Preview: Bruins look to build on momentum against Lightning

Just the facts

When: Tonight, 7:00 PM

Where: TD Garden – Boston, MA

How to follow: NESN, 98.5 The Sports Hub

Rival SBN site: Raw Charge

Know your enemy

• 13-5-4, 30PTS, 3rd in Atlantic Division
• Steven Stamkos: 21GP, 11G, 14A, 25PTS; Victor Hedman: 22GP, 5G, 17A, 22PTS; Alex Killorn: 22GP, 8G, 12A, 20PTS
• Andrei Vasilevskiy: 11-4-3, 2.14 GAA, .926 save percentage; Brian Elliott: 2-1-1, 3.16 GAA, .887 save percentage

Game notes

• The Boston Bruins are back home for one last game before their Pacific road trip and will host the Tampa Bay Lightning for the first of four meetings this season. The Lightning will be back in Boston on March 24, 2022. The B’s will travel to Tampa Bay twice – on January 8, 2022 and April 8, 2022.
• The Bruins last saw the Lightning during the 2019-20 playoffs. After beating the Carolina Hurricanes in five games during the first round, the Bruins struggled the next round despite a few close games. The B’s won the first game of the second round, but the next four games went to the Lightning. Tampa Bay won the series in double overtime on August 31, 2020.
• The B’s are coming off a 2-0 victory over the Nashville Predators on Thursday. Jake DeBrusk and Brandon Carlo added the tallies, while Jeremy Swayman made 42 saves. Only three other Bruins’ goaltenders have recorded shutouts with 42 or more saves.
• Swayman now has three shutouts in 22 total NHL games. The other two came last season on April 16 vs. the New York Islanders (25 saves) and May 6 vs. the New York Rangers (15 saves).
• The B’s and the Lightning have an evenly-matched penalty kill this season. The Bruins’ PK is 84.2% for ninth in the league so far this season. Right behind them is the Lightning at 84.1%. But on the power play, the Bruins have been more successful at 25.8% to Tampa Bay’s 19.7%.
• Tampa Bay is 4-1-1 in their last six games. In three of those wins, the Lightning has netted four goals each night. They last played on Thursday Dec. 3, beating the St. Louis Blues, 4-2, after dropping a 4-3 shootout loss to them two nights before.
• As always, the Bruins will have to watch out for Stamkos on the ice. Stamkos is on a five-game point streak with two goals and five assists for seven points, including a three-point night. Corey Perry has registered points in five of his last six games for three goals and two assists.
• Jakub Zboril left last game with a lower-body injury. The Bruins did not practice yesterday. We’ll find out from morning skate if he’s good or if Connor Clifton subs back in.

See ya tonight!