It’s the first of six home games in a 13-day span!

Just the facts

When: Tonight, 7:00 PM

Where: TD Garden – Boston, MA

How to follow: NESN, 98.5 The Sports Hub

Rival SBN site: Five For Howling

Know your enemy

• 0-1-0 – The Coyotes fell 6-2 to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday. While the Coyotes had a rough first game, the Bruins’ old friend Ritchie picked up Arizona’s only goals in the game – and both on the power play.
• Nick Ritchie: 1GP, 2G, 0A, 2PTS; Shayne Gostisbehere: 1GP, 0G, 2A, 2PTS; J.J. Moser: 1GP, 0G, 2A, 2PTS
• Karel Vejmelka: 0-1-0, 6.03 GAA, .887 save percentage

Game notes

• The Boston Bruins’ home opener is tonight against the Arizona Coyotes!
• It might be a little anti-climatic opening against a Western Conference team you’ll only see one more time, but the regular season is here!
• The Bruins got off to a strong start on Wednesday, beating the Capitals, 5-2, in the nation’s capital. The Bruins were up 3-0 early in the second period on goals from Patrice Bergeron ( power-play goal), David Pastrnak and Taylor Hall. But the Caps closed the gap with two goals in a five-minute span before the period concluded. David Krejci gave the B’s some breathing room in the third’s final minutes before Hampus Lindholm added an empty-net goal.
• The Pavel Zacha-Krejci-Pastrnak line is already shaping up to be an opposing team’s worst nightmare. The three totaled eight points in the first game. Pastrnak racked up four points (1G, 3A) while Krejci added three points (1G, 2A).
• The B’s top six forwards showed up in full force and put on a show. From the beginning they were flying and dominating offensive-zone possession. They combined for 18 of the Bruins’ 30 shots on goal.
• Derek Forbort also left off where he ended last season as he came up big sacrificing his body out front. He made six blocks during the season opener. Forbort led the team with 23:36 TOI, as the team makes adjustments on the backend with Charlie McAvoy out of the mix.
• The Bruins took both meetings last season against the Coyotes, defeating them 2-1 on January 28 on the road and 3-2 on March 12 at the TD Garden. Pastrnak, Charlie Coyle and Trent Frederic each had two points total against Arizona in the 2021-22 season.
• Injury update: Jake DeBrusk will be unavailable tonight. He’s out with an upper-body injury.
• With DeBrusk out, Frederic slots into the lineup. Trent Frederic will take the left wing on the third line and A.J. Greer will move over to the right. Craig Smith will move up to play with Bergeron and Taylor Hall.
• Jeremy Swayman gets the start in net.

See ya tonight!