The New York Islanders and Boston Bruins are playing live on the NHL preseason schedule on Tuesday night and the game is live from TD Garden starting up at 7 pm ET and the matchup has NY looking to get off to a good start this season, while the Bruins are looking to bounce back after being upset in the playoffs and they likely will be one of the best teams in the east again this hockey season.
The Islanders have a ton of young talent and they are looking to make a mark in the east this season and now they have the chance to play a tough Bruins team. The Islanders come into the game after a shootout win against the Devils and they will play against them again in New Jersey coming up on Thursday for their next game after this. The team has captain John Tavares coming back and he is one of the top young players in the league and he will be the key for the Islanders if they want to get anything done this season.
The team did not do well overall last year and while they made a run at the end, the team ranked in the middle of the pack in the league in goals per game and power play percentage. The team ranked 28th in the league in goals against and 29th in penalty kill percentage and unless they get those numbers better, it will be another season without the playoffs for the tea. The Islanders have a very tough division and everyone is looking up at the Penguins, while the Rangers made it to the Stanley Cup last season.
The Bruins come into the game after beating the Red Wings on the road and they play against the Islanders at home and then they will matchup with the Islanders on Friday again. The team has one of the best rosters in the east and in the NHL and they come back looking to get into the finals again. The team was upset in the playoffs by the Canadiens and now they come back with ranks in the top three in goals per game, goals against and power play percentage and they are looking to keep it there.
The east has a number of tough teams and the Bruins could end up on top and they have the chance to make a run this season. The team led the east last season with the Penguins and now they are looking to get back into things after bringing back Reilly Smith and Torey Krug, while forward Gregory Campbell may miss the start of the season. Boston opens the season with the Flyers and the Red Wings and they have some tough games to start, including a three game roadie against the Red Wings, Canadiens and the Sabres before coming home to play the Sharks.
Check here for the New York Islanders and Boston Bruins live coverage.