BHN Daily: Boston Bruins Fans Could Return To TD Garden March 23

The Boston Bruins and New York Islanders will play in front of an empty Nassau Coliseum on Thursday night but all reports Thursday morning indicated that the next time they play on March 23 at TD Garden, there will finally be fans back in the building. 

On Tuesday morning, The Boston Globe reported that Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker was set to announce that reduced capacity attendance at TD Garden, Gillette Stadium, and Fenway Park will be allowed for sporting events and concerts starting March 22. 

*UPDATE*

Governor Baker confirmed stage 4 of the Reopening Plan begins March 22 and large venues like TD Garden can allow fans at a 12 percent capacity limit. 

While there will be reduced capacity due to COVID safety protocol, this will still be a momentous moment for the team and their fans who haven’t been allowed in TD Garden since March 7, 2020, when they lost 5-3 to the Tampa Bay Lightning. 

Despite the state of New York now allowing fans in sports arenas at a reduced capacity, the Boston Bruins and New York Islanders will still play in front of cardboard cutouts of fans in an otherwise empty Nassau Coliseum Thursday night. However, when the Bruins take on the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden Friday and Sunday, fans will be allowed at 10 percent capacity. 

If you’re vaccinated or still feel safe enough to go check out the two-game set between the two Original 6 clubs, StubHub has tickets on sale with prices starting at or around $100 per ticket. 

Now onto the rest of your BHN Daily links:

Fans and media alike can’t get enough of the Boston Bruins Reverse Retro late eighties/early nineties retro theme they sported at the NHL Outdoors Game against the Philadelphia Flyers at Lake Tahoe Sunday. My partner in crime Joe Haggerty takes you behind the scenes to see how and why the theme came about. (Boston Hockey Now)

The retro look and obviously a 7-3 Boston Bruins win were great but losing another defenseman in Jeremy Lauzon after just one shift in that game, added to an already packed MASH list for the Bruins’ blue line. Now the news comes that Lauzon is out at least a month. (Boston Hockey Now) 

The winningest head coach in Boston Bruins history was fired by the Montreal Canadiens Wednesday. Claude Julien, who coached the Bruins to the 2011 Stanley Cup, paid the price for a 4-5-1 stretch by the Habs after two straight losses to the last-place Ottawa Senators. 

From here, Julien, who was fired by the Bruins back on February 7, 2017, and replaced by current head coach Bruce Cassidy, appears to be the scapegoat for a General Manager in Marc Bergevin, who has failed to build a better core and maybe move out goalie Carey Price when he had the chance. Price has been in a steady decline since 2016 and was a major reason the Habs lost to the rebuilding Sens on Tuesday night and in other losses this season. (Montreal Gazette) 

Former NHL head coach Mike Babcock did a 1-on-1 with Christine Simpson of Sportsnet and there were two ‘Did he just really say that?’ moments. (Sportsnet)

The Dallas Stars are feeling the crunch of a never-before-seen NHL schedule. (Dallas News)

Love to see the continued tributes to Willie O’Ree! (TSN)

National Hockey Now

As mentioned above, there won’t be fans at the Islanders-Bruins game at Nassau Coliseum tonight but there will be soon! (NYI Hockey Now)

Can the Pittsburgh Penguins keep their recent hot stretch going? (Pittsburgh Hockey Now)

Anton Khidobin appears to be back in the zone that saw him carry the Stars to the Stanley Cup Final and earn him a new contract. (Florida Hockey Now)

The Vegas Golden Knights and San Jose Sharks will have another game postponed due to COVID. (Vegas Hockey Now)

Finally, for Murph’s Music Pick Of The Day, just when you think things can’t get any stranger, Post Malone is covering Hootie And The Blowfish.