Game 1: Boston Bruins @ Washington Capitals Lines, Preview

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

Boston Bruins @ Washington Capitals

TIME: 7 P.M. ET, Capital One Arena, Washington, D.C.,

TV: TNT

Radio: 98.5 The Sports Hub

The Boston Bruins are back!

The team’s 98th season in the NHL kicks off in Washington D.C. on Wednesday night against Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals.

Can the Boston Bruins win their seventh Stanley Cup in what could be the last NHL seasons for captain Patrice Bergeron and fellow center David Krejci?

Can Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark form a Jennings Trophy-worthy tandem in their second-season as a goalie duo?

Finally, and the biggest question of all, can the Boston Bruins survive without defenseman Charlie McAvoy and winger Brad Marchand likely until December?

Those questions and more are about to be answered.

Boston Bruins Notes

-Ullmark was first off the ice after the game-day skate Tuesday morning, which usually indicates he will start, but new Boston Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery would not name a starter.

-Bergeron will be starting his 19th (and potentially last?), season in the NHL.

“You get the butterflies and excited to get going again. I think it’s good to have every time you’re about to start a new season,” Bergeron said to reporters after the game-day skate.

-Montgomery wants the Bruins to worry about what they have and not what they don’t have.

“I want this group to show what we do have not what we don’t have to start the season,” Montgomery told the media on Wednesday morning.

-Rookie forward Jakub Lauko will make his NHL debut on Wednesday night.

“I just feel the excitement. Just feeling like it’s a privilege to be here,” Lauko told the media after the game day skate.

-After signing a one-year, $1 million contract with the Boston Bruins on Tuesday, defenseman Anton Stralman will watch from above as he awaits his work visa.

-A sad note from the season-opening trip for the Bruins as they learned that their team chef, Keith Garban passed away on Tuesday night. Our condolences to his family and his Bruins family. RIP.

Washington Capitals Notes

-2022 Stanley Cup-winning goalie Darcy Kuemper will make his first start for the Washington Capitals after signing a five-year, $26.5 ($5.25M AAV), contract this past offseason.

-The Capitals will get two key players back Wednesday with T.J. Oshie and Dmitry Orlov officially been cleared to play.

Boston Bruins Lineup:

Forwards

Taylor Hall-Patrice Bergeron-Jake DeBrusk

Pavel Zacha-David Krejci-David Pastrnak

A.J. Greer-Charlie Coyle-Craig Smith

Nick Foligno-Tomas Nosek-Jakub Lauko

Defense:

Hampus Lindholm-Brandon Carlo

Mike Reilly-Connor Clifton

Derek Forbort-Jakub Zboril

Goalies:

Linus Ullmark 

Jeremy Swayman

Washington Capitals Lineup:

Forwards:

Alex Ovechkin-Evgeny Kuznetsov-Connor Brown

Aliaksei Protas-Dylan Strome-Anthony Mantha

Marcus Johansson-Lars Eller-T.J. Oshie

Conor Sheary-Nic Dowd-Garnet Hathaway

Defensemen:

Martin Fehervary-John Carlson

Dmitry Orlov-Nick Jensen

Erik Gustafsson-Trevor van Riemsdyk

Goalies

Darcy Kuemper

Charlie Lindgren