The Bruins are back at TD Garden on Thursday night to open a quick two-game homestand against the Nashville Predators, and they’ll try to shake off Tuesday’s loss in Dallas without losing any of the momentum they’ve built over the first 10 games.
Boston’s five-game winning streak is gone, but the points keep coming. The Bruins have picked up at least one in each of their last six games and still sit atop the Atlantic Division with a one-point cushion over the Lightning and Senators. They’re 7-2-1 overall, and their offense has already piled up 36 goals.
A big chunk of that production has come from a few younger names. Matt Poitras, Fraser Minten and David Pastrnak lead the club with four goals apiece, and 16 of Boston’s goals came on the road trip. Poitras, Minten and plenty of the U24 group helped carry the scoring load there.
At home, the Bruins have been solid too. They’re 3-1-0 on home ice and have won their last two games at TD Garden.
Nashville comes in rested after a few days away from game action. The Predators arrived in Boston on Wednesday and will use this as the first stop on a two-game road trip.
They’re 3-2-3 overall, 1-0-2 on the road, and 2-1-2 over their last five. In their most recent game, they beat Jim Montgomery and the St.
Louis Blues 5-2.
Steven Stamkos has driven the Predators’ offense early, leading the team with 10 points through eight games. He’s also been a factor historically against Boston, with 47 points in 57 regular-season games versus the Bruins. Two of his goals this season have come on the power play, and Nashville’s man advantage has been one of the league’s best so far.
That special teams edge is a major part of the matchup. Boston’s power play sits at 21.4 percent, while its penalty kill is at 80.0 percent. Nashville brings a much hotter unit, with a 29.6 percent power play and an 85.2 percent penalty kill.
Juuse Saros has handled the workload for Nashville, starting all but one game this season, and after the time off he is expected to go Thursday.
Boston skated at TD Garden at 10:30 a.m., and updates from Marco Sturm are expected to follow.
The Bruins’ expected starting goalie is Jeremy Swayman, who comes in at 6-1-1 with a 1.98 goals-against average and a .928 save percentage.
For Nashville, the expected lines are Filip Forsberg, Ryan O’Reilly and Steven Stamkos; Alex Kerfoot, Mavrik Bourque and Jonathan Marchessault; Ross Colton, Matthew Wood and Nils Hoglander; and Reid Schaefer, Jack Drury and Adam Edstrom.
The Predators’ projected defense pairs are Roman Josi with Adam Wilsby, Jayden Struble with Nicolas Hague, and Brady Skjei with Ilya Lyubushkin.
The season series is already underway with Thursday’s game in Boston, and the teams will meet again on Saturday, Mar. 20, in Nashville.
After this one, the Bruins’ upcoming schedule includes San Jose on Saturday, a trip to Carolina on Tuesday, games at St. Louis on Thursday and at home against Chicago on Saturday, and a matchup with Vegas on Monday, Nov. 2.
In Other News...
Bruins Have A Nikita Zadorov Problem They Cant Ignore
Bostons strong start has come with a familiar trade-off on the blue line, and Nikita Zadorov sits right in the middle of it. The Bruins have long valued his size, edge and ability to disrupt opponents, because when hes on, he can change the tone of a game in ways few defensemen can. But the early-season picture has been more complicated, with his play drawing scrutiny for the kind of undisciplined mistakes that can undo a good night in a hurry.
The concern is not just the penalties themselves, but the broader impact they have had on Bostons five-on-five play. The Bruins can live with some risk if Zadorov is tilting the ice in their favor, yet there has been a growing sense that the balance has been off lately, enough to lead to disciplinary scratches and renewed questions about how much rope he should get. For a team trying to build on its strong start, the issue is no longer whether Zadorov matters, but whether the Bruins can keep tolerating the version of him they have been getting. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins Turn To A Different Goalie In A Spot Fans Will Watch
The Bruins are giving Michael DiPietro another turn in goal against the Nashville Predators, a spot that comes after a demanding four-game road trip and a strong stretch away from home. Boston picked up seven of a possible eight points on that trip, and DiPietro will get the assignment after already logging two previous starts this season, including his first NHL win against the Anaheim Ducks.
For a team trying to keep the momentum going, the goalie decision adds a little extra intrigue to a home matchup that arrives right after the travel grind. Jeremy Swayman handled most of the work on the road, so this start gives Boston a different look in a game fans will be watching closely to see how the crease lines up moving forward. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins Fast Start Is Starting To Feel Like Something Bigger
A West Coast trip can tell you a lot about a hockey team, and the Bruins came home looking every bit like a group that belongs in the conversation. Boston won three of four out west, swept through the three California stops and only missed a perfect trip by dropping an overtime decision to Dallas, a run that has already started to reshape how the rest of the league sees them.
The rankings bump followed quickly, with Boston climbing in both major national power lists, but the more interesting part is what comes next. The Bruins now get to bring that momentum back home for a stretch that includes Nashville and San Jose, a chance to see whether this fast start is merely a strong opening or the beginning of something sturdier. [Read more 🡒]