The B’s travel to Long Island to take on an Islanders team that gave the Bruins a whooping at the Garden in the middle of November.
When and Where
Saturday, Dec. 12, 7 p.m. (NESN)
Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, N.Y.
Records
Bruins (16-9-5, 37 points, second in Northeast Division, fifth in Eastern Conference)
Islanders (11-13-7, 29 points, fifth in Atlantic Division, 13th in Eastern Conference)
Head to Head
The Bruins are 1-1-0 against the Islanders this season. In the first matchup of the year, Boston engineered an unlikely comeback at the TD Garden to win 4-3 in a shootout. The B’s scored three goals in the final 8:01 of the third period to tie the game at three goals apiece, and Marc Savard and Blake Wheeler scored in the shootout. At the time, it was an important win for a Bruins team that had recently gone 1-2-0.
The Islanders took the next meeting in Boston, as Matt Moulson scored twice in a 4-1 victory.
Skinny
The Bruins are on a roll, going 8-1-1 in their last 10 games. On Saturday, they’re in for at least one minor change, as a new alternate captain is expected to be chosen by Claude Julien. Who that player will be is still unclear, according to Julien.
“Someone will see it on their jersey [on Saturday],” Julien told The Boston Globe after practice on Friday. “Honestly, that’s the truth. I haven’t talked about it, we’ll see. There’s a little bit of thinking I have to do before I decide. We’re going to discuss it with the coaches. There’s some guys worthy of it, but we’ll make that decision [Saturday] before the game. We’re not even going to talk about it.”
With Zdeno Chara wearing the “C” and Patrice Bergeron wearing the permanent “A,” the options for the second alternate captain are many. Marc Savard, who’s been a stabilizing presence since his return, bolstered his case after signing a contract that’s widely regarded as being a hometown discount.
Projected Lineups
Bruins
Forwards
Blake Wheeler–Marc Savard–Daniel Paille
Marco Sturm–Patrice Bergeron–Mark Recchi
Vladimir Sobotka–David Krejci–Michael Ryder
Shawn Thornton–Steve Begin–Matt Hunwick**
**Byron Bitz will be a game-time decision.
Defensemen
Zdeno Chara–Derek Morris
Andrew Ference–Dennis Wideman
Mark Stuart–Johnny Boychuk
Goaltenders
Tim Thomas
Tuukka Rask
Islanders
Forwards
Matt Moulson–John Tavares–Kyle Okposo
Jeff Tambellini–Frans Nielsen–Trent Hunter
Blake Comeau–Josh Bailey–Jon Sim
Nate Thompson–Richard Park–Rob Schremp
Defense
Mark Streit–Bruno Gervais
Brendan Witt–Andrew MacDonald
Freddy Mayer–Jack Hillen
Goalies
Dwayne Rolloson
Martin Biron
Goaltender Matchup
Bruins
Tuukka Rask is 9-2-2 with a 1.97 GAA and .932 save percentage.
Tim Thomas is 7-7-3 with a 2.48 GAA and .914 save percentage.
Islanders
Dwayne Rolloson is 9-4-5 with a 2.78 GAA and .915 save percentage.
Martin Biron is 2-9-2 with a 3.26 GAA and .902 save percentage
Stat Sheet
Bruins
Zdeno Chara leads the team in assists with 17.
Defenseman Johnny Boychuk registered his first NHL assist on Thursday night. Last Saturday, he scored his first NHL goal. Both came at home against the Maple Leafs
Mark Recchi had his first multigame this season on Thursday, scoring twice in the third period to bring his season total to seven.
Marco Sturm currently leads the B’s with a plus-9 rating. Dennis Wideman, Blake Wheeler, Vladimir Sobotka and Matt Hunwick are tied for worst on the team with minus-3 ratings.
Shawn Thornton leads the team with 61 penalty minutes. That’s 19 more than Chara, who’s second on the team with 42.
The Bruins’ power play has converted on 18.3 percent of opportunities, while the penalty kill has been successful 86.4 percent of the time.
Islanders
Rookie John Tavares leads the Islanders in points with 26 (15-11-26). Linemate Matt Moulson is second with 23 (14-9-23).
Defenseman Jack Hillen leads the team with a plus-8 rating. Brendan Witt holds the worst mark at minus-17.
Martin Biron owns the only shutout by an Islanders goaltender this season.
The Islanders’ penalty kill has successfully killed off 78.3 percent of penalties. The power play unit has converted 18.3 percent of its chances.
Tim Jackman leads all Islanders with 66 penalty minutes.
Black and Blue
Bruins
Milan Lucic is recovering from a high ankle sprain and could return at the end of the month.
Byron Bitz missed Thursday’s game due to illness, and he’ll be a game-time decision on Saturday.
Islanders
Brendan Witt was hit by a car on Tuesday but was not injured. He played that night.
Doug Weight is out indefinitely with an upper-body injury.
Tim Jackman (hip) and Sean Bergenheim (ribs) are questionable.
Andy Sutton is also questionable with a groin injury.
This Date in Bruins History
On Sunday, Dec. 12, 1993, the Bruins and Whalers play to a 2-2 tie at the Boston Garden. Steve Leach scores a power-play goal with 5:01 remaining in the third to tie the game. Leach deflects a Ray Bourque shot off his skate.
Overheard
“I think our guys have handled that well with the ‘KesselMania’ and everything that is being thrown out there. It‟s amazing. I thought we were playing hockey, not wrestling.”
–Claude Julien after the Bruins beat Phil Kessel and the Maple Leafs for the second straight game
Press Box
Bruins
David Krejci is finding his stride after a slow start.
Construction is under way at Fenway Park for the Winter Classic rink.
Phil Kessel had nowhere to go in his games against the Bruins.
Islanders
The Islanders fell to the Maple Leafs on Tuesday.
The Islanders are looking forward to returning home.
Not even an SUV can stop Brendan Witt.
NHL
Chris Chelios, 48, says he’s enjoying his time in the AHL.
The Montreal Canadiens are facing a hefty fine for using an ineligible player.
Matt Gilroy, a former Hobey Baker winner at Boston University, was a surprise choice to be sent down to Hartford.
Outlook
The Bruins have bounced all over the standings this season, but there’s no doubt they’d prefer to stay in first place. They’d also like to prove they can continue to win on the road, where they are 6-4-2.
Boston can take steps in the right direction in both instances on Saturday night. The Islanders are not a particularly potent team, and with a return back to Boston after the game, the B’s have a chance to have themselves a successful — albeit brief — road trip.
