The Bruins have struggled at the face-off dot in recent games but have still managed to find wins. They face their biggest test at the dot on Thursday against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Boston Bruins host the Pittsburgh Penguins at TD Garden on Thursday. The Bruins are looking to win their fifth straight game, and fourth straight against Pittsburgh.
There were two notable players who returned to the ice Thursday for Boston’s optional morning skate: Derek Forbort (lower body, week-to-week) skated for the first time since he was placed on long-term injured reserve on Dec. 7, and Matt Poitras returned to the team following Canada’s exit from the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship. Neither will play against the Penguins.
Johnny Beecher returns to the lineup in place of Jakub Lauko. Beecher will go to the fourth line left wing with Georgii Merkulov at center and Oskar Steen on the right wing.
The defense will remain the same even after Mason Lohrei took a puck to the mouth against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday, which required dental work on Wednesday.
While the Bruins have been winning as of late, they’ve struggled at the face-off dot. Boston won 42 of 131 face-offs (31.6%) over the past three games. The Penguins, meanwhile, boast the best team face-off percentage in the NHL (55.3%), which could play a big factor in Thursday’s game.
“It’s something we continue to work on,” Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said. “It’s a little surprising it’s been that much, and it’s a great test for us tonight because Pittsburgh, I think, is number one in the league.”
Part of that trend ties to Georgii Merkulov, who has won just six of 27 (22.2%) face-offs he’s taken in his first three NHL games, but it’s still a concern for the rest of the team. Montgomery mentioned that assistant coach Chris Kelly is working with the centers on draws, and the team is watching film on Patrice Bergeron, who had a face-off winning percentage above 60 in each of his final three NHL seasons.
While the centers have struggled at the dot, other players have come out of the holiday break firing on all cylinders. Jake DeBrusk is on a four-game point streak after going the previous six games without a point, and Hampus Lindholm has three assists in the past two games.
“We expect every night to be the best team,” Lindholm said. “In this locker room, there’s no surprises. Like I said, it’s a long year. [We’re] trying to be best [at the] end of the year, not the early and midseason. So like I said, it’s been a little up and down there with a few stretches, but I think overall, we have the effort that we play that Bruins-type of hockey. I think teams find we’re hard to play against and that’s how you want it to be.”
Five Things to Know About the Penguins
- The Penguins come into Thursday having won seven of their past 10 games (7-2-1).
- Alex Nedeljkovic will start in net on Thursday. He has a 6-3-2 record with a .924 save percentage and 2.42 goals against average this season.
- Jake Guentzel leads Pittsburgh in scoring with 42 points (17 goals, 25 assists) in 36 games.
- Pittsburgh has the sixth-best scoring defense in the NHL, allowing 2.67 goals per game. Boston is fourth with 2.56 goals allowed per game.
- The last time the Penguins defeated the Bruins was April 21, 2022 (4-1).
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