Who: Boston Bruins (46-18-15, 107 points, 1st place Atlantic Division) @ Pittsburgh Penguins (37-30-12, 86 points, 4th place Metropolitan Division)
When: 8 p.m. ET
How to watch: National broadcast on ABC / Streaming on ESPN+
The path of pens to come: The Penguins play the final home game of the regular season against the Nashville Predators on Monday, then head to Long Island for what could be a final battle with the New York Islanders.
Opposing track: The Bruins have been resting since Tuesday, when they lost 4-1 at home to the Carolina Hurricanes to mark their first loss in five games.
Season series: The Pens and Bruins have gone their separate ways so far this season in Boston. The Pens won 6-5 in January, then fell flat in a 5-1 loss in March.
Getting to Know the Bruins
Potential lines (from Friday training)
BEFORE
Brad Marchand-Charlie Coyle-Jake DeBrusk
Danton Heinen – Pavel Zacha – David Pastrnak
John Beecher – Morgan Geekie – Trent Frédéric
James van Riemsdyk – Jesper Boqvist – Patrick Maroon
DEFENDERS
Hampus Lindholm / Charlie McAvoy
Matt Grzelcyk / Brandon Carlo
Kevin Shattenkirk / Andrew Peeke
Goalkeepers: Jeremy Swayman, Linus Ullmark
Possible scratches: Justin Brazeau, Parker Wotherspoon, Jakub Lauko
IR: Matthew Poitras, Milan Lucic, Derek Forbort
- Pat Maroon, who has been stuck on injured reserve since the Bruins acquired him from the Minnesota Wild at the trade deadline, will make his Bruins debut tonight, according to Jim McBride of Boston Globe. He last played on Jan. 27 and had 16 points in 49 games with the Wild before the trade.
“I guess my timing will be bad, but I hope it won’t be too bad. I’m not the fastest skater, but my hands and vision have usually gotten me to where I am now. I just have to use it, protect it and hope the game plays out. —Maroon in his return against the Pens, according to NESN
- Brad Marchand was recently named the player other players “least like to play against but want to be on your team” in the NHLPA’s annual poll for the third straight season.
Player Statistics
(via hovskeydb)
- Unfortunately for the Penguins, the Bruins still have a lot of work to do. The B’s are three points behind the New York Rangers for the best points record in the NHL; they are also just one point ahead of the Florida Panthers at the top of the Atlantic Division. They may have assured themselves of a playoff berth, but home-field advantage is on the line for the Bruins tonight.
- Also unfortunately for the Penguins, the Bruins have been one of the best teams in the NHL to get at least one point on the road this season, although they have also struggled to make decisions in overtime. They are 22-8-9 in 39 games in enemy territory so far this season.
- Please note: the Bruins have struggled lately on the power play. Boston went 0-for-3 and allowed a shorthanded goal in Tuesday’s loss.
– He’s been a role model in Boston since the All-Star Break. Since returning on February 4, the Bruins have one of the five worst power plays in the NHL with a 15.9 percent success rate through 30 games (for reference, the Pens convert at a lackluster rate (15.8 percent since the break.) This is no coincidence. David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand only scored one power play goal during the streak.
And now the pens
Projected lines
BEFORE
Drew O’Connor – Sidney Crosby – Bryan Rust
Michael Bunting-Evgeni Malkin-Rickard Rakell
Reilly Smith-Lars Eller-Valtteri Puustinen
Radim Zohorna – Jeff Carter – Emil Bemström
DEFENDERS
PO Joseph / Kris Letang
Marcus Pettersson/Erik Karlsson
Ryan Shea / Jack St. Ivany
Goalkeepers: Alex Nedeljkovic and Tristan Jarry
Potential scratches: John Ludvig, Jesse Puljujarvi, Vinnie Hinostroza
IR: Matt Nieto (knee surgery), Jansen Harkins (hand injury), Noel Acciari (lower body injury), Ryan Graves (concussion)
- Kris Letang missed practice with a “maintenance day” on Friday, according to Mike Sullivan. Michelle Crechiolo of Pens Inside Scoop notes that it’s had “a number of maintenance days lately.”
- If Alex Nedeljkovic gets the nod tonight, it will be his 11th consecutive start. Sullivan says that’s not a problem due to his lighter workload earlier in the season:
Sullivan said they weren’t concerned about Nedeljkovic’s workload. “We think he’s got a great motor. He’s in great shape. We had a few days between that last game, for example. It gave him a chance to catch his breath, so to speak.”
– Pens Inside Scoop (@PensInsideScoop) April 12, 2024
“We don’t think he’s had an exorbitant workload over the course of the season, where it builds up and builds up over time. So we feel comfortable with where he’s at.”
– Pens Inside Scoop (@PensInsideScoop) April 12, 2024
- For the second consecutive game, things will center on the winning scorer in Thursday night’s overtime. Erik Karlsson is expected to play the 1,000th game of his NHL career tonight. Some statistics on this important milestone from Pens PR:
– Karlsson has 813 points in 999 games, which would place him ninth among all defensemen to reach this milestone in NHL history.
– If he scores two points in tonight’s game, he will tie Hall of Famer Doug Wilson for eighth place on the list.
– He is the 46th active player, 14th active defender and eighth Swedish-born defender to appear in 1,000 games.
- Checking in for the playoff race: It was an off night for the Metro yesterday, so the Penguins enter the weekend with a hold on the No. 2 wild card thanks to an 11-game streak with at least one point. There will be a lot of scoreboard watching to do this evening, however. Keep an eye on Islanders @ Rangers (12:30 p.m.), Devils @ Flyers (5 p.m.), Lightning @ Capitals (5:30 p.m.) and Red Wings @ Maple Leafs (7 p.m.).
