Game Day Preview: Bruins Face Devils To Kick Off Five-Game Homestand

After completing a four-game road trip out west, the Boston Bruins return to TD Garden on Monday to host the New Jersey Devils in their third and final matchup of the season.

BOSTON – The Boston Bruins are back home to face the New Jersey Devils at TD Garden on Monday.

New Jersey won the first matchup 2-1 in overtime on Dec. 13 before the Bruins won the rematch 5-2 on Dec. 30. The rubber match at 1 p.m. ET will be the last time these two teams face off in the 2023-24 regular season.

Both teams are short-handed, with the Devils missing Jack Hughes and Timo Meier, among others. As for the Bruins, Pavel Zacha is a game-time decision after missing Saturday’s 4-3 overtime win against St. Louis with an illness.

The rest of Boston’s injured players – Linus Ullmark (lower body), Matt Poitras (upper body), Brandon Carlo (upper body), Derek Forbort (lower body) – remain out, but Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said all are “trending well.”

“We don’t know the exact time dates for returns, it’s too soon, but they all skated today and all feel good,” Montgomery said.

Jeremy Swayman will start for the third game in a row, with AHL call-up Brandon Bussi remaining the backup.

Montgomery was non-committal about naming a game where Bussi could see action, and it appears as if the team will ride Swayman until Ullmark is ready to return, but at some point, Bussi could get a shot in what would be his NHL debut.

“Right now as we’re grinding here, it’s really a game-to-game decision,” Montgomery said. “If it continues, yeah, there’s going to be an opportunity to find Bussi a game, but as to when that is, it’s a little premature.”

Boston has gone to overtime in each of the past four games, but only won the latest against St. Louis. The Devils, meanwhile, have won six of their past nine games.

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