By: Eamonn McLean | Follow me on Twitter/X @EamonnMcLean44
After eight years in the Boston Bruins Organization, Matt Grzelcyk will dress in the visitor’s locker room at TD Garden for the first time in his National Hockey League career as the Pittsburgh Penguins come to town. The former Boston University Terrier was selected 85th overall in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft and played in 445 games as a Bruin.
Tonight’s contest is part of the NHL’s “Thanksgiving Showdown,” with fourteen games being played across the league on Black Friday. The Bruins are coming off an impressive 6-3 victory over the New York Islanders. Meanwhile, the Penguins won 5-4 over the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday. Both teams will look to build on those results tonight.
Swayman Starts, Lineup Otherwise Unchanged
Jeremy Swayman will be back between the pipes tonight for Boston after Joonas Korpisalo made 21 saves Wednesday against the Islanders. The Alaska native’s last game was on Tuesday, where he made 13 saves in a 2-0 loss to the Vancouver Canucks. After a slow start this season, Swayman has only allowed two goals in his last two appearances.
Interim Head Coach Joe Sacco will keep the Bruins’ forward lines and defensive pairings the same as on Long Island Wednesday night, where Boston saw Morgan Geekie snap a six-game goal drought. At the same time, Pavel Zacha recorded two goals in the third period, including the game-winner. The Bruins will need those two to find some form to solidify a playoff spot.
Summer Signings Heating Up
After a five-game pointless streak earlier in November, Elias Lindholm has four points in his last four contests, including a three-assist performance against the Islanders. During this recent hot streak, the Boden, Sweden, native has centered the B’s second line between Brad Marchand and Justin Brazeau. This recent turnaround has been welcome news for a Bruins team that signed Lindholm to a seven-year, $54,250,000 contract on July 1st.
The game also saw Nikita Zadorov put home his first goal of the season. The former London Knight struggled to stay disciplined in the early going of his Bruins’ career, however he has began to turn that around. Zadorov is currently on pace for 24 points this season, which would be a career high.
How Have the Penguins Fared this Season?
The Penguins have a record of 8-12-4 this season, and sit in last place in the Metropolitan Division. Sidney Crosby leads the Penguins in scoring, with 23 points in 24 games, with Evgeni Malkin right behind him with 21 points. Alex Nedeljkovic has gotten the majority of the workload in net for Pittsburgh, appearing in 11 games so far this year, with a .877% save percentage, and a 3.42. goals-against average.
Off the ice the Penguins have been busy too. Pittsburgh General Manager Kyle Dubas shipped Lars Eller to the Washington Capitals, and most recently acquired Philip Tomasino from the Nashville Predators. The Penguins are currently in a retool, and are expected to continue to be busy up until the NHL’s trade deadline.
All-Time Records
In 227 matchups between the Bruins and Penguins, Boston holds a record of 127-71-21-8. At TD Garden, the Penguins are 18-32-0-4 in 54 games. Puck drop tonight is scheduled for 6:30 P.M. Eastern, and the game will be broadcast on TNT.
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