The Boston Bruins (4-6-0) make their first trip north of the border this season as they pay a visit to the Ottawa Senators (4-4-1) at Canadian Tire Centre. Here’s everything you need to know before puck drop.
Hampus Lindholm Placed On IR:
Hampus Lindholm seemed like he was ready to return from a lower-body injury he suffered in the second game of the season, but apparently not. The Bruins placed the defenseman on injured reserve on Sunday after he missed his fourth straight game and seventh this season.
Bruins Place Hampus Lindholm On Injured Reserve
“He can come off any time,” Bruins coach Marco Sturm told reporters in Ottawa. “I still don’t think he’s far away. We’ve been going back and forth for a week now. Of course, one of your best defenseman is missing. It’s going to hurt us, but we want to make sure we’re doing the right thing and that he’ll be good to go, hopefully, soon.”
Johnathan Aspirot was recalled from AHL Providence to take Lindholm’s spot on the roster.
Projected Bruins Lines:
Geekie – E. Lindholm – Pastrnak
Mittelstadt – Zacha – Arvidsson
Jeannot – Minten – Eyssimont
Khusnutdinov – Kuraly – Kastelic
Lohrei – McAvoy
Zadorov – Peeke
Callahan – Jokiharju
Swayman
Korpisalo
Last Time Out:
The Bruins were fast approaching a cliff entering Saturday’s matchup with the Colorado Avalanche, having lost six straight games in regulation. But just as it seemed they were about to take a fall to a permanent end, the Bruins found traction and stopped their skid, picking up their first victory in two weeks.
Bruins Find Traction, End Losing Skid In Win Over Avalanche
The Opponent:
The Ottawa Senators have had an up and down start to their season but are coming off a major high point following a 7-1 win over the Washington Capitals on Saturday. Tensions came to a boil in that one, as a line brawl nearly led to Linus Ullmark coming to blows with Caps goalie Charlie Lindgren.
However, the Bruins won’t get to face their former netminder tonight. Levi Merilainen will be between the posts for Ottawa in what will be just his second appearance of the season.
The Senators will also be without captain Brady Tkachuk, who is out for the next six to eight weeks after undergoing a procedure on his wrist.
Even without Tkachuk in the lineup for Ottawa, the Bruins will still have their hands full. Shane Pinto enters action as the NHL’s leading goalscorer, with eight so far this year. He and Dylan Cozens shares the team lead in points for the Sens, as each have nine.
Ottawa’s biggest issue so far this season lies in its own end, where it’s giving up 3.89 goals against per game and has killed off just 64.5 percent of its shorthanded situations.
This the first time the Bruins and Senators have faced off this year. The two teams split the season series last year.
How To Watch:
Puck drop between the Bruins and Senators from Canadian Tire Centre is set for 7:45 p.m. EST. The game can be seen on NESN and streamed on NESN 360 or ESPN Plus for out-of-market viewers. 98.5 The Sports Hub will carry the radio broadcast.
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