By: Jack Studley | Follow me on Twitter/X @jackstudley13
Fresh off a win on Saturday against the Colorado Avalanche, the Boston Bruins (4-6-0) are in Canada’s capital for a Monday night matchup with the Ottawa Senators (4-4-1). The Boston Bruins are fresh off a six-game losing streak and are looking to continue their recent performance in Ottawa on the first night of back-to-back games. The Bruins are looking to get back on track with the Senators after dropping the season series (1-1-2) last year. This is the first of four matchups this season.
The Boston Bruins held a morning skate at 11:30 AM at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ontario and kept the lines very similar to the Colorado game on Saturday. There were subtle changes, including reuniting the defensive pair of Mason Lohrei and Charlie McAvoy, and moving Nikita Zadorov to play alongside Andrew Peeke. Marat Khusnutdinov skated on the fourth line during Monday’s morning skate, playing with Sean Kuraly and Mark Kastelic.
Johnny Beecher and Jeffrey Viel will serve as the forward scratches on Monday night. Marat Khusnutdinov will slot back into the lineup for his sixth game of the season. Khusnutdinov has an assist in six games and averages 10:39 of ice time. Jonathan Aspirot will be the healthy scratch for the black and gold. He was called up yesterday when the team announced that Hampus Lindholm was placed on the IR.
The Senators come into this game without their captain, Brady Tkachuk, who had surgery on his thumb on October 16. That has not stopped the Senators; they have won their last two games, and their power play has been strong. The Senators’ man-advantage has been connecting at a 28.1% rate and currently ranks sixth in the NHL. Conversely, the Senators’ penalty kill has been disappointing; it has only found a 64.5% success rate through nine games. The Bruins’ penalty kill has produced at an 87.2% rate and ranks eighth leaguewide.
Boston and Ottawa have dominated the faceoff circle throughout the season, with both teams ranking in the top two. The Bruins have won 56.2% of their draws, and Ottawa is winning faceoffs at a 59.8% rate.
Marco Sturm confirmed that Jeremy Swayman will get the start tonight while speaking with the media ahead of the game. “Every game he played so far, he was outstanding. He gives us a really good chance to win a hockey game, and that is what we’re looking for today,” Sturm said of the Bruins netminder. Swayman has played in six games this season, with a .910 save percentage, a 2.85 GAA, and a 3-3-0 record. The Senators have recalled Hunter Shepard from the AHL, and he will serve as the backup goalie. Leevi Merilainen will get the start. For those looking for former-Bruin Linus Ullmark, he will not be active tonight.
The Bruins and Senators will start just after 7:30 PM, with puck drop happening closer to 7:45 PM. The game will be broadcast on NESN locally, and 98.5 will have the call over the radio. In Canada, it will be on Amazon Prime’s Monday Night Hockey.
Leave a Reply