Bruins set for last 25 games.
Just the facts
When: Tonight, 7 PM
Where: TD Garden — Boston, Mass.
How to follow: NESN, 98.5 The Sports Hub
Know your enemy
- 24-24-6, 54PTS, 6th in Pacific Division
- Troy Terry: 16G-23A-39PTS; Frank Vatrano: 16G-14A-30PTS; Ryan Strome: 7G-23A-30PTS
- Lukas Dostal: 15-13-4, 2.86 GAA, .911 save percentage; John Gibson: 9-9-2, 2.69 GAA, .915 save percentage
Game notes
- The Boston Bruins are back and ready to resume their season against the Anaheim Ducks as the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament has come to an end. It’s the first time the two will meet this season.
- The Bruins entered the break on a two-game loosing streak, dropping both in one-goal games. Before the break, the Ducks were on a three-game winning streak and were 5-1-0 in their last six games.
- Interim head coach Joe Sacco said they are going to break down the remainder of the season into smaller increments as the team has 25 left to the regular season. He’s trying to have the team see things on a “smaller scale” rather than big picture, Sacco told media yesterday.
- Heading into this portion, the Bruins are 27-24-6, sitting just outside a wild card spot. And it’s a tight race now with teams separated by one to two points all vying for a couple positions.
- Head-to-head, the Bruins and the Ducks equally do not have a great power play. And believe it or not, the Ducks are slightly worse at 12.1% while the Bruins are 14.5%. Both penalty kills are similar, with the Ducks at 74.8% and Bruins at 75.4% effective.
- Sacco said Brad Marchand should be good to go tonight after not practicing yesterday with the team. I mean, hey, he just won the 4 Nations championship with Team Canada, so a rest day was expected.
- Injury updates: No new updates with Hampus Lindholm or Charlie McAvoy who will be out of the lineup.
- Jeremy Swayman is also expected to start tonight in net.
- It’s also fascinating that TD Garden crew will have had less than 48 hours to get things set up and be Bruins again after 4 Nations ended just before midnight on Thursday.
- See ya tonight!