OFFICIALS
Referees Kendrick Nicholson (30), Justin StPierre (12)
Linesmen Brian Murphy (93), Brad Kovachik (71)
Supervisor Paul Devorski
Ntl. Anthem Todd Angilly
TONIGHT’S GAME The Bruins host the Flames tonight in the 2nd of 2 games between these teams this season and Calgary’s lone visit of the season to TD Garden … The Bruins are 22-14-4 this season and are 13-5-0 on home ice … They are 5-2-2 vs. Pacific Division opponents and are 8-4-3 vs. Western Conference foes. - The Bruins open a 4-game home stand tonight, as they will host BUF on 1/5, MIN on 1/8 & WSH on 1/10 before playing in TOR on 1/12 … In all, they will play 9 of their 12 January games on home ice.
MILESTONES APPROACHING - Kevan Miller is playing his 300th NHL game tonight. - Zdeno Chara is 2 goals shy of his 200th NHL goal … He will become just the 21st defenseman in NHL history to reach that milestone. - Tuukka Rask is 5 wins short of his 253rd Bruins/NHL win, which will be the most by a goaltender in team history (Cecil “Tiny” Thompson, 252).
INJURIES / SUSPENSION (Total man-games lost in 2018-19: 150) - Charlie McAvoy: Lower body, day-to-day - David Backes: Will be serving game 3 of a 3-game NHL-imposed suspension for an incident 12/27 vs NJ
BOSTON vs CALGARY, LIFETIME SERIES - The Bruins and Flames are meeting for the 109th time in their histories with the Bruins having a 60-34-10-4 record and 372-326 scoring advantage in those games. - The Bruins are 34-13-6-2 lifetime vs. the Flames in Boston with a 195-141 scoring edge in those 55 contests. - The Bruins are 3-1-0 in their last 4 games vs. the Flames, including a 5-2 loss in Calgary on 10/17 in the 1st game of this season’s series, and they are 9-2-3 in their last 14 games overall vs. Calgary … They are 6-1-1 in their last 8 vs. the Flames in Boston with their lone regulation loss in that span a 2-1 setback on 11/25/2016.
Sean Kuraly provided the heroics -- again -- as the Boston won the Winter Classic on New Year's Day, but the Bruins have to put that special moment behind them and get ready for the explosive Calgary Flames on Thursday night
Boston's fourth-line center had an overtime goal in Buffalo to beat the Sabres 3-2 on Saturday, and his tally Tuesday at Notre Dame Stadium broke a 2-2 tie and helped the Bruins claim the Winter Classic with a 4-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks.
The club returns to Boston to open a four-game homestand against the Flames, but those special moments for some of the Bruins' superstars likely still linger.Top-line center Patrice Bergeron used his hustling defensive play to break up a Chicago short-handed breakaway with the Blackhawks up 2-1, and his power-play marker 28 seconds later turned the tide to tie it.
David Pastrnak matched his center's output by recording his 24th goal on a power-play and adding an assist. On Wednesday, the NHL announced that Pastrnak, 22, had been selected to the All-Star Game in San Jose, where he will make his first appearance in the midseason exhibition.
Left winger Brad Marchand locked down Boston's second consecutive win with an empty-net goal. He then basked in the scene after the game, lying on the ice in the shadows of Notre Dame's Golden Dome and creating a snow angel as he soaked up the glory of being in the iconic setting.
"Towards the end of the game, you realize it's coming to an end, and you just kind of want to stay out there and enjoy it," Marchand told NHL.com.
Boston will have to contend with Calgary's own dynamite, diminutive left winger -- 5-foot-9 whiz Johnny Gaudreau.
He had a four-point game (two goals, two assists) in the Flames' 8-5 home win over San Jose on New Year's Eve in the last NHL game to go final in 2018, and he backed that up with another four-point outing in Detroit on Wednesday.
He had a hand in the first four goals in the Flames' 5-3 win over the Red Wings, notching three assists and then netting the go-ahead, power-play tally in the third period as Calgary played in the first game of its fifth back-to-back set.The Flames improved to 5-0-0 in the first of back-to-back games, and they are 3-0-1 in their past four overall.
Next up, Gaudreau is back in Boston, where the New Jersey native starred at Boston College.
Gaudreau has recorded 20 points (10 goals, 10 assists) in his past 10 games. He established a career-best month in December when he totaled 26 points (11-15) in 14 games.
Calgary will have its own outdoor contest next season as the league announced Tuesday that the Flames and Winnipeg Jets will meet in the 2019 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic in Regina, Saskatchewan, on Oct. 26.
"I had such a great time (playing outdoors against the Montreal Canadiens in 2011), and I'm sure we will again," Flames captain Mark Giordano said. "Playing another Canadian team in a city like Regina in Mosaic Stadium will be a great atmosphere, I am really looking forward to it."
Flames goaltender David Rittich is sidelined due to a lower-body injury and did not dress in Detroit, forcing Calgary to call up backstop Jon Gillies from its AHL affiliate in Stockton, Calif.
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