Friday, March 29, 2024

NHL Preview: Boston Bruins (40-8-5) at Nashville Predators (25-20-6)

BOSTON BRUINS NOTES:

TONIGHT’S GAME

  • The Bruins visit the Predators tonight in the 1st of 2 games between these teams this season and the Bruins’ lone visit to Bridgestone Arena.
  • The Bruins are 40-8-5 overall this season (tying the fewest games to 40 wins in NHL history) and they are 18-6-2 on the road … The Bruins are 17-2-2 vs. Western Conference opponents.
  • The Bruins are closing tonight a 2-game road trip in Nashville on 2/16 (3-2 OT win in Dallas on 2/14) … They are playing game 8 (3-3-1) in a span of 7-road-games in 8 games, with road games from 1/24-2/1, a 2-1 home loss to Washington on 2/11 and this 2-game trip.

RECENT GAMES:

  • The Bruins had their 6-game win streak (1/14-24) stopped on 1/24, and they are now 3-3-1 in their last 7 games, including a 3-2 OT win in Dallas on 2/14.
  • They are now 11-2-2 in their last 15 road games, including a 9-0-1 road point streak from 12/11-1/24.
  • The Bruins are 3-2-0 in their last 5 home games … That followed a 22-game home unbeaten at 19-0-3 and a 14- game home win streak, the longest from the start of a season in league history and longest point streak from a season’s start in Boston annals … It was also their fourth longest home point streak overall in team history.
  • Boston 5 at Toronto 2 … Defensemen Derek Forbort and Brandon Carlo staked Boston to a lead and AJ Greer and 2 by Pavel Zacha finished the win … Charlie Coyle added 2 assists … Linus Ullmark made it to the All-Star break atop all goaltending categories at 26 wins, 1.90 GAA and .937 Sv% … SOG: Bos 29, Tor 35 … PP: 0/1 … PK: 1/2
  • Boston 1 vs Washington 2 … The Bruins dropped their return from their bye week with their lone goal from Nick Foligno … Jeremy Swayman took the loss in net … SOG: Bos 28, Wsh 23 … PP: 0/4 … PK: 1/4
  • Boston 3/OT at Dallas 2 … Taylor Hall scored the game’s 1st goal before the Stars scored to go up 2-1 … Pavel Zacha (1-1=2 totals) evened the score and David Pastrnak (1-1=2) then scored the GWG at 3:44 of OT … Linus Ullmark took the win in goal … SOG: Bos 37, Dal 31 … PP: 0/3 … PK: 0/4

INJURIES (Total man-games lost in 2022-23: 67)

  • Jake DeBrusk: Hand and lower body injuries, IR
  • Tomas Nosek: Non-displaced fracture in left foot
  • Vinni Lettieri: Lower body injury suffered in practice

BOSTON vs NASHVILLE, LIFETIME SERIES

  • The Bruins and Predators are meeting for the 34th time in their histories with the Bruins having an 18-9-1-5 record and a 95-78 scoring edge in those games.
  • The Bruins are 7-6-0-4 lifetime in Nashville with the Predators having a 42-41 edge in those 17 road contests.

FUN FACTS

  • The Bruins currently have 24 players on their roster (2 on IR) … 10 were drafted by the team, 4 were acquired in trade and 10 were signed as free agents.
  • The Bruins play 16 matinees this season (local start time 4:00 pm or earlier) … They have a 5-1-1 record in afternoon games so far.
  • The Bruins play 14 sets of back-to-back games this season … They are currently 6-0-2 in the 1st game of those sets and are 6-2-0 in the 2nd games so far.
  • The Bruins are playing game 4 of their 10-game February schedule tonight (3 hm/7 rd, 2-1-0) … They will play 15 in March (9 hm/6 rd) and 7 in April (3 hm/4 rd) … They went 8-1-0 in October, 11- 2-0 in November, 9-1-4 in December and 10-3-1 in January.

RECENT TRANSACTIONS
Feb. 2: Jakub Lauko returned to Providence/AHL.
Feb. 9: Jakub Lauko recalled from Providence/AHL.

NASHVILLE PREDATORS NOTES:

ALL-TIME vs. BOSTON
OVERALL (33 GP) 14-15-(1)-3
HOME (17 GP) 10-7-(0)-0
ROAD (16 GP) 4-8-(1)-3
LAST MEETING Jan. 15, 2022 at BOS (OTL, 4-3)
PLAYOFFS Never Met

− The Predators are 14-15-(1)-3 all-time against the Bruins, including a 10-7-(0)-0 record at Bridgestone Arena.

− This is the first of two matchups between Nashville and Boston in 2022-23; it is the first and only home.

− Nashville went 0-1-1 against Boston last season, earning a point in the most previous contest, a 4-3 overtime loss on Jan. 15, 2022 that saw Juuse Saros made 40 saves.

− The Predators are 1-3-1 in their last five games against the Bruins; they are 4-5-1 in their last 10; and 3-2-0 in their last five at home.

− Boston is the only team that Nashville has never had a transaction with since the 1998 NHL Expansion Draft, in which the Predators selected center Mike Sullivan.

NOTABLES vs. BOSTON
− Ryan Johansen has 13 points (4g-9a) in 18 career games vs. the Bruins. Johansen recorded three assists at Boston on Dec. 21, 2020.

− Roman Josi has six goals and 11 points in 18 career games against Boston.

− Dante Fabbro played three seasons of collegiate hockey for Boston University from 2016-19, appearing in 111 games while posting 80 points (22g-58a), the most among team defensemen in that span.

− Jeremy Lauzon was drafted by Boston in the second round (52nd overall) of the 2015 NHL Draft. He played in 76 games for
the Bruins from 2018-21.

− Predators Head Coach John Hynes and Assistant General Manager/Director of Scouting Jeff Kealty both played college hockey at Boston University. Hynes and Kealty helped lead the Terriers to four consecutive Frozen Four appearances and the 1995 NCAA title. Hynes made his debut as Predators head coach on Jan. 7, 2020 against Boston at Bridgestone Arena, the same day his hiring was announced.

− Predators Defense Development Coach Rob Scuderi won an NCAA title at Boston College in 2001; Forward Development Coach Nathan Gerbe was named NCAA Tournament MVP en route on Boston College’s title-winning team in 2008.

− Predators prospects Gunnarwolfe Fontaine (Northeastern), Cole O’Hara (UMass Amherst) and Ryan Ufko (UMass Amherst) all play college hockey in Massachusetts.

− Predators President of Hockey Operations/General Manager David Poile graduated from Northeastern University; Assistant General Manager/Director of Hockey Operations Brian Poile is a Boston College alumnus.

− Bruins forward Craig Smith played 661 games for Nashville from 2011-20, tallying 162 goals and 330 points.

LAST TIME OUT
− Arizona Coyotes 4, Nashville Predators 2 – Feb. 13 (Bridgestone Arena)

− NSH goals: Josi – PP (13), Sissons (8)

− ARI goals: Schmaltz (14), Crouse – PP (18), Crouse – GWG (19), Fischer – ENG (9)

− Goaltenders: NSH – Lankinen (L, 15/18); ARI – Vejmelka (W, 29/31)

− Power plays: NSH 1-5; ARI 1-1

− Notes: Nashville moved to 14-9-3 at home in 2022-23… The Predators are now 1-1-0 against the Coyotes this season…Nashville outshot Arizona 31-19, including by a 10-2 margin in the second period… The Predators’ two shots allowed in the second were the fewest they’ve given up in a single period this season and the fewest since also allowing two in the third on Dec. 4, 2021 vs. Montreal… Roman Josi scored his seventh power-play goal of the season, tied for the most among NHL defensemen… He also skated a game-high 28:03.

NASHVILLE PREDATORS GAME NOTES
Feb. 16, 2023 vs. Boston Bruins

INJURY REPORT
Player Designation Dates Missed Games Missed
Mark Borowiecki Upper body – IR Oct. 27-Feb. 13 44
Alexandre Carrier Upper body Jan. 26-Feb. 13 4
Filip Forsberg Upper body – day-to-day Feb. 13 1
Total man-games lost: 103
Individual man-games lost: Borowiecki – 45; McCarron – 20; Carrier – 9; McDonagh – 7; Smith – 6; Trenin – 5; Glass – 3; Lauzon – 3; Jankowski – 2; Duchene – 1; Forsberg – 1; Lankinen – 1

RECENT TRANSACTIONS
− Feb. 13: Recalled forward Philip Tomasino from Milwaukee (AHL).
− Feb. 8: Signed forward Tommy Novak to a one-year, $800,000 contract for 2023-24.
− Feb. 6: Signed forward Cole Smith to a one-year, $775,000 contract for 2023-24.
− Feb. 5: Recalled forward Tommy Novak and defenseman Kevin Gravel from Milwaukee (AHL).

QUICK HITS
− Nashville owns a .636 point percentage (13-7-2) since Dec. 19, the third-best mark in the Western Conference in that time span.

− The Predators have scored the first goal of the game on 31 occasions this season, the sixth-most times in the NHL.

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