BOSTON — The Boston Bruins have their very own points to fret about, however one comparatively distinctive storyline will dominate the dialog round Saturday’s matchup with the Colorado Avalanche.
The Avalanche traded one in all their finest gamers simply hours earlier than the puck dropped at TD Backyard.
Mikko Rantanen was shipped off in a blockbuster three-way commerce on Friday. Colorado got here away from the cope with winger Martin Necas, middle Jack Drury and a pair of draft picks, the Carolina Hurricanes obtained Rantanen and winger Taylor Corridor and the Chicago Blackhawks — who have been wanted to facilitate the commerce — took on half of the previous’s cap hit in trade for its personal draft choose that had beforehand been traded.
Sure, it’s a whopper of a commerce.
The Bruins aren’t essentially targeted on how a lot change it’ll present, nevertheless, as there’s no sense in making ready for one thing you’re at the hours of darkness about.
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“(The Avalanche) are clearly going by a shift of their lineup — massive commerce — however that doesn’t change how we method it,” Bruins interim head coach Joe Sacco stated pregame. “We now have to make some changes, clearly, to determine what they could or might not do with Rantanen in there — on the facility play, particularly. It’s all hypothesis proper now, although, as a result of we haven’t had the chance to see which guys are going to slip in there, however we all know what we’re dealing with right here as we speak.”
Colorado nonetheless has two of the perfect gamers in hockey skating on Saturday, so the main focus shifts from making ready for Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar and Rantanen, to only the previous two — which is loads.
“We all know they nonetheless have two elite gamers on this league, one on the entrance finish and one on the backend, which can be distinction makers,” Sacco stated. “… It’s going to be vital for us to handle the puck effectively, not feed into their transition recreation and attempt to restrict their time and area — as a result of if No. 29 and No. 8 get going, together with another guys, these are the to keys. We wish to try to take away their area and time, as a lot as doable, and never allow them to construct up pace. We wish to neutralize it as finest we will.”
The Bruins and Avalanche will take the ice at TD Backyard at 1 p.m. ET, with the sport being accessible on NESN and NESN 360.
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