The Bruins play the Lightning in Tampa Bay tonight.

• It is the first tilt of the season between the two teams, and the Bolts have been riding high of late. [NESN]
• Daniel Paille may be playing a bigger role tonight after his success in Winnipeg. [TheBostonGlobe]
• Here's a chance to meet Shawn Thornton, and also win tickets to both the Bruins vs. Capitals and the Dropkick Murphys! [NESN]
• And Shawn was interviewed on the Hill-Man Morning Show today. [WAAF]
• A NSFW take on tonight's matchup and invitation to return for a pregame show this evening. [DaysOfY'Orr]
• And here's one reason Guy Boucher is better than you. Check out his ceremonial first "pitch" at a Rays game. [YouTube]

Elsewhere in the hockey universe...

• If you see a Sabres fan, hug him/her. The Ruff era is over. [BostonHerald]
• And there may yet be another shoe to drop in Buffalo. [SportsIllustrated]
• How about a coach's challenge on officiating for the NHL? Not so fast... [CBC.ca]
• Inquiries into Kevlar socks are way up after the Karlsson achilles tendon injury. [SportingNews]
• ESPN really doesn't give a hoot about hockey, get over it. [SBNation.com]
• Know the Seven Levels of Dirty Hockey. [Grantland]
• Here's an explanation for why some fans can embrace "dirty" players. [TheScore]
• One person's take on discovering hockey. [PuckDaddy]