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The Bruins, who have dropped 6 of their last 7 games (1-3-3) will host a red-hot New Jersey Devils team tonight at TD Garden that has won 16 of their last 20 contests (16-4-0).The B's are coming off of one of their ugliest performances of the season, an embarrassing 5-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night. The Visitors enter tonight's game following a 3-0 shutout over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday to stop a 2-game skid.
Devils Leading Goal Scorer:
Devils Goaltending:
Injury Report:
Notes:
- The Bruins and Devils have met twice this season with the B's win both contests. The Bruins have outscored the Devils 7-1 this season.
- Based Martin Brodeur's reputation as a goalie that does not mind a heavy workload and the fact that he only faced 13 shots in the Devils 3-0 win over Columbus, I think it is a safe bet that we see Brodeur between the pipes for New Jersey tonight.
- Brad Marchand has served his 2-game suspension for his hit on R.J. Umberger and is ready to return to the lineup.
- There is no word on which of the Bruins 13 forwards will get to watch the game from the 9th floor. Michael Ryder appeared to be the odd man out in practice on Monday, rotating in with Mark Recchi on the right wing on the 2nd line.
- I don't know why everyone (including Claude Julien) is making a big deal out of Tuukka Rask blowing up at his defensemen. I like that passion. Everyone on this team needs to be accountable. If they are not going to hear it from their coach (who most of the time comes off as a milquetoast guy that wouldn't say "shit" if his mouth was fun of it), then they need to hear it from their teammates. Rask is one of the few players on this roster that has shown any signs of life and passion over the past few games and we are chastising him for it? Julien was asked about Rask's outbursts today and he maintains that he did not pull Tuukka for calling out Dennis Seidenberg after he screened him on a Toronto goal in the second period of Saturday's game:
"I don't support that and I don't think anybody supports that, including him. Sometimes frustration sets in when you see players breaking their sticks after a goal against. You see them put their heads up in the air after they miss an open net. There's a frustration part. I'm certainly not going to stand here and start accusing him of that. But I think it's something you don't want to see from anybody. It has a big impact on your team. Having said that, I think Tuukka's aware of that. If anything, he's been playing some of his best hockey lately. So I don't think there's any need for that. Sometimes you've got to control your emotions. He's frustrated with the first half of the year and he wants to help this hockey club. Sometimes his emotions run a little too high and he reacts that way. Having said that, it had no influence on my decision on Saturday."
Claude Julien via Boston.com
- Tonight's game starts at 7:00 PM ET and airs on NESN. 98.5 FM The Sports has the radio broadcast as always.
- The Public Skate open thread gets going at 6:30 PM ET.
- For more on tonight's game head over to the always-in depth In Lou We Trust. A word of caution: Fischer runs a much tighter ship than I do, so keep it clean and on-topic.