Game #1: Bruins to Battle Broad Street Bullies in Opener

By Frank OLaughlin | Oct 7, 2014

Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Game #1: Philadelphia Flyers @ Boston Bruins

Location: TD Garden, Boston, Mass.

Time: 7:30 p.m.

TV/Radio: NBC Sports/98.5 The Sports Hub

Live stream: Watch here

The Boston Bruins will begin their 2014-2015 season against a familiar foe in the Philadelphia Flyers. Each team enters the new season with high expectations.

The Bruins, who won the Presidents’ Trophy a year ago, are looking to return to the Stanley Cup following a disappointing premature playoff exit. They did lose Johnny Boychuk, Shawn Thornton and Jarome Iginla, but great organizational depth has them in a position to succeed regardless.

The Flyers, on the other hand, hope to once again contend for the Cup after a third place finish in the Metropolitan Division. They were bounced in the opening-round of the playoffs by the New York Rangers.

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Boston and Philly faced-off three times last season. The Bruins won each game. Claude Julien is once again back as the Bruins’ bench boss while Craig Berube enters his first full season with the orange and black.

It’ll likely be Chris Mason opposing Tuukka Rask between the pipes. Rask is fresh off a Vezina Trophy win. Mason tied a career high in wins with 33 last year. Mason last won 33 games as a rookie with Columbus in 2009. Rask is certainly the best in the world. He’ll be motivated to lock things down again this season.

The Bruins will look to veteran leaders Milan Lucic, Patrice Bergeron and Zdeno Chara for tone-setting play. Dennis Seidenberg is back from ACL surgery. His presence will provide the team with a valuable rock on the blue-line. He was dearly missed after going down back in January. Youngster Reilly Smith, Torey Krug and Dougie Hamilton should continue to flourish into premiere talent at their respective positions.

As for the Flyers, captain Claude Giroux makes his club go. Giroux is a perennial Hart Trophy contender who presents nightmares for defenders. Wayne Simmonds, Sean Couturier, Jakub Voracek and veteran Vincent Lecavalier, are all highly-talented players who will play major roles on the team once again this season.

Boston’s projected lineup:

Lucic-Spooner-Fraser

Marchand-Bergeron-Smith

Kelly-Soderberg-Eriksson

Paille-Cunningham-Robins

Chara-Hamilton

Seidenberg-Bartkowski

Krug-McQuaid

Rask

Philly’s projected lineup:

Umberger-Giroux-Voracek

Simmonds-Couturier-Read

Schenn-Lecavalier-Raffl

Rinaldo-Hall-Akeson

MacDonald-Streit

Coburn-Schenn

Del Zotto-Grossman

Mason

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