Preview: Bruins open seven-game homestand against Canadiens

Just the facts

When: Tonight, 7:00 PM

Where: TD Garden – Boston, MA

How to follow: TNT, SN, 98.5 The Sports Hub

Rival SBN site: Eyes On The Prize

Know your enemy

• 7-23-4, 18PTS, last in Atlantic Division
• Nick Suzuki: 34GP, 7G, 12A, 19PTS; Jonathan Drouin: 27GP, 6G, 11A, 17PTS; Tyler Toffoli: 26GP, 5G, 12A, 17PTS
• Jake Allen: 5-15-2, 3.10 GAA, .903 save percentage; Sam Montembeault: 1-6-2, 3.98 GAA, .893

Game notes

• The Boston Bruins are back on home ice tonight against the Montreal Canadiens! This game was originally supposed to be played in Montreal, but was “switched” with the Bruins’ home game against the Habs scheduled for March 21.
• Tonight opens a seven-game homestand for the Bruins and it’s the first of back-to-back nights (they host the Philadelphia Flyers tomorrow). The Bruins are 9-6-1 on home ice this season.
• This will also start a seven-game road trip for the Canadiens. On the road, Montreal hasn’t faired all too well, posting a 2-13-3 record.
• The Bruins announced yesterday that they signed Tuukka Rask to a $1M, one-year deal. Rask will back up Linus Ullmark tonight. Jeremy Swayman was also sent to the Providence Bruins.
• The Bruins last played the Canadiens on November 14, 2021 at the TD Garden. The Habs took the lead with a first-period goal from Joel Armia before Charlie McAvoy tied the game in the second. Montreal regained the lead as Michael Pezzetta added a tally at the end of the second period. The Bruins scored four goals in the third period – a power-play goal from McAvoy, two from Charlie Coyle and one from Taylor Hall – to come away with a 5-2 win. Swayman made 27 saves in the win.
• The B’s have been on a roll since the COVID pause, netting 28 goals in six games and taking five out of those games.
• Six Bruins had a multi-point night in the team’s 7-3 win over the Washington Capitals on Monday night. Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak each picked up three points with two goals and an assist each, while Matt Grzelcyk had an impressive five-point outing.
• Grzelcyk’s five points was his second multi-point night this season. Per the NHL’s Public Relations, he’s the first defenseman this season to record five points in a game. As a Bruins’ defenseman, he’s the first to record the feat since Ray Bourque in January 1994.
• Hall is on a six-game point streak. He has two goals and six assists in six games. Marchand also has five goals and four assists since the new year’s start and is on a three-game point streak. Marchand has three multi-point nights in his last six games.
• It’s been a rough-go for the Canadiens who only have seven wins this season. Montreal last played on January 1 and have had four home-game postponements since because of attendance restrictions and COVID issues. But returning from Christmas and COVID pause, the Habs are 0-2-1 and have been outscored 14-6 during those three games.
• In their last game on January 1, the Canadiens fell 5-2 to the Florida Panthers. Drouin and Suzuki picked up tallies for the Habs to give them a 2-1 lead in the second period, but the Panthers scored four unanswered goals to win.
• Montreal will have a lot of ground to make up with as some players have just returned to practice after weeks of COVID protocol including Jeff Petry. He has rejoined the team along with Pezzetta from the protocol list and the Canadiens will get five other players back.

See ya tonight!