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Preview: One last road stop as the Bruins visit Columbus

Let’s end the trip on a good note!

By Dan.Ryan
/ new
Boston Bruins v Columbus Blue Jackets Photo by Chase Agnello-Dean/NHLI via Getty Images

Just the facts

When: Tonight, 7 PM

Where: Nationwide Arena - Columbus, OH

How to follow: NESN, 98.5 The Sports Hub

Rival SBN site: The Cannon

Know your enemy

(Note: Player stats are as of Friday afternoon, prior to the Columbus-Los Angeles game.)

  • 28-25-2, 58 points, 5th in the Metropolitan Division
  • Boone Jenner: 20G-23A-43PTS; Jakub Voracek: 2G-38A-40PTS; Patrik Laine: 20G-18A-38PTS
  • Elvis Merzlikins: 19-14-1, 3.40 GAA, .904 save percentage

Game notes

  • The Bruins can just about smell that home cooking! After a lengthy road trip out west, all that stands between the Bruins and their own beds is tonight’s game against the Blue Jackets.
  • The Blue Jackets will be retiring Rick Nash’s #61 in a ceremony before the game. Nash was tremendous for the Blue Jackets over the course of his career, and was the franchise’s first (and arguably only) true superstar. I still think things could have gone differently for the Bruins that season had Nash gotten a concussion...
  • For the Bruins, you’re looking at keeping up the good work — no drastic changes needed. I’m curious to see if Jeremy Swayman gets another start tonight; I think he should.
  • While the B’s are the road team, they’ll actually be the more rested group, as Columbus had a game on Friday night (a 4-3 OT loss against the Kings). The fact that the game went to OT means it was even more work for the Jackets, but it gets worse: they had an OT winner chalked off after an offsides review before going on to lose the game.
  • The Blue Jackets recently had a 9-2 stretch that at least put them (kind of) back in the playoff conversation, but they’ve sputtered a bit since then: they’re just 1-2-1 in their last four.
  • I had to double-check that it was correct, but Jakub Voracek’s stat line of just two goals but 38 assists is wild.
  • The Bruins will likely see J-F Berube in net tonight. Merzlikins started against the Kings, and Joonas Korpisalo is on injured reserve.
  • Jack Roslovic, who is seventh on the Blue Jackets in scoring, left last night’s game against the Kings with a lower-body injury. It’s unclear if he’ll be available tonight.

See ya tonight!

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