Bruins Start Weekend Series Versus Struggling Blackhawks

1 p.m. ET
TD Garden – Boston, MA
TV: NESN, NHLN-US
Radio: 98.5 FM The Sports Hub

Season Series/Schedule
Date      Game                    GWG
3/10       CHI @ BOS         
3/11       BOS @ CHI         

Team Leaders
Bruins                                                                                   Blackhawks
Brad Marchand, 67                          Points                   Patrick Kane, 63
Brad Marchand, 29                          Goals                    Patrick Kane, 24
David Pastrnak, 40                           Assists                  Patrick Kane, 39

The Bruins get to spent the weekend playing against the struggling Blackhawks. 

Chicago will miss the playoffs this spring for the first time since 2008 for numerous reasons.

Not only has many of their top veterans underachieved this season, but star goaltender Corey Crawford has been out since late December with a concussion.

Bruce Cassidy met with the media this morning and confirmed that he will make a single change to the lineup with Nick Holden drawing into the lineup in place of Adam McQuaid.

Cassidy also mentioned that Patrice Bergeron will not be accompanying the Bruins on their road trip that begins tomorrow in Chicago.  That means he will be out of action for at least one more week.

Birthday boy Tuukka Rask will get the start in goal today for the Bruins and he will be opposed by former New York Islanders goaltender Jean-Francois Berube. 

Take away those six games in June of 2013 and the Bruins have been rather dominant against the Blackhawks.  They are 6-3-1 in their last 10 games against them and have won 10 of the last 17 games with just four regulation losses.

Probable Bruins Lineup
FORWARDS
Brad Marchand - Riley Nash - David Pastrnak
Jake DeBrusk - David Krejci - Rick Nash
Danton Heinen - Tommy Wingels - Brian Gionta
Tim Schaller - Sean Kuraly - Noel Acciari

DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS
Zdeno Chara - Brandon Carlo
Torey Krug – Nick Holden
Matt Grzelcyk - Kevan Miller

GOALTENDER
Tuukka Rask (27-11-4, 2.27 GAA, .920 save %, 2 SO)

INJURY REPORT
LW-Anders Bjork (shoulder), C-Patrice Bergeron (foot) out, D-Charlie McAvoy (knee) out, C-David Backes (suspension) out

Probable Blackhawks Lineup
FORWARDS
Brandon Saad - Jonathan Toews - Patrick Kane
Alex DeBrincat - Nick Schmaltz – John Hayden
Tomas Jurco - Artem Anisimov - Matthew Highmore
Patrick Sharp - David Kampf - Anthony Duclair

DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS
Duncan Keith - Connor Murphy
Erik Gustafsson - Brent Seabrook
Jordan Oesterle - Jan Rutta

GOALTENDER
Jean-Francois Berube (2-2-0, 3.11 GAA, .911 save %, 0 SO)

INJURY REPORT
RW-Marian Hossa (skin infection) out, D-Michal Rozsival (upper-body) out, G-Corey Crawford (upper-body) out