Boston Bruins
Bruins vs. Oilers Preview: Lines, Notes, How To Watch
The Boston Bruins (20-17-5) have struggled lately, losing each of their last four games, and things aren’t getting easier for them as they’ll host the Edmonton Oilers (24-12-3) tonight at TD Garden. Here’s what you need to know before puck drop.
Hampus Lindholm Makes Step Toward Return:
After missing nearly two months of action while on injured reserve, Hampus Lindholm took a significant first step toward his eventual return to the Bruins lineup. Lindholm was back on the ice at TD Garden on Tuesday, skating ahead of the team’s morning skate for the first time since suffering a lower-body injury on Nov. 12.
Hampus Lindholm Takes Major Step Toward Eventual Bruins Return
Projected Bruins Lines:
Geekie – Zacha – Pastrnak
Marchand – E. Lindholm – Coyle
Wahlstrom – Frederic – Brazeau
Beecher – Kastelic – Koepke
Wotherspoon – McAvoy
Zadorov – Carlo
Lohrei – Peeke
Swayman
Korpisalo
Last Time Out:
The Bruins have shown plenty of resiliency lately, just not enough. Boston managed to battle back from a two-goal deficit in the third period, only to lose in overtime on Sunday against the New York Islanders.
The Opponent:
Few teams are playing better than the Edmonton Oilers are at the moment.
After beating the Seattle Kraken on Saturday night, they arrive in Boston having won each of their last three games and seven of their last 10, holding down third place in the Pacific Division.
Of course, you can’t talk about the Oilers without mentioning their two superstars, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Draisatil leads the entire league with 29 goals, while McDavid is sixth in points, even after missing a small portion of the schedule due to injury. Between the two of them, Draisatil and McDavid have scored 113 points, which is 32 percent of the total points that the Oilers have scored as a team.
“These games are just fun,” Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy said of facing the Oilers. “You get to size yourself up against two of the world’s best players and some other guys that are awesome hockey players, too, so I’m excited about the challenge.”
The Bruins lost to the Oilers in overtime when the two teams met earlier this season. Stuart Skinner started that game in net for the Oilers and is expected to start again tonight, owning a 15-8-3 record with a 2.78 goals against average and a .898 save percentage.
Edmonton ranks 11th in the league on the power play (23.5%) and 24th on the penalty kill (76.9%).
How To Watch:
Puck drop between the Bruins and Oilers is slated for 7 p.m. EST at TD Garden. 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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