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Posted at 2:05 PM EST

OT included. Let’s discuss the “must-win” angle for a second. In its biggest game of the year last time out, Tampa lost at home to Arizona, 5-3, after the Coyotes scored a shorthanded goal to seal it. The Bolts biggest game of the year before that was against the team they were chasing and catching up to, the Toronto Maple Leafs, exactly one week ago. Tampa lost 5-0 to the Leafs and in between that game and the loss to Arizona, the Bolts lost 5-3 to Washington. As the result of surrendering five goals in each of its last three games, Bolts Coach, Jon Cooper wishes he could have Ben Bishop back but he can’t. Now Cooper is handing the reins over to Kings’ castoff, Petr Budaj. The Bolts are no longer chasing Toronto. The team that is holding down the final Wild Card spot is these Bruins and now this becomes once again, Tampa’s most important game of the year.

It also another day, another “most important game of the season” for the Bruins. Tampa sits five points in back of the Bruins. The Islanders sit two back. Both Tampa and Boston enter tonight’s game carrying a three-game losing streak. The difference, however, is that the Bruins are no strangers to adversity this season, even under interim coach Bruce Cassidy. Up until their three-game skid, the B’s have bounced back from their three prior losses during the Cassidy era. The Bruins outplayed the Sens on Tuesday but fell victim to great goaltending by Craig Anderson. This is a team that put forth a dominating performance in Calgary to snap the Flames 11-game winning streak. This is a team that is 12-6 over its last 18 games and has been downright dominating in most of them. This is a Bruins’ team with a significant edge in goal that has missed the playoffs in back-to-back years and that is showing the heart and determination to not repeat it. The three losses in a row by the B’s look worse on paper than they were on the ice and this line (Boston -191) reflects that. Big game for both teams but the B's have proven they can be trusted under these circumstances while the Lightnign have not even come close. 

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