The city of Boston was devastated Monday after two separate bombs exploded near the finish line of the Boston Marathon. With over 140 injuries and multiple deaths reported, the city is still attempting to return to some state of normalcy following Monday's devastating events.
The NHL's Boston Bruins will look to provide some solace to their loyal fan base tonight when they take to the ice for the first time since the attacks. Security will of course be tightened following the bombings, but that doesn't mean the Bruins still don't have a job to do.
"For us, we have to learn to focus," Bruins Forward Daniel Paille said to NHL.com reporters. Currently riding a 148-game sellout streak, the Boston Bruins organization expects to continue that streak tonight since many Bostonians will be looking for a temporary escape from Monday's horrific events.
"The one thing I sense from our team is we have the ability to maybe help people heal and find some reason to smile again by representing our city properly," Bruins head coach Claude Julien said to ESPN Boston reporters. "This is a time when you're proud to be associated with a professional team."
It is also reported by ESPN that prior to tonight's rendition of the National Anthem, that will be sung by Rene Rancourt, the Bruins will show a 'Boston Strong' video inside the arena. A moment of silence will also be observed to honor those that were lost, injured or were simply there to help others in need.
Each member of the Bruins team will wear 'Boston Strong' decals on their helmets tonight in honor of those lost or injured.
Entering tonight's affair with the Buffalo Sabres, the Bruins are fourth in the Eastern Conference with 56 points but they are only one point behind the Northeast Division-leading Montreal Canadiens. Winning the Northeast Division would in all likelihood help the Bruins lock up the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference come playoff time.
Donations have been pouring into the One Fund Boston foundation which was set up to help victims of the bombings. As reported by ESPN Boston, the Bruins organization will be adding $100,000 to the fund.
While it is a big game as far as playoff positioning is concerned for the Bruins, their head coach also knows what a win could do emotionally for the great city of Boston.
"The best thing we can do right now is really focus on our job to make things better for the people of Boston," Julien said.
Tonight's game between the Boston Bruins and Buffalo Sabres is set to begin at 7:30pm, EDT and can be seen live on the NBC Sports Television Network.
© 2024 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
