Canucks at Bruins
THE STORY: Being treated to a Stanley Cup rematch is one thing. Having both teams at the pinnacle of their respective conferences should do even more to ensure a marquee matchup as the Vancouver Canucks visit the defending-champion Boston Bruins in a Saturday matinee. It's the first meeting between the clubs since the Bruins won a dramatic Game 7 to end last year's Stanley Cup playoffs, setting off celebrations in Beantown and destructive riots in Vancouver. The Canucks come into this one on top of the Western Conference, right where they spent the majority of last season. It's been more of a grind this time around, but Vancouver appears to have hit its stride with seven wins over its last 10 games. The Bruins have been even hotter, riding a 23-3-1 run since a 3-7-0 start that left many wondering if the team was going through some sort of championship hangover. The Bruins have nine wins in their last 10, with four coming via shutout - including a 9-0 pasting of the Calgary Flames last time out.
TV: 1 p.m. ET, NHL Network (U.S.), Rogers Sportsnet Pacific, NESN
ABOUT THE CANUCKS (25-13-3): Roberto Luongo's 700th career regular-season game was one of his best of the season, as he turned aside all 28 shots he faced in Vancouver's 3-0 triumph over the visiting Minnesota Wild. Luongo faced his share of critics after getting off to his characteristic slow start, but he has turned it on over the past two months and now boasts a 17-8-3 mark with a sparkling 2.38 goals-against average, a .917 save percentage and a pair of shutouts.
ABOUT THE BRUINS (26-10-1): A season ago, the Canucks held the distinction of leading the NHL in goals scored and fewest goals permitted. So far this season, the Bruins are doing the same. Boston comes into Saturday's contest with a league-best 138 goals - Vancouver sits second, four behind - and has surrendered just 69, easily the fewest in the NHL. Home ice was the key for the Bruins in the Stanley Cup final, as they won all three games in Boston.
OVERTIME:
1. The clubs met just once in the regular season last year, with the Bruins pulling out a 3-1 win.
2. Bruins netminder Tim Thomas has owned Vancouver in his career, going 3-0-0 while stopping 97 of the 98 shots he has faced in those games.
3. The Canucks have won eight of their last 11 road games, while the Bruins have prevailed in 24 of their last 32 games in Boston.