Pregame rants and notes: Bruins @ Thrashers

As the saying goes, “save the best for last”, as the Boston Bruins and Atlanta Thrashers will be meeting for the fourth-and-final time this season at the Phillips Arena. In essence, this is as close to a playoff games as it gets in March. With a regulation win tonight — along with sweeping Atlanta in this season’s series — the Bruins could separate themselves from the ninth-place Thrashers by three-points. On the contrary, with a regulation loss, the B’s could essentially swap spots with Atlanta to ninth-place.

The Bruins and Thrashers are meeting for the 40th time in their lifetime series, with Boston holding a 23-11-2-3 record and a 132-123 scoring edge.

Coverage begins at 6:30 p.m. EST on NESN and at 98.5 FM The Sports Hub. Live game coverage begins at 7:00 p.m.

Away Team, Boston Bruins:

32-278-12, 4th Northeast Division, 8th Eastern Conference,  17-13-6 away, 5-4-1 last 10 games

• Goals-for: 2.35 (30th)
• Goals-against: 2.42 (3rd)
• Penalty kill: 86.2% (1st)
• Power play: 17.3% (20th)

Pre Marc Savard injury:

PP: 18.7% (39/212) Were 4-for-19 in their last seven games with Savvy
PK: 86.3% (31/227)

Without No. 91:

PP: 17.3% (40/231) 1-for-19 in their last seven.
PK: 86.2% (34/246)

Previous results:

Nov. 19, 2009: Bruins 4, Thrashers 3 – SO. Tuukka Rask stopped 32-of-35 shots for the Bruins, including all three in the SO, and Patrice Bergeron scored the lone shootout goal for the W as Boston improved to 9-8-4 on the season.

Dec. 28, 2009: Bruins 6, Thrashers 4. Zdeno Chara had a scoring line of 1-2-3 for the night; Boston scored three goals in a 1:08 span in the first period; and Tim Thomas kicked aside 22 of 26 shots for the Bruins’ 18th win of the season.

Dec. 30, 2009: Bruins 4, Thrashers 0. Rask earned his 10th win of the season, and second shutout, stopping all 18 Atlanta shots.

The Bruins hold a record of 20-12-8 this season when they put 30 or more shots on net; and post a 23-7-4 record when they score the first goal of the game.

Career vs. Atlanta:

Satan: 34 GP, 24-20-44 totals, 105 SOG
Bergeron: 16 GP, 6-10-16 totals, 44 SOG
Recchi: 36 GP 12-26-38 totals, 89 SOG
Rask: 2-0-0, 1.44 GAA, .943 SV%, 1 SO
Krejci: 10 GP, 2-8-10 totals
Ryder: 22 GP, 12-8-20, 57 SOG
Wideman: 11 GP, 2-9-11 totals, 7 PPP, plus-4

Home Team, Atlanta Thrashers:

32-29-11, 75 points, 2nd Southeast Division, 9th Eastern Conference, 18-13-5 at home, 4-5-1 last 10 games

Winners of four-straight, the Atlanta Thrashers are breathing down the Bruins’ necks for that all-important eighth seed in the East – now just one-point back. The Thrashers’ last five games of the season, in April, are twice against the Capitals (No. 1 team in the NHL); twice against the Penguins (1st in the Atlantic Div., 2nd in the East); with the NJ Devils (2nd Atlantic, 4th East) sandwiched in between.

• Goals-for: 2.97 (6th)
• Goals-against: 3.11 (28th)
• Penalty kill: 80.9% (20th)
• Power play: 16.6% (24th)

Career vs. Boston:

Maxim Afinogenov: 47 GP, 14-26-40 totals, 123 SOG
Evgeny Artyukin: 7 GP, 2-3-5, 17 PIM
Eric Boulton: 23 GP, 69 PIM
Slava Kozlov: 40 GP, 13-20-33 totals, 16 PPP
Ondrej Pavelec: 4 GP/GS, 0-1-1, 6.56 GAA, .815 SV%