Brad Marchand has been out of the lineup for five games due to a suspension after clipping Sami Salo and Rich Peverley has missed the last two games while attending to a personal matter back home in Boston.
In those two games both have missed, the Bruins haven't played their best, although they did manage to eke out a shootout win over the Florida Panthers on Monday before falling to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday.
As the Bruins head towards the All-Star break in the middle of one of their busiest stretches of the year, they will need all hands on deck to stay vigilant. The Senators seem to be surging and the Ottawa crowd is sure to be hoping to host the All-Star festivites while laying claim to an albeit temporary Northeast Division crown. Marchand and Peverley will be welcome additions back to the B's to make sure that doesn't happen.
They'll get their chance to make their impacts felt beginning on Thursday, when the Bruins wrap up a four-game road trip in New Jersey against the Devils. The last time these two teams squared off, the B's triumphed 6-1 while Marchand and Peverley were both relatively quiet. With fresh legs after a little bit of time off, those two should be ready to go on Thursday night.
Who will have a bigger impact in his return to the Bruins lineup?
