Rivals clash in Boston while Kings aim for crown

Thursday, November 5, 2009 | Feedback | Print Entry

If it's Thursday (it is Thursday, right?), it must be time for me to put on the blindfold and take out the dartboard. Well, actually, my picks aren't that scientific.

Still, if I don't better my combined 7-9 mark for the past two weeks, I might soon have to rely on the tried-and-true method of flipping a coin. Here are my Thursday selections.

Montreal Canadiens at Boston Bruins

Maybe the Bruins have decided to go green. That could be one explanation as to why they aren't turning on the red light behind opposing goalies. In their past four games, the Bruins lit the lamp just twice. And in the past two games, Boston didn't use any electricity in suffering back-to-back shutout losses to the New York Rangers (1-0) and Detroit Red Wings (2-0) on the road.

Maybe a return to home ice will help. The Bruins play their next four at the TD Garden. They should be able to mount some offense against the Canadiens, who have allowed 18 goals in their past four games. After an uninspiring performance in net from Carey Price in a 5-4 loss to the visiting Atlanta Thrashers on Tuesday, Jaroslav Halak might be back in goal. I'll take the Canadiens to knock off the banged-up B's in the first meeting of the season between these old rivals.

 
 

To see the rest of E.J. Hradek's picks, including a clash between the upstart L.A. Kings and the reigning champion Pittsburgh Penguins, you must be an ESPN Insider.
  • E.J. Hradek E.J. Hradek

    E.J. Hradek is a senior writer at ESPN The Magazine, joining the staff prior to its launch in 1998. He began covering hockey as a writer/editor for Hockey Illustrated in 1989. The following year, he beat the Stars to Dallas (by three years), taking over as the editor of Beckett Hockey Monthly. When the Stars finally did arrive in Big D, he hosted a weekly hockey radio show and tried (unsuccessfully) to convert ESPN's Skip Bayless to the greatest game on ice.

    In 1996, Hradek left Dallas, but not the Stars. Relocating back to the New York area, he became a part-time pro scout for the club, seeing more than 100 NHL/AHL games for each of the next two seasons. The scouting gig was a great learning experience, offering a different view of the game.

    Hradek grew up in Tuckahoe, N.Y., about a 40-minute train ride from New York City. Despite the proximity to the Rangers, Hradek embraced the Islanders when the expansion franchise debuted in 1972. Eight years later, he was part of the sellout crowd at the Nassau Coliseum that witnessed the Islanders' first Stanley Cup championship.


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