Tonight may be the fourth consecutive start for Swayman this season.
Just the facts
When: Tonight, 7:00 PM
Where: TD Garden — Boston, Mass.
How to follow: NESN, 98.5 The Sports Hub
Opposing SB Nation site: Mile High Hockey
Know your enemy
- 29-13-3, 61PTS, 2nd in Central Division
- Nathan MacKinnon: 23G-49A-72PTS; Mikko Rantanen: 24G-34A-58PTS; Cale Makar: 10G-42A-52PTS
- Alexandar Georgiev: 24-10-2, 2.92 GAA, .897 save percentage; Ivan Prosvetov: 4-3-1, 3.16 GAA, .895 save percentage
Game notes
- The Boston Bruins continue their homestand as the Colorado Avalanche come to town tonight! It’s sure to be a good one with two of the league’s best teams — and highest scoring ones — boasting some of the league’s point leaders as well.
- The two are currently tied for points at 61. The Bruins are atop the Eastern Conference again and lead four points over the Florida Panthers in the Atlantic Division. Only one point separates the Colorado Avalanche are second in their conference and also sit in the third spot in the Western Conference to the Winnipeg Jets and Vancouver Canucks with 62 points each.
- The game will close out the season series against the two team. They saw each other not long ago on Jan. 8 — a 4-3 shootout loss for the Bruins. Brad Marchand scored twice while John Beecher added a tally. Rantanen, Logan O’Connor and Sam Malinski scored for the Avalanche. Nichushkin scored the only goal in the shootout.
- The Avalanche are 4-1-1 in their last five games, including their shootout win over the Bruins.
- For the Avalanche, Rantanen comes into the game on a nine-game point streak where he’s registered four goals and 12 assists. He has eight points in his last five games and is tied to lead the NHL in points with 72 right now. David Pastrnak is third right now with 61 points.
- Pastrnak and Marchand are both on two-game, multi-point streaks.
- Both teams saw wins in their last games played. The Bruins shutout the New Jersey Devils on Monday, 3-0, on a big night from Jeremy Swayman. The Avalanche came back from losing 4-2 to score five straight goals and beat the Ottawa Senators, 7-4, on Tuesday.
- Injury updates: Derek Forbort was back at practice yesterday, but will not be available for tonight’s game. He told reporters he hit some setbacks which delayed his progression. Matt Poitras and Brandon Carlo also skated yesterday after missing the last few days and games. Jim Montgomery said Poitras will be reevaluated today and Carlo is also getting “closer” to a return, according to post practice updates yesterday.
- The Bruins sent Brandon Bussi back to Providence on Tuesday with Linus Ullmark healthy again, but may not play tonight, according to Montgomery. Making a prediction here, but I see Ullmark suiting up as back-up obviously and Jeremy Swayman getting the nod in net. It would be Swayman’s fourth consecutive start. He’s 2-0-1 in the last three games.
- See ya tonight!