BRUINS GDT GAME 43 7:07 PM - MINNESOTA - NESN, SN, 98.5 WBZ-FM

[Fenway]

Tonight's Officials

Referees Reid Anderson (49), Kelly Sutherland (11)
Linesmen Michel Cormier (76), Jonny Murray (95)

Ntl. Anthem Kamryn Richard

TONIGHT’S GAME - The Bruins host the Wild tonight in the 1st of 2 games between these teams this season and the Wild’s lone appearance of the season at TD Garden … The Bruins are 24-14-4 this season and are 15-5-0 on home ice … They are 3-2-1 vs. Central Division opponents and are 9-4-3 vs. Western Conference foes. - The Bruins play game 3 of a 4-game home stand tonight (2-0-0), as they will host WSH on 1/10 before playing in TOR on 1/12 … In all, they play 9 of their 12 January games on home ice.

MILESTONES APPROACHING - 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 4 wins short of his 253rd Bruins/NHL win, which will be the most by a goaltender in team history (Cecil “Tiny” Thompson, 252). - David Pastrnak is 4 games shy of his 300th NHL game.

INJURIES / SUSPENSION (Total man-games lost in 2018-19: 152) - Charlie McAvoy: Lower body, day-to-day - Joakim Nordstrom: Non-displaced fibula fracture suffered 1/1 vs CHI

BOSTON vs MINNESOTA, LIFETIME SERIES - The Bruins and Wild are meeting for the 23rd time in their histories with the Bruins having an 8-13-0-1 record and the Wild holding a 60-44 scoring advantage in those games. - The Bruins are 3-8-0-0 lifetime vs. the Wild in Boston with Minnesota having a 34-22 scoring edge in those 11 contests. - The Bruins are 6-3-1 in their last 10 games vs. the Wild, including a season series sweep in 2017-18.







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To secure a perfect road trip, the Minnesota Wild will have to win in one of the NHL's toughest away venues in Boston on Tuesday.

The Bruins are 15-5-0 at TD Garden this season, one of just three teams with 15 home wins in 2018-19. The Bruins' five total defeats (both regulation and overtime losses) at home are also the second-fewest of any team, behind only the league-leading Tampa Bay Lightning's 17-4-0 mark.

The Wild, however, are 8-3-0 all-time at Boston. Minnesota has reeled off victories in the first three games of its four-game road trip, including a 1-0 shutout of the Montreal Canadiens on Monday.

Devan Dubnyk made his 13th consecutive start in that game, and the quick turnaround for the Wild (21-17-3, 45 points) means that Alex Stalock will be between the pipes in Boston. While Dubnyk has been hot lately, Stalock has also put up some solid numbers in backup duty this season (2.60 goals-against average in 10 games spanning 508 minutes).

Stalock's last start was on Dec. 6, plus he played 51 minutes the next night after Dubnyk received a quick hook in a 7-2 loss to the Edmonton Oilers. Over Minnesota's last 12 games, however, Stalock has received just 32:58 minutes of ice time.

"I've gotten into some games, which you don't really want to do in my job," Stalock recently told Sarah McLellan of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. "You want your guy to be in the whole game, but you gotta go in some nights. That's a good way to get work and get back to game speed. ... Obviously, getting the start is always nice."

Stalock & Co. will face a big challenge in a Bruins team that has won 10 of its last 14 games, including the last four in a row.

"I think we're getting production from the whole group right now which is great. ... When you have that throughout the whole lineup it makes it tough to play against," Bruins forward Brad Marchand told the media. "Also, having essentially our whole team back, we're finally able to get a good look at our group. We've always had that depth, but with guys out consistently, it's been tough to kind of keep it steady. It's great to have everyone back now and we're just kind of rolling from that."

Tuukka Rask will start for Boston (24-14-4, 52 points) against the Wild, Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy has announced. It will be Rask's fifth start in seven games, as the Bruins continue to juggle the goaltending platoon of Rask and Jaroslav Halak. Rask is on a three-game winning streak, with a 1.63 GAA and .949 save percentage in that stretch.

Charlie McAvoy will miss his sixth straight game with a lower-body injury, as Cassidy ruled the defenseman out against the Wild. McAvoy did skate prior to Monday's practice, and Cassidy said McAvoy could potentially return on Thursday (when the Bruins host the Washington Capitals) or Saturday (at Toronto).
Eric Fehr is questionable for the Wild after suffering an upper-body injury on Monday. Fehr didn't return to the game after a first-period hit from Montreal's Kenny Agostino sent him head-first into the boards.

The Wild are 4-2-0 in the second game of back-to-backs this season.

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[GlenFeatherstone]

With both Toronto and Montreal losing last night this is huge. Need to get 2 points here. Keep this momentum going into playing Washington Thursday.

 

[BruinsFan1990]

Will be at the game and cheering loud for the boys! Gotta make up for the pathetic crowd this year.

 

[alg363636]

Every time I see we are playing Minnesota

I am reminded there is an NHL team in Minnesota

 

[TCB]

No Dubnyk is good. He's been hot as of late, wild come in undefeated on their current road trip 3-0. Bruins will put an end to that tonight!

Marchand with a pair Bruins 4-2

 

[mjhfb]

Playing better recently but Donato's team worst -11 is not helping his cause.

 

[TP]

I'm scared

 

[JCRO]

The *Continuation* of a big couple of games.

Very excited to see how they fair.

Go B's!

 

[22Brad Park]

Won 8 of 22 vs Minny but beat them this year 2-1 .Be a tough fought game but good feeling.Go Bruins.

 

[ODAAT]

Will be at the game and cheering loud for the boys! Gotta make up for the pathetic crowd this year.

that "pathetic crowd" has been watching a Bruins team who has hardly been lighting the lamp on a nightly basis or providing an entertaining brand of hockey. Bodies returning to the lineup has helped but hard to blame the fans for not being loud or pumped up watching their boys pop, if they are likely, often 2-3 goals max a game

 

[Seidenbergy]

The start of a big couple of games.

A non-conference game against Minnesota? While every game is important, I'd say the two games we literally just played against Buffalo were a lot bigger.

 

[JCRO]

A non-conference game against Minnesota? While every game is important, I'd say the two games we literally just played against Buffalo were a lot bigger.

They were.

I mentioned before those games this would be the start of a challenging stretch.

And yes, Minnesota is challenging. They're on a bit of a roll despite being on the road.

 

[ODAAT]

They were.

I mentioned before those games this would be the start of a challenging stretch.

And yes, Minnesota is challenging. They're on a bit of a roll despite being on the road.

they`ll be tough but they are hardly world beaters, 4-5-1 over last 10 games, our boys 7-3. There always seems to be teams or barns that give the B`s fits or that they never seem to play well against/in, Minny is one. We shall see

 

[Seidenbergy]

They were.

I mentioned before those games this would be the start of a challenging stretch.

And yes, Minnesota is challenging. They're on a bit of a roll despite being on the road.

I really don't want to nitpick, but there's a difference between calling something a "challenging" game vs calling it a "big" game. You just said that THIS GAME was the start of a big couple of games. It's actually the opposite. Of their entire January slate of games, this and St Louis are probably the least "big" games of them all.

Again, not saying it's not important, as all games are.......it's just the least "big" when you look at the overall picture (and look at how many division games they play around it).

 

[JCRO]

I really don't want to nitpick, but there's a difference between calling something a "challenging" game vs calling it a "big" game. You just said that THIS GAME was the start of a big couple of games. It's actually the opposite. Of their entire January slate of games, this and St Louis are probably the least "big" games of them all.

Again, not saying it's not important, as all games are.......it's just the least "big" when you look at the overall picture (and look at how many division games they play around it).

Im not even going to respond to this.

But Im going to respond to this.

GO B's!

 

[BruinsFan1990]

that "pathetic crowd" has been watching a Bruins team who has hardly been lighting the lamp on a nightly basis or providing an entertaining brand of hockey. Bodies returning to the lineup has helped but hard to blame the fans for not being loud or pumped up watching their boys pop, if they are likely, often 2-3 goals max a game

Have you been to a game this year? Its nearly impossible to get even a "Let's go Bruins" chant going.

 

[Tmac37]

Always nice catching a team on the back to back, take advantage.

 

[DarrenBanks56]

Always nice catching a team on the back to back, take advantage.

bruins and wild are combined 12-3 or something like that on the tail end of a back to back.

 

[PatriceBergeronFan]

Minnesota is boring and likes to slash and get away with it. Parise and Suter especially. Remember Krug's finger hanging off (no penalty naturally).

This is a very winnable game, if the Bs show up ready to beat a back up goalie.

 

[PatriceBergeronFan]

that "pathetic crowd" has been watching a Bruins team who has hardly been lighting the lamp on a nightly basis or providing an entertaining brand of hockey. Bodies returning to the lineup has helped but hard to blame the fans for not being loud or pumped up watching their boys pop, if they are likely, often 2-3 goals max a game

Also prices don't go down when the roster is decimated by injury (it sure does skyrocket against O6 teams).

 

[HustleB]

With both Toronto and Montreal losing last night this is huge. Need to get 2 points here. Keep this momentum going into playing Washington Thursday.

Not as important as if both of those teams won. I totally get what your saying though, when in a chase with another team, whether the other team wins or loses it seems to increase the pressure to either keep pace or take advantage of the opportunity.

 

[Ladyfan]

Will be at the game and cheering loud for the boys! Gotta make up for the pathetic crowd this year.

See you there !

A win/ No injuries...Please . Is Charlie almost ready ?

HERE WE GO BRUINS...HERE WE GO

 

[ODAAT]

Have you been to a game this year? Its nearly impossible to get even a "Let's go Bruins" chant going.

Nope, don`t have to be at a game live to understand why the "chant" hasn`t begun or has been difficult to start up. It`s well recognized that the TD and it`s fans, when entertained and the team is doing well, have a vocal fan base. I watched the majority of the games last year, perhaps not prior to the Christmas season but after, once all those bodies returned from injury, the team was healthy, scoring and winning, those same fans began the chant that you seem to think/feel is vital to enjoy the sporting experience.

I`ve been to, if I were guessing, 250 Bruin games in Boston over all the years of being a fan who lives in Canada and traveled often to your great city, seen as many games in the REAL Garden and now the TD, not once did I feel the fans had no energy. When this team plays dull hockey or isn`t scoring, I`m sorry, you can`t expect or ask a fan to manufacture fake noise

How about you just try and enjoy the game and worry less about beginning a chant?

 

[Ladyfan]

Have you been to a game this year? Its nearly impossible to get even a "Let's go Bruins" chant going.

But they did start the wave a couple of weeks ago . Someday I will bring a bunch of pink hats and hand them out....They won't even get it if I do.

There are some good fans there !

 

[22Brad Park]

See you there !

A win/ No injuries...Please . Is Charlie almost ready ?

HERE WE GO BRUINS...HERE WE GO

Go to McAvoy thread you want a laugh.