Bruins vs Lightning Preview: Gut Check Game For Bruins

Make no mistake, it’s gut check time for the Boston Bruins when they host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday night.

In two of their last two games, the Boston Bruins have been absolute no-shows and admittedly not given the 60-minute effort they, their coaching staff, team management, and paying fans expect and deserve. That’s why they were booed off the ice after a 4-1 loss to the Calgary Flames at TD Garden a week ago and again following a 3-0 loss to the Washington Capitals on Saturday afternoon.

“I love our fans. That’s what I think. They’re hockey-knowledgeable. They’re not wrong,” Boston Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery said of the fans showering his players with boos. “I don’t have answers. If I did, I would’ve given them to them, but it’s not acceptable, and we’re not going to accept it. We will change, or things will change. We’re going to have to look at everything, but it just comes down to if there’s a puck between you and me, I want to break your leg to get it. And we don’t have that right now in two of the last three games. That’s what it boils down to, and it’s not acceptable, and we were just bad.”

Will they be sent off with boos again on Tuesday or will the boos reign down after another listless effort by the Bruins?

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

Boston Bruins (32-11-9, 73 pts) vs Tampa Bay Lightning (28-20-5, 61 pts)

Time: 7:08 p.m. ET

How to watch: NESN, BSSUN, SNE, SNO

Radio: 98.5 The Sports Hub

Betting Lines:

Money Line: Bruins (-162), Lightning (+136)

Puck Line: Bruins -1.5 (+145), Flames +1.5 (-175)

Over/Under: Over 6 (-118) Under 6 (-102)

*The Under has hit seven of the last ten times when the Bruins and Lightning play

*The Bruins are 7-2-1 against the Lightning over that span.

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Bost0n Bruins Notes

–David Pastrnak leads the Bruins in goals (33), assists (42), and points with 75 in 52 games.

-Goalie Linus Ullmark will get the start between the pipes for the Bruins. Ullmark is 16-6-2 with a 2.67 GAA and a .916 save percentage.

–Brad Marchand is playing in his 1,000th NHL game.

-Rookie center Matthew Poitras (shoulder) is out for the season, and veteran winger Milan Lucic is on indefinite leave

Boston Bruins Lineup

Forwards

Brad Marchand-Charlie Coyle-David Pastrnak

Trent Frederic-Pavel Zacha-Jake DeBrusk

James van Riemsdyk-Morgan Geekie-Anthony Richard

Danton Heinen-Jesper Boqvist-Oskar Steen

Defensemen

Matt Grzelcyk-Charlie McAvoy

Hampus Lindholm-Brandon Carlo

Derek Forbort-Kevin Shattenkirk

Goalies

Linus Ullmark

Jeremy Swayman

Tampa Bay Lightning

Forwards

Steven Stamkos-Brayden Point-Nikita Kucherov

Brandon Hagel-Anthony Cirelli-Nick Paul

Michael Eyssimont-Tyler Motte-Conor Sheary

Tanner Jeannot-Luke Glendenning-Mitchell Chaffee

*Jeannot is a game-time decision

Defensemen

Victor Hedman-Darren RaddyshNicklaus Perbix

Haydn Fleury-Erik Cernak

Emil Martinsen-Lilleberg-Nick Perbix

Goalies

Andrei Vasilevskiy

Jonas Johansson

Referees: Tom Chmielewski, Kelly Sutherland

Linesmen: Devin Berg, Dan Kelly