Bruins @ Islanders Preview: Depleted Bruins Face Hot Islanders

Once again, without their top defenseman and a top-six center, the Boston Bruins will try to cool down a hot New York Islanders squad that has won four straight games.

Thanks to a stellar 35-save performance by Jeremy Swayman, the Boston Bruins were able to salvage a point in a 2-1 overtime loss to the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday night. The Bruins will need another performance like that from whomever their starter is on Friday night at UBS Arena. The New York Islanders come into this game riding a four-game win streak after a lackluster start to their season. This is a much more confident and in-sync Islanders team than the one that lost to the Bruins 5-2 in Boston on Nov. 9. The Bruins will need to find that extra dose of energy that they couldn’t seem to muster in the third period of the loss to the Devils on Wednesday, or they won’t come away with the two points tonight either.

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

Boston Bruins (18-5-4, 40 pts) @ New York Islanders (14-7-7, 35 pts)

Time: 7:38 p.m. ET

How to watch: NESN, MSGSN, SN, TVAS

Radio: 98.5 The Sports Hub

Betting Lines:

Money Line: Bruins (-130), Islanders (+110)

Puck Line: Bruins -1.5 (+195), Islanders +1.5 (-238)

Over/Under: Over 5.5 (-120) Under 5.5 (+100)

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Bost0n Bruins Notes

–David Pastrnak leads the Bruins in goals (16), assists (23), and points with 39 in 27 games.

-Jim Montgomery was yet to name a starting goalie at the time this preview was published, but we will update here once Montgomery confirms later today.

-Derek Forbort (lower-body, LTIR), Charlie McAvoy (upper-body, IR), Pavel Zacha (upper-body, IR), and Milan Lucic (NHL/NHLPA Players Assistance Program) are all out.

Boston Bruins Lineup

Forwards

Danton Heinen-Morgan Geekie-David Pastrnak

Brad Marchand-Charlie Coyle-Jake DeBrusk

James van Riemsdyk-Trent Frederic-Jesper Boqvist

Jakub Lauko-John Beecher-Oskar Steen

Defensemen

Hampus Lindholm-Ian Mitchell

Matt Grzelcyk-Brandon Carlo

Mason Lohrei-Kevin Shattenkirk

Goalies

Linus Ullmark

Jeremy Swayman

New York Islanders Lineup

Forwards

Anders Lee-Bo Horvat-Mathew Barzal

Pierre Engvall-Brock Nelson-Kyle Palmieri

Simon Holmstrom-Jean-Gabriel Pageau-Julien Gauthier

Hudson Fasching-Casey Cizikas-Cal Clutterbuck

Defense

Alexander Romanov-Noah Dobson

Mike Reilly-Sebastian Aho

Samuel Bolduc-Robert Bortuzzo

Goalies

Ilya Sorokin

Semyon Varlamov

Officials

Referees: Jean Hebert, Beau Halkidis

Linesmen: Andrew Smith, Tyson Baker