Bruins vs. Wild Preview: Finally, a hockey game

Just the facts

When: 8 PM

Where: Xcel Center - Minneapolis, MN

How to follow: NESN, FSN, 98.5 The Sports Hub

Rival SBN site: Hockey Wilderness

Who to watch

• Eric Staal, freed from Raleigh, is having himself quite a season thus far: 5G, 8A, 13PTS.
• Devan Dubnyk is on fire this year: 2nd in GAA, 2nd in save percentage, tied for 1st in shutouts. The man ahead of him in the first two categories? Tuukka Rask.

Game notes

• The Bruins got stomped by the Wild earlier this season, when the famed Subban-McIntyre tandem got toasted for 5 goals in a 5-0 drubbing. Things should go a little bit better this time. Should...
• This marks the first game since Sunday night for the Bruins. The three-game layoff is among the Bruins’ longest of the season, excluding the "bye week" early next year.
• From the Bruins’ website: the B’s are five goals short of scoring 20,000 as a franchise, also known as the number David Pastrnak will score next season.
• Speaking of Pastrnak, he hasn’t practiced the last couple of days. No word yet on whether or not he’ll be in the line-up, but two days out is usually a sign of more than a player getting some rest. UPDATE: He's out.
• If Pastrnak is out, obviously the lines will get messy. Tim Schaller would draw back in, but who moves up to the Bergeron line’s wing? Hayes? Czarnik, with Hayes back to the third?
• Kevan Miller is getting closer to a return. If he’s back, who sits? The Bruins have two of the same player in K. Miller and Adam McQuaid. One should go.

Never forget

The NHL once pitted the Bruins and Wild together on RIVALRY NIGHT.

Sure.