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Preview: Bruins return home to face the New Jersey Devils

The Bruins are back in Boston for their first home game in February!

By Angelina.Berube
Boston Bruins v New Jersey Devils Photo by Elsa/Getty Images

Just the facts

When: Tonight, 7 PM

Where: TD Garden – Boston, MA

How to follow: NESN, ESPN+, SN360, SNE, SNW, SNP, 98.5 The Sports Hub

Rival SBN site: All About The Jersey

Know your enemy

  • 5-3-2 for 12 points, sixth in East
  • Miles Wood: 10GP, 5G, 3A, 8PTS; Jack Hughes: 10GP, 3G, 5A, 8PTS; Ty Smith: 10GP, 2G, 6A, 8PTS; Janne Kuokkanen: 10GP, 1G, 5A, 6PTS
  • Mackenzie Blackwood: 3-0-1, 1.92 GAA, .948 save percentage; Scott Wedgewood: 1-3-1, 2.80 GAA, .901 save percentage

Game notes

  • The Boston Bruins are 1-0-1 against the New Jersey Devils this season. As you may remember, the Bruins opened the season against New Jersey on the road and both games went to overtime.
  • Brad Marchand had one goal and two assists and Patrice Bergeron registered one goal and one assist against the Devils in those first two games of the season. For New Jersey, Miles Wood netted a goal apiece in each game and Jack Hughes assisted on three goals.
  • In the last meeting between the two teams on January 26, the Bruins fell to the Devils 2-1 in overtime. The Devils took a first-period lead when Wood potted a deflection against Jaroslav Halak. Shorthanded, Bergeron tied the game late in the second period with a wrist shot from the slot. Egor Sharangovich scored the game winner with two seconds left in overtime.
  • New Jersey played their first game since January 31 on Tuesday night after several game postponements due to COVID protocols. In that game, the Devils scored three goals in the third period to break a tie and beat the New York Rangers, 5-2. Before the break, the Devils were 1-2-1 in their previous four games.
  • Bruce Cassidy mixed up the lines of his top-six forwards in practice this week in preparation for tonight’s game, hoping to generate more production from them. Thus far in February, there have been good offensive contributions from the obvious figures of Marchand, Bergeron, and David Pastrnak. But to spark more offense from guys like David Krejci and Jake DeBrusk, who are a little snake-bitten, lines are being shuffled. DeBrusk will move up and play with Marchand and Bergeron. Pastrnak will slide down on the right wing with Krejci and Nick Ritchie.
  • Matt Grzelcyk and Jakub Zboril are projected to be out of the lineup. Both have missed practice this week due to injuries. John Moore will likely fill in on the third pairing. He made his season debut last game against the New York Islanders with 23:45 minutes and two shots on net.

See ya tonight!