Lines, roster updates and starting goaltenders ahead of Bruins-Bolts game
With a win tonight, the Bruins could jump over the Lightning in the standings and take the 5th spot in the Eastern Conference.
The Boston Bruins (39-19-5) and Tampa Bay Lightning (39-17-6) will cross paths for the third time this season; Boston won their last meeting by a 5-2 score in January, while Tampa took the first game by a 3-2 score in OT back in December.
Red-hot Jeremy Swayman will be between the pipes tonight. The Bruins netminder has been turning many heads in his rookie season thanks to his 18-8-3 record, his 2.09 GAA and .925% save percentage.
Down the other end of the ice, the Lightning is expected to turn to Andrei Vasilevskiy once again. The Russian netminder is 32-13-4 this season and has posted a 2.38 GAA and .919% save percentage so far.
After missing the team's past three games due to an arm infection that required surgery, Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron will remain sidelined for tonight's affair. Jack Studnicka will once again slot in on the top line to try and fill the void left by Bergy.
Perhaps the biggest adjustment for the B's will come on the backend. Defenseman Hampus Lindholm will make his first start in a Bruins uniform since being acquired from the Anaheim Ducks earlier this week.
In what many saw as a surprise move, the Bruins decided to move d-man Mike Reilly from the club's top pair to the press box in order to make room for Lindholm.
Without any last-minute changes expected, here are tonight's potential lines:
Brad Marchand � Jack Studnicka � Jake Debrusk
Taylor Hall � Erik Haula � David Pastrnak
Trent Frederic � Charlie Coyle � Craig Smith
Nick Foligno � Tomas Nosek � Curtis Lazar
Hampus Lindholm � Charlie McAvoy
Matthew Grzelcyk � Brandon Carlo
Derek Forbort � Connor Clifton
Jeremy Swayman
Linus Ullmark
Puck drop for the Bruins and Lightning matchup is scheduled for 7pm ET, at Boston's TD Garden.
