The Bruins are riding a four-game winning streak, the longest of their season, while the Devils broke a three-game losing streak with the win over Ottawa on Wednesday.
Needless to say, this is a big conference game and the Bruins would like nothing more than to keep their winning streak going. This should also be a low-scoring affair, as it pits two of the top teams in goals against per game. Expect a chess-like match between two of the best coached squads in the NHL.
When And Where
Friday, Nov. 27, 12 p.m. (NESN)
TD Garden, Boston, Mass.
Records
Bruins (12-8-4, 28 points, second place in Northeast Division, fifth place in Eastern Conference)
Devils (15-6-1, 31 points, second place in Atlantic Division, fourth place in Eastern Conference)
Head to Head
This is the second of four meetings between the Devils and Bruins. The Devils beat the Bruins 2-1 at the TD Garden on Oct. 29. Yann Danis made 31 saves in his first appearance of the season, and Dainius Zubrus scored with 1:26 left to lead the Devils to their sixth consecutive road victory at the time. Tim Thomas made 29 saves and Patrice Bergeron scored in the losing effort.
This is the last game between the two clubs at the TD Garden this season. They will play again at the Prudential Center in Newark on March 15 and 30.
The Bruins lead the all-time series 63-35-19-9.
Skinny
The Bruins once again got solid goaltending from Tuukka Rask on Wednesday, as the rookie netminder earned his fourth straight win. While they know they can play better in front of their goalie than they did in the 2-1 shootout win, the Bruins are happy to take the two points.
"It certainly wasn't the prettiest game," said Bruins head coach Claude Julien. "I don't think we played very well [Wednesday]. But then again, I guess these are the kind of games that compensate for the ones that you played so well [in] and couldn't win a few weeks ago.
"It all evens out in the long run. We'll take the two points. Obviously, we know we weren't at our best, but our goaltender was outstanding again and he kept us in."
The biggest negative of the win in Minnesota was the lower-body injury Milan Lucic suffered in the waning minutes of the regulation. The initial word Wednesday night was that the injury wasn’t as bad as it looked, but Lucic was scheduled to have X-rays once the swelling went down.
"We'll probably have more details once he's been seen by our doctors," Julien told the media after the game.
Julien is expected to address the media on Wednesday morning, so check NESN.com for more info on the Bruins' rugged winger who returned from a month-long absence with a broken right index finger only last Thursday.
Devils rookie Niclas Bergfors moved back to the top line for Wednesday’s 3-1 win over Ottawa, playing next to Travis Zajac and Zach Parise. Bergfors scored his first goal in five games, but can be better and needs to take shorter shifts, according to head coach Jacques Lemaire.
"I think he played good," said Lemaire. "He had long shifts, which I've been telling him about. We've played 20-something games and I've told him maybe twice a game. So I've told him 50 times to get shorter shifts. He'll get it."
New Jersey color analyst Sherry Ross became the first woman to do play-by-play for a full game in English when she filled in for partner Matt Loughlin, who missed the game because of a death in the family.
Projected Lineups
Bruins
Forwards
Marco Sturm–Marc Savard–Byron Bitz
Milan Lucic/Vladimir Sobotka–Patrice Bergeron–Mark Recchi
Blake Wheeler–David Krejci–Michael Ryder
Shawn Thornton–Steve Begin–Daniel Paille
Defensemen
Zdeno Chara–Derek Morris
Andrew Ference–Dennis Wideman
Mark Stuart–Matt Hunwick
Goaltenders
Tuukka Rask
Tim Thomas
Devils
Forwards
Zach Parise–Travis Zajac–Niclas Bergfors
Brian Rolston–Patrik Elias–Jamie Langenbrunner
Matt Halischuk–Dean McAmmond–David Clarkson
Andrew Peters–Tim Sestito–Tyler Eckford
Defense
Bryce Salvador–Colin White
Andy Greene–Mike Mottau
Mark Fraser–Matthew Corrente
Goalies
Martin Brodeur
Yann Danis
Goaltender Matchup
Bruins
Tim Thomas is 5-6-3 with a 2.33 GAA and .918 save percentage. Thomas has three shutouts this season and has missed the last five games due to an alleged hand injury.
Tuukka Rask has started the last five games for the Bruins, the longest string of starts in his NHL career. Rask has won four straight and has a 1.75 goals against average with a .942 save percentage during that span. His record overall is now 7-2-1 with a 2.13 GAA and .924 save percentage.
Penguins
Martin Brodeur is 13-6-1 with 2.16 GAA and .921 save percentage. On Wednesday, Brodeur made 12 of his 24 saves in the third period, with his team ahead 2-1. He may sit out either Friday in Boston or Saturday at home against the Islanders. He has played all but seven periods of the first 22 games.
Yann Danis is 2-0-0 with a 2.14 GAA and .923 save percentage.
Stat Sheet
Bruins
Patrice Bergeron has five points in his last three games and leads the team in goals with seven and in points with 18. Bergeron scored in the first round of the Bruins' four-round shootout win over Minnesota on Wednesday.
Captain Zdeno Chara has four points in his last six games. He is now second on the team in points and first on the Bruins blue line with 13. He also leads the Bruins in assists with 12.
Marco Sturm (six goals, six assists) is now tied for third on the team in points with 12 and has three points in his last four games.
Blake Wheeler also has six lamp-lighters and six helpers for twelve points. Wheeler has four points in his last six games.
On Monday, forward Marc Savard registered his first point since returning from injury with an assist on a Byron Bitz goal. Savard now has four goals and four assists.
Defenseman Derek Morris had an assist Wednesday and now has 10 helpers and 12 points to leave him tied with Wheeler and Sturm for third in team scoring.
Byron Bitz scored the Bruins' lone goal in regulation and now has two points (goal, assist) in his last three games. Bitz has five points (three goals, two assists) this season.
The Bruins have been outscored 56-55 this season. They are averaging 2.29 goals per game and 2.33 goals against.
The Bruins went 0-for-4 on the power play on Monday and are 12-for-83 on the power play this season with a 14.5 percent success rate.
The Bruins' penalty kill has allowed only 14 goals on 90 power plays against them and has an 84.4 success rate. The unit killed off four of the Wild’s five power plays on Wednesday.
The Bruins are 6-5-2 at home this season.
The Bruins are 2-3-2 against the Atlantic Division this season.
The Bruins are 7-4-4 against the Eastern Conference.
Devils
Zach Parise leads the Devils in goals (13), assists (15) and points with 28. Parise has been on fire as of late, riding a eight-game point streak into Friday's game, with 13 points during the streak.
Travis Zajac has a three-game point streak going and has 21 points this season with seven goals and 14 assists.
Jamie Langenbrunner is tied with Parise for the team lead in assists with 15 and has 20 points. The winger has four points in his last two games.
Andy Greene leads the Devils' blue line with 11 points. He has three goals and eight assists, with two helpers coming in the 3-1 win over Ottawa on Wednesday.
The Devils have outscored their opponents 58-48. They’re averaging 2.64 goals per game and are allowing 2.18.
The Devils' power play is 18-for-88 with a 20.4 percent success rate.
The Devils' penalty kill has allowed 13 goals on 67 power plays faced.
Black and Blue
Bruins
Goalie Tim Thomas is day-to-day with an upper body injury. He has missed the last five games.
Milan Lucic is probable with a lower body injury.
Devils
Rob Niedermayer, who has missed nine games with an upper body injury, is on the verge of coming back. He will not play on Friday but could return Saturday against the Islanders.
Danius Zubrus is on injured reserve and is out 4-6 weeks following surgery on a fractured kneecap.
Jay Pandolfo (separated right shoulder), Paul Martin (broken left arm), and Johnny Oduya (groin) are still on injured reserve but could return soon.
This Date in Bruins History
On November 27, 1977, defenseman Brad Park had four points in a 4-2 win over Minnesota.
On November 27, 1992, Ted Donato scored the overtime winner over Hartford.
Overheard
“We all realize that Timmy is our No. 1. We also realize that we’ve got a 1A and 1B. I don’t think — and this is not to discredit anybody — the team feels any less confident with one or the other. I really think they feel the same way we do. This is a position of strength. We have two reliable guys that are capable of making a difference in the game. That’s fun to have.”
–Claude Julien on Boston's goaltending situation
Press Box
Bruins
Bruins bag big wins in uplifting road trip.
Rask rallies Bruins through hot streak.
Dennis Wideman was going around delivering pies on Thanksgiving Day and his game is coming around on the ice.
The Bruins are a much better team than they were before their recent road trip.
Have a Stanley Cup Of Chowder today.
Devils
Devils are still in search of balance on offense.
Niedermayer has a full practice, but won't play against Bruins.
Devils winger Jamie Langenbrunner is hoping to make Team USA.
Niclas Bergfors is working his way out of the doghouse.
Here's a good Devils blog.
NHL
Canucks win again, improve to 9-2 in last 11 games.
Leafs place goalie Vesa Toskala on IR, recall Joey MacDonald.
Habs defenseman Andrei Markov could be back earlier than expected.
Montreal businessman Steve Stotland is trying to buy the Coyotes.
Former NHL star Pavel Bure will be a spectator at the Vancouver games.
Outlook
If the Bruins come out and play the way they did for most their 2-1 shootout win over the Wild on Wednesday, they can expect a long afternoon. The Devils will make them pay for the turnovers they were making on Wednesday, and if a team gives the Devils a lead, it usually doesn't get that lead back.
The Bruins need to come out with the jump they displayed for the first three games of their successful road trip. Hopefully they don’t have turkey hangovers. If they establish their game early, they match up well with New Jersey. They know they will have strong goaltending behind them; they just need to focus on solving the Devils' defense and goaltending.
