Bruins @ Canadiens Preview: Ullmark Starts; Peeke, Beecher In

The Boston Bruins and the Montreal Canadiens renew their rivalry tonight at the Bell Centre in Montreal.

This will be the final time the Bruins and the Montreal Canadiens do battle this season. The Canadiens took the first game of the four-game series this season in a 3-2 overtime win at the Bell Centre on Nov. 11. Since then, though, the Bruins have dominated their longtime rivals, winning 5-2 on Nov. 18 and then 9-4 on Jan. 20.

The Bruins enter this game 31 points ahead of the Canadiens in the NHL standings, but as Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery pointed out after his team’s game-day skate on Thursday morning, the standings go out the door for a Bruins-Canadiens game and especially for a Montreal native, like Montgomery:

“You know walking in the rink today I was thinking about it and the old Montreal Forum and here, and I get really excited just because it’s where I grew up, it’s the team I grew up watching, idolizing player after player,” Montgomery said. “So, for me it’s special because I come back here and I remember driving in the car, especially with my Dad, coming to a game, having a hot dog, and watching Guy Lafleur score a goal. That will never leave me.”

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

Boston Bruins (38-14-15, 91 pts) @ Montreal Canadiens (25-30-10, 60 pts)

Time: 7:08 p.m. ET

How to watch: NESN, RDS, TSN2

Radio: 98.5 The Sports Hub

Betting Lines:

Money Line: Bruins (-225) Blues (+185)

Puck Line: Bruins -1.5 (+110), Canadiens +1.5 (-130)

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

Picks:

Draw (+340)

David Pastrnak Anytime Goal scorer (-115)

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Bost0n Bruins Notes

–David Pastrnak leads the Bruins in goals (38), assists (52), and points with 90 in 63 games.

-Linus Ullmark will start for the Bruins. Ullmark is 17-7-7 with a 2.72 GAA and a .913 save percentage.

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

Boston Bruins Lineup

Forwards

Brad Marchand – Charlie Coyle – Jake DeBrusk

Danton Heinen – Pavel Zacha – David Pastrnak

Trent Frederic – Morgan Geekie – Justin Brazeau

John Beecher – Jesper Boqvist – Jakub Lauko

Defensemen

Mason Lohrei – Charlie McAvoy

Hampus Lindholm – Brandon Carlo

Parker Wotherspoon – Andrew Peeke

Goalies

Linus Ullmark

Jeremy Swayman