This is what being the top team in the Eastern Conference is all about.
Every team below the Boston Bruins in the standings is going to use their match-ups with the Bruins as a measuring stick. So far during their current stretch of games against playoff-caliber teams, the Bruins have been up to the task with a 3-0-1 record. But now they take on the Philadelphia Flyers for the first time this season.
Like the Capitals, Devils, Rangers and Canadiens before them, the Flyers will not only be gunning for two points but to see how they stack up against the team that owns the highest perch in the East. The Flyers, remember, advanced all the way to the Eastern Conference finals last spring. Were it not for a sluggish start to this season (0-3-3), the Flyers might already be neck and neck with the Bruins. As it is, Philadelphia is third in the Atlantic Division and sixth in the East (two points out of fifth and three out of fourth).
There’s sure to be some bad blood left over from last year’s Bruins-Flyers tilts, which included injury-causing hits for the Flyers and plenty of extracurricular activities by both clubs.
Season series: This is the first meeting of the year between the Bruins and the Flyers. Last season, Boston compiled a 3-1-0 record against Philadelphia. (more…)