Bruins at Red Wings Preview: Lines, Notes & How To Watch

The Boston Bruins (9-9-3) continue to move forward under interim head coach Joe Sacco as they pay a visit tonight to the Detroit Red Wings (8-9-2). Here’s what you need to know before puck drop.

Bruins Beneficiaries Under Sacco:

After firing Jim Montgomery as their head coach earlier this week and turning the team over to Joe Sacco in the interim, the Boston Bruins are hoping the change comes as a wake-up call to its players.

The Bruins have vastly underperformed this season, with virtually every player failing to meet expectations, leaving the team struggling to gain any sort of traction.

Montgomery did about as much as he could in an attempt to break the Bruins out of their early season rut.

He tried his usual approach of positivity and encouragement. He tried using a firm hand, publicly disciplining some of the team’s top stars. Neither worked nor did any amount of line juggling.

Now, it’s Sacco’s turn to see if he can find a solution. If he does, there are three Bruins players who stand to benefit most.

Zadorov Beginning To Understand Role:

To say the least, Nikita Zadorov has underwhelmed so far this season after signing a massive contract in Boston this summer.

It seems he’s spent more time in the box this season than on the ice, as he leads the league with 46 penalty minutes. Even when he has been on the ice, Zadorov has looked completely lost, with his constant turnovers and other defensive mishaps leading to costly goals against the Bruins.

But perhaps Zadorov hasn’t so much played poorly, but has merely misunderstood his role.

At the quarter-mark of the season, he’s finally starting to figure it out. Better late than never.

Projected Lineup:

Geekie – Zacha – Pastrnak

Marchand – E. Lindholm – Brazeau

Frederic – Coyle – Johnson

Beecher – Kastelic – Koepke

Lohrei – McAvoy

Wotherspoon – Carlo

Zadorov – Peeke

Swayman

Korpisalo

Last Time Out:

The Bruins captured their first win of the Joe Sacco era on Thursday with a 1-0 victory over the Utah Hockey Club at TD Garden.

Elias Lindholm had the lone goal, scoring on the power play to put an end to his miserable 18-game scoring drought, while Joonas Korpisalo stopped all 21 shots that came his way for his second shutout of the season.

But even though he didn’t write his name into the stat sheet, Mark Kastelic was the true catalyst for the Bruins.

The Opponent:

A year that began with desperation has turned dismal in Detroit.

Hoping to make it back into the playoffs for the first time in nine years, the Red Wings are on the outside looking in on the Eastern Conference postseason picture, sitting on 18 points with a record of 4-5-1 in their last 10 games. Detroit is coming off a 2-1 win over the New York Islanders on Thursday.

To say the least, the situation is simmering, especially for Derek Lalonde, who is on the hot seat and could be the second NHL head coach to lose his job this season if the Red Wings don’t find any traction.

Like the Bruins, the biggest issue the Red Wings are facing this season is a lack of offense. Detroit is averaging only 2.53 goals per game, which is surprising considering it has the league’s fifth-best power play, scoring on 30.2% of its chances this season. Lucas Raymond leads the team in scoring with three goals and 15 assists for 18 points.

Cam Talbot is expected to be tonight’s starter for the Red Wings. With a record of 5-3-2, the 39-year-old has a 2.67 goals-against average and a .920 save percentage through 10 starts during his first year in Detroit.

For More Red Wings Coverage, Check Out Detroit Hockey Now

How To Watch:

Puck drop between the Bruins and Red Wings from Little Caesars Arena is slated for 7 p.m. EST. The game can be seen on NESN and streamed on NESN 360 or ESPN Plus for out-of-market viewers. 98.5 The Sports Hub will carry the radio broadcast of the game.

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