Game 72: Boston Bruins Vs. Tampa Bay Lightning Lines, Preview

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

Boston Bruins (55-11-5, 115 pts) vs Tampa Bay Lightning (42-25-6, 90 pts)

TIME: 1 p.m. ET

TV: NESN, NHL Network, Bally South

Radio: 98.5 The Sports Hub

Boston Bruins Notes

-The Boston Bruins can clinch the Atlantic Division title this afternoon at TD Garden. If the Bruins beat the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday afternoon in the home matinee, then the Boston Bruins are your 2022-23 Atlantic Division champions. It would be their 27^th division championship in franchise history for the Black and Gold.

-David Pastrnak scored his career-high 49^th goal of the season in Thursday night’s win over the Montreal Canadiens and will reach the elite 50-goal level for the first time in his NHL career when he next lights the lamp.

–AJ Greer will be serving a one-game suspension after getting a five minute major and a game misconduct for cross-checking Mike Hoffman in the face. Needless to say, Hoffman wasn’t happy about what he thought was a light sentence.

Mike Hoffman is not happy with AJ Greer’s one-game suspension. 😬

via IGS/mhoffy68 https://t.co/DHrdAIwqZ1 pic.twitter.com/UM0JNaq8S8

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 24, 2023

-Linus Ullmark is expected to get the start in net after Jeremy Swayman was the winning goalie in Thursday night’s 4-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens. Ullmark is 9-1-0 with a 2.08 goals against average and a .937 save percentage since the NHL All-Star break and continues to put up strong performances prior to being Boston’s starting goalie to open the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Tampa Bay Lightning Notes

-Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point lead the Lightning with four points in the previous three matchups against the Boston Bruins this season, and Nick Paul leads the Bolts with two goals in those games.

-Tampa Bay is playing the third game of a four game road trip with the matinee in Boston on Saturday afternoon and have lost three games in a row overall. They have dropped both games on the road with a 3-2 loss Tuesday night in Montreal and a 7-2 blowout loss to the Ottawa Senators on Thursday night, and are pretty firmly entrenched in the third spot in the Atlantic Division.

-Andrei Vasilevskiy has played in all three games against the Boston Bruins this season and has just a .903 save percentage in those contests with a goals against average over 3.00.

Boston Bruins Lineup:

Forwards

Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-Jake DeBrusk

Pavel Zacha-David Krejci-David Pastrnak

Tyler Bertuzzi-Charlie Coyle-Trent Frederic

Jakub Lauko-Tomas Nosek-Garnet Hathaway

Defense:

Matt Grzelcyk-Charlie McAvoy

Hampus Lindholm-Brandon Carlo

Dmitry Orlov-Connor Clifton

Goalies:

Linus Ullmark

Jeremy Swayman

Tampa Bay Lightning Lineup:

Forwards

Brandon Hagel-Brayden Point-Nikita Kucherov

Alex Killorn-Anthony Cirelli-Steve Stamkos

Ross Colton-Nick Paul-Pat Maroon

Tanner Jeannot-Michael Essyimont-Corey Perry

Defense

Victor Hedman-Nick Perbix

Mikhail Sergachev-Erik Cernak

Ian Cole-Zack Bogosian

Goalies

Andrei Vasilevskiy

Brian Elliott