Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand will skate in his 1000th NHL game Tuesday night at TD Garden.
The Boston Bruins will look to get back in the win column Tuesday night at TD Garden as they welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning for a 7 p.m. puck drop.
“You look at their coaching staff, you look at their power play, you look at their top defensemen, top goalie, top forwards – it’s a team to be reckoned with. They know how to win,” Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said of Tampa Bay Tuesday.
The matchup marks the third of four meetings between the teams. The Lightning bested Boston 5-4 in overtime at Amalie Arena on Nov. 20 before the Bruins won 7-3 at TD Garden on Jan. 6.
Bruins captain Brad Marchand will skate in his 1000th career game against the Lightning – all of which he has played in the Black and Gold.
“[Marchand] is a player that when you watch him play, you admire, you respect because of the compete, the effort, the emotion he plays with. He’s through and through a hockey player that galvinizes his team,” Montgomery said.
Coming out of All-Star break, Boston has dropped two of three games and put up one of its worst performances of the season Saturday in the 3-0 loss to the Washington Capitals.
Linus Ullmark will get the start for the Bruins. The goaltender has posted a 2.67 goals against average and .916 save percentage through 25 games. Ullmark last played Thursday against the Vancouver Canucks and had a 17-save shutout.
Per Montgomery, Oskar Steen will draw back into the lineup in Jakub Lauko’s place, and Kevin Shattenkirk will be in while Parker Wotherspoon sits.
“We’ve talked enough about how we need to proceed. I think that was yesterday,” Montgomery said. “Today, we’re looking at the positive mindset of getting to our identity, getting to play Bruins hockey.”
Jan 6, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Bruins right wing David Pastrnak (88) controls the puck against Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Emil Martinsen Lilleberg (78) during the third period at the TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY SportsFive things to know about the Lightning:
- Tampa Bay is coming off of a 4-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday in which it improved to a 28-20-5 record. The Lightning sit at third place in the Atlantic Division with 61 points.
- Forward Nikita Kucherov leads the team – and the NHL – in points with 89 (33 goals, 56 assists). Kucherov is skating on the first line with Steven Stamkos and Brayden Point, and has nine points in his last five games.
- Andrei Vasilevskiy is expected to get the start in net against the Bruins. The goaltender has a 2.79 GAA and .901 SV% through 28 games. Vasilevskiy last played Saturday against Columbus and made 35 saves.
- Defenseman Victor Hedman is third on the team in points with 52 (9 goals, 43 assist). Hedman is skating on the first pair with Darren Raddysh, and has six points in his last five games.
- The Lightning have the best power play percentage in the league at 30.7. Stamkos leads the team with 12 goals on the man advantage. Stamkos is on the first unit with Kucherov, Hedman, Point and Nick Paul.