak, STL (21 saves, shutout)
2. Derick Brassard, CBJ (2 goals)
3. Jarome Iginla, CGY (1 goal, 1 assist)
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Today’s slate:
Penguins @ Bruins, 1:00 ET
Devils @ Flyers, 1:00
Capitals @ Canadiens, 2:00
Canucks @ Avalanche, 3:00
Maple Leafs @ Senators, 7:00
Sabres @ Islanders, 7:00
Kings @ Hurricanes, 7:00
Panthers @ Lightning, 7:00
Blues @ Predators, 8:00
Wild @ Stars, 8:00
Sharks @ Coyotes, 8:00
Red Wings @ Oilers, 10:00

Game of the day:
Pittsburgh Penguins @ Boston Bruins
1:00 ET… TV: NHL Net. (US), Local Networks

Records:
Overall: Penguins (29-18-4) … Bruins (32-15-2)
Away/Home: Penguins (14-11-2) … Bruins (17-8-2)
Last 10: Penguins (8-2-0) … Bruins (5-4-1)
Season Series: 1-0 Bruins

Starting goaltenders:
PIT- Marc-Andre Fleury (2011-12 stats: 22-12-9, 1.93 GAA)
BOS- Tim Thomas (2011-12 stats: 14-8-5, 2.04 GAA)

Injury report:
PIT- Sidney Crosby (neck, out), Jordan Staal and Simon Despres (knee, out), Arron Asham (concussion, out), Deryk Engelland (undisclosed, questionable)
BOS- Nathan Horton (concussion, doubtful)

Three things to watch:
1. Marc-Andre Fleury’s winning streak
Pittsburgh’s win streak may have come to an end on Wednesday, but Fleury’s did not, as Brent Johnson took the loss in Toronto. Fleury has won eight in a row in net, compiling a 2.28 GAA and .916 save percentage in that time.
2. Which Tim Thomas will show up?
Since the start of January, Thomas has been inconsistent. His game log last month read something like this: 1-4-1-3-4-1-5-3. Which goalie will show up today? Thomas has an 8-4-4 record against the Penguins in his career.
3. Boston’s power play
The Bruins’ man advantage, ranked 8th in the NHL, is much improved from last year. The unit is 6-for-23 in its last eight games, good enough for a 26% rate. Can they keep it up against a solid Penguins penalty kill?

Final thought: It will be interesting to see how these two clubs bounce back from shutout losses. Pittsburgh won both games in Boston last year, but I don’t foresee that happening today. Go with the B’s. Prediction: Bruins 3, Penguins 2

The rest of today’s predictions:
Flyers over Devils
Capitals over Canadiens
Canucks over Avalanche
Maple Leafs over Senators
Sabres over Islanders
Kings over Hurricanes
Panthers over Lightning
Blues over Predators
Stars over Wild
Sharks over Coyotes
Red Wings over Oilers
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Video of the day:


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