Boston Bruins

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

Published

1 month ago

December 3, 2024

The Boston Bruins (12-11-3) begin a back-to-back set tonight when they play host to the Detroit Red Wings (10-11-3) tonight at TD Garden. Here’s everything you need to know before puck drop.

Bruins Defense Holding Steady:

For a team that prides itself so much on being a solid defensive unit, the Bruins were anything but to begin this season.

However, since interim head coach Joe Sacco took over behind the bench on Nov. 21, the defense has stabilized, and the Bruins suddenly look like the team they were expected to be at the outset of the season. In the six games under Sacco, the Bruins are 4-2-0 and are yet to allow more than three goals in a single game.

To make the sudden turnaround all the more miraculous, the Bruins have been playing without defenseman Hampus Lindholm for the entirety of this run.

4 Nations Face-Off Hopefuls:

The NHL will officially unveil the full rosters for its upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off tomorrow.

We already know that Brad Marchand will suit up for Team Canada and Charlie McAvoy will represent the Stars and Stripes, but there are a handful of other Bruins players hoping to hear their names called, including Jeremy Swayman and Joonas Korpisalo.

Projected Lineup:

Geekie – Zacha – Pastrnak

Marchand – E. Lindholm – Brazeau

Frederic – Coyle – Kastelic

Koepke – Beecher – McLaughlin

Oesterle – McAvoy

Zadorov – Carlo

Lohrei – Peeke

Korpisalo

Swayman

Last Time Out:

One hundred years of Boston Bruins hockey culminated Sunday at TD Garden, where the centennial celebration was capped off with a win over the rival Canadiens.

The Bruins received two goals from both Charlie McAvoy and Charlie Coyle, as well as one from David Pastrnak and another from Cole Koepke on an empty net in a 6-3 final.

The win, however, was almost secondary to an unforgettable pregame ceremony that featured almost every living player to ever serve as captain of the Bruins, including Patrice Bergeron and Ray Borque, as well as other legendary members of the franchise such as Bobby Orr, Willie O’Ree and Johnny Bucyk.

The Opponent:

It was over a week ago that the Bruins picked up a 2-1 win in Detroit, and things haven’t improved much for the Red Wings since.

Detroit sits near the bottom of the Eastern Conference as it is 4-4-2 in its last 10 games, including a 5-4 overtime loss last time out against the Vancouver Canucks this past Saturday.

To make matters worse, the Red Wings enter action tonight significantly undermanned. The team placed Patrick Kane on injured reserve with an upper-body injury retroactive to Nov. 23. They’ll also be without defenseman Jeff Petry, and both of their top two goaltenders, as Cam Talbot and Alex Lyon are battling injuries.

That leaves Ville Husso to start tonight against the Bruins. In three appearances, Husso is 0-2-1 with a 4.90 goals-against average and a .818 save percentage.

But even with a severely banged-up roster, the Red Wings still sport plenty of firepower. Lucas Raymond leads Detroit with 25 points, while Dylan Larkin paces the team with 12 goals.

The Red Wings own the NHL’s fourth-ranked power play, having scored on 27.8% of their chances.

For More Red Wings Coverage, Check Out Detroit Hockey Now

How To Watch:

Puck drop between the Bruins and Red Wings from TD Garden is slated for 7 p.m. EST and can be seen exclusively on ESPN Plus and Hulu. 98.5 The Sports Hub will carry the radio broadcast of the game.