Game 25: Boston Bruins @ Colorado Avalanche Lines, Preview

Here’s your Boston Hockey Now Boston Bruins Game Day Preview:

Boston Bruins (20-3-1, 41 pts) vs Colorado Avalanche (13-9-1, 27 pts)

TIME: 9 P.M. ET,

TV: NESN, ALT Network

Radio: 98.5 The Sports Hub

The Boston Bruins and Colorado Avalanche square off in a rematch in Denver tonight after the Bruins beat the Avalanche 5-1 at TD Garden on Saturday night.

The Avalanche will be missing even more regulars than they did on Saturday as Artturi Lehkonen (undisclosed), was injured in that game, and then Nathan McKinnon suffered an upper-body injury on Monday. On Wednesday, Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar announced that McKinnon, along with defenseman Josh Manson (upper-body), will be out a month.

The Bruins will look to take advantage of the depleted Avalanche with a no-mercy attitude.

“I think one thing in this league is you understand injuries are a part of it and I don’t think any team ever takes team lightly when they’re injured,” Boston Bruins winger Nick Foligno told the media Wednesday. “Sometimes, they’re like a wounded animal and they’re a little more dangerous because you really don’t know what to expect. So, I don’t think we’re a team that ever takes any team lightly.

We want to play to our strengths and our abilities. We’re anticipating a hard game and like anything, when you’re going through it, no team feels mercy on you so we gotta make sure we have that mindset as well and making sure that we’re starting this road trip right against a really good team and knowing that we’re at our best to win.”

Boston Bruins Notes

-The Boston Bruins will be trying to avoid their first losing streak of the season after losing 4-3 in a shootout to Bruce Cassidy and the Vegas Golden Knights on Monday night at TD Garden. They’re also trying to prevent their first road losing streak after losing 5-2 at Florida on Nov. 23.

“You gotta start well here, and it’s the beginning of a good road trip for us so the first ten minutes of the game are really important for us here,” Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery told the media after the game day skate on Wednesday in Denver. “They always have been and I know they’re depleted but they start fast here.’

-This is the first game of a three-game roadie that will take the Bruins to Arizona State on Friday to play the Coyotes and then conclude in Las Vegas with a rematch against Cassidy and the Golden Knights.

-Bruins winger Craig Smith will draw back into the lineup tonight and A.J. Greer will watch from above.

-Could we see the Avalanche seek some retribution for what they considered a dirty play by Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy on Lehkonen Saturday that led to his injury?

Colorado Avalanche Notes

The Avalanche are a banged up group and have been all season. In addition to Lehkonen, Manson and MacKinnon, here’s your most up-to-date MASH unit for the battered Av’s from our man in Denver, Adrian Dater of Colorado Hockey Now:

‘Bo Byram has not been skating but I have word that he has been around the gym. He is out with a lower-body injury and there is no timetable at this time.

Kurtis MacDermid has not started skating but has been working out. He is out with a lower body-injury.

Evan Rodrigues and Artturi Lehkonen both skated for the first time today. Both were wearing non contact sweaters.

Val Nichushkin skated with the team for the first time since surgery and was wearing a full contact sweater. He will not play tonight.

Darren Helm skated with the team today but was wearing a non-contact sweater.

Gabriel Landeskog skated for the second time in a week yesterday. He is roughly six weeks from returning.’

-With all those injuries the Avalanche recalled Andreas Englund, Sampo Ranta, and Cal Burke on Wednesday. Burke will be making his Avalanche debut on Wednesday night.

Betting Lines

Here’s the Barstool Sportsbook Betting lines. Don’t forget to click here for the NHN Barstool Sportsbook Promo!

Money Line: Bruins -195, Avalanche +155

Puck Line: Bruins -1.5 (+135), Avalanche +1.5 (-165)

Over/Under: 6

Boston Bruins Lineup:

Forwards

Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-Jake DeBrusk

Pavel Zacha-David Krejci-David Pastrnak

Taylor Hall-Charlie Coyle-Trent Frederic

Nick Foligno-Tomas Nosek-Craig Smith

Defense:

Hampus Lindholm-Charlie McAvoy

Matt Grzelcyk-Brandon Carlo

Derek Forbort-Connor Clifton

Goalies:

Linus Ullmark

Jeremy Swayman

Colorado Avalanche Lineup:

Forwards

Alex Newhook-Mikko Rantanen-Charles Hudon

Andrew Cogliano-J.T. Compher-Logan O’Connor

Dryden Hunt-Foudy-Kaut

Sampo Ranta-Ben Meyers-Cal Burke

Defense

Devon Toews-Cale Makar

Samuel Girard-Erik Johnson

Jacob MacDonald-Andreas Englund

Goalies

Alexander Georgiev

Pavel Francouz