Bruins vs Stars Preview: Can Bruins Honor Marchand With A Win?

Can the Boston Bruins close out a dismal seven-game homestand and honor Brad Marchand with more than a pre-game ceremony?

After going 1-3-2 over their last six games, the Bruins host the Dallas Stars today in a 1 p.m. matinee. A still positive Bruins dressing room is confident in their process and game in the last three games. Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand will be honored for playing 1,000 NHL games in a pre-game ceremony. Marchand is thrilled about that but is more focused on leading his team out of this recent skid. He’s doing that with a positive attitude.

“We’re still in a great spot,” Marchand told reporters after practice on Sunday. “Obviously, the homestand hasn’t gone the way we would have liked it to, but it’s not the end of the world. You can’t change what’s happened…we’re competing hard every game.

We give ourselves an opportunity to win and know we can clean up in a couple of areas. Right now, everybody’s playing great hockey, and there’s so much parity in the league you never get an easy night, so you’re not going to roll through every team. We know that everyone is competing hard. It’s a game of inches.”

After being the top team in the Atlantic Division, the Boston Bruins now sit in second place and trail the Florida Panthers by a point.  Can they leapfrog them with a win over the Central Division-leading Dallas Stars and old friend Tyler Seguin?

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

Boston Bruins (32-12-11, 75 pts) vs Dallas Stars (34-14-7, 75 pts)

Time: 1:08 p.m. ET

How to watch: NESN, BSSW, SNW, SNE, SN1, SN360

Radio: 98.5 The Sports Hub

Betting Lines:

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

Puck Line: Bruins -1.5 (+185), Stars +1.5 (-225)

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

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Bost0n Bruins Notes

–David Pastrnak leads the Bruins in goals (34), assists (45), and points with 79 in 55 games.

-Goalie Jeremy Swayman will get the start between the pipes for the Bruins. Swayman is 16-6-7 with a 2.38 GAA and a .921 save percentage. Since returning from the NHL All-Star weekend in Toronto two weeks ago, Swayman has yet to win. He will oppose a former Hockey East rival in Stars goalie Jake Oettinger. The Vezina Trophy candidate starred at Boston University, while Swayman starred at the University of Maine.

-Winger Jakub Lauko (upper-body) is questionable. Rookie center Matthew Poitras (shoulder) is out for the season, and veteran winger Milan Lucic is on indefinite leave.

-With Lauko potentially out and no Steen, the recently signed Justin Brazeau is expected to get the call-up from the Providence Bruins. Brazeau was an undrafted free agent signed by the P-Bruins prior to the 2021-22 season and has worked his way up from not just the AHL in Providence but also the ECHL with the Maine Mariners. The 6-foot-5, 245-pound winger has 18 goals and 19 assists in 49 games for the Providence Bruins.

Boston Bruins Lineup

Forwards

Brad Marchand – Charlie Coyle – Danton Heinen

Jake DeBrusk – Pavel Zacha – David Pastrnak

James van Riemsdyk – Morgan Geekie – Trent Frederic

Anthony Richard – Jesper Boqvist – Oskar Steen (was waived after practice)

Defensemen

Matt Grzelcyk – Charlie McAvoy

Hampus Lindholm – Brandon Carlo

Derek Forbort – Parker Wotherspoon/Kevin Shattenkirk

Goalies

Jeremy Swayman

Linus Ullmark

Dallas Stars Lineup

Forwards

Jason Robertson-Roope Hintz-Joe Pavelski

Mason Marchment-Matt Duchene-Tyler Seguin

Jamie Benn-Wyatt Johnston-Ty Dellendrea

Radek Faksa-Sam Steele-Craig Smith

Defensemen

Thomas Harley-Miro Heiskanen

Esa Lindell-Jani Hakanpaa

Ryan Suter-Joel Hanley

Goalies

Jake Oettinger

Scott Wedgewood