Bruins Look to Stay Hot at Home as Golden Knights Come to Town
The Boston Bruins are back on familiar ice Thursday night, and they’re chasing a sixth straight win at TD Garden. Standing in their way? A Vegas Golden Knights team that, despite a stumble in their last outing, had been rolling with seven straight wins before that.
This game wraps up the season series between the two clubs. The first meeting back in October was a wild one, with Vegas edging Boston 6-5 in Nevada. Expect another high-energy tilt, especially with both teams sitting in similar spots in their respective conferences and looking to rebound after tough losses.
Cassidy’s Return, Eichel & Hanifin’s Homecoming
There’s no shortage of storylines in this one. Former Bruins bench boss Bruce Cassidy returns to Boston, now leading the Golden Knights. Since taking over in Vegas in June 2022, Cassidy has had his former team’s number-he’s 5-2-0 against the Bruins, including wins in the last three meetings.
It’s also a homecoming for a pair of Massachusetts natives. Jack Eichel (North Chelmsford) and Noah Hanifin (Norwood) are back in their home state, both playing key roles for a Vegas team that’s built to contend again this season.
Bruins’ Morning Skate: Notes & Updates
Boston hit the ice Thursday morning at TD Garden for their game-day skate, and there were a few notable updates.
Henri Jokiharju was back on the ice after missing time due to personal reasons.
Morgan Geekie, meanwhile, finally snapped a 12-game goal drought with a tally on Tuesday. Assistant coach Marco Sturm acknowledged the weight that had been building on Geekie’s shoulders.
“I was not worried about it, but then it got to that point that I could see it in his face, and his game, and his reaction,” Sturm said. “He actually needs one, so I’m glad he had one the other night.”
That goal came in a tough 6-2 loss to Dallas, a game Sturm described as a “pounding.” Still, he found value in the experience.
“We just didn’t adapt to that game,” he said. “We have to adapt to that, and we have to be willing to play that kind of style too.
That, for us, is a great experience to go through. We feel good coming back.”
One defensive pairing that stood out in that game-and will get another look-is Hampus Lindholm and Mason Lohrei. The duo was tested in Chicago and impressed enough to stick together.
“We tried it out in Chicago,” Sturm said. “Worked out really well.
I want to see more of it; I don’t mind it. Not just that pair, but also the other pairs too-I think it’s spread out really nicely.”
In net, Joonas Korpisalo will get the start. He enters with a 9-8-0 record, a 3.09 goals-against average, and a .896 save percentage. No other lineup changes are expected.
Projected Bruins Lineup
Forwards
Marat Khusnutdinov - Elias Lindholm - David Pastrnak
Casey Mittelstadt - Pavel Zacha - Viktor Arvidsson
Alex Steeves - Fraser Minten - Morgan Geekie
Tanner Jeannot - Sean Kuraly - Mark Kastelic
Defensemen
Jonathan Aspirot - Charlie McAvoy
Hampus Lindholm - Mason Lohrei
Nikita Zadorov - Andrew Peeke
Starting Goalie
Joonas Korpisalo (9-8-0, 3.09 GAA, .896 SV%)
Projected Golden Knights Lineup
Forwards
Ivan Barbashev - Jack Eichel - Mark Stone
Reilly Smith - Mitch Marner - Pavel Dorofeyev
Braeden Bowman - Tomas Hertl - Keegan Kolesar
Cole Reinhardt - Tanner Laczynski - Alexander Holtz
Defensemen
Jeremy Lauzon - Shea Theodore
Noah Hanifin - Kaedan Korczak
Ben Hutton - Dylan Coghlan
Starting Goalie
Akira Schmid (15-4-5, 2.45 GAA, .897 SV%)
Special Teams Battle
Boston’s power play has been a bright spot this season, clicking at 25.5%-fifth-best in the NHL. But discipline remains a concern.
The Bruins lead the league in penalties taken, averaging 4.81 per 60 minutes. That’s a dangerous combination, especially for a penalty kill that ranks just 19th (78.1%).
The good news? They’ve cleaned things up lately. Over their last seven games, the Bruins have taken just 23 penalties-down to 3.29 per 60.
Vegas, meanwhile, is even more dangerous on the man advantage. The Golden Knights boast the fourth-best power play in the league (26.5%) and a top-10 penalty kill (81.4%). And unlike the Bruins, they stay out of the box-Vegas has taken the fewest penalties in the NHL this season with just 140.
Season Series Recap
- October 16: Golden Knights 6, Bruins 5 (in Vegas)
- January 22: Golden Knights @ Bruins (Tonight)
What’s Next for Boston
The Bruins have a busy stretch ahead, with five games in the next 10 days:
- Saturday, Jan. 24: Canadiens @ Bruins, 7:00 PM
- Monday, Jan. 26: Bruins @ Rangers, 7:00 PM
- Tuesday, Jan. 27: Predators @ Bruins, 7:00 PM
- Thursday, Jan. 29: Flyers @ Bruins, 7:00 PM
- Sunday, Feb. 1: Bruins @ Lightning, 6:30 PM
How to Watch
Puck Drop: 7:00 PM ET
TV: NESN
Two playoff-caliber teams. A coach facing his former squad.
Local stars returning home. And a tightly contested season series on the line.
This one has all the ingredients for a midseason thriller at the Garden.