The Boston Bruins apparently like playing before dark.
The Bruins improved to a perfect 5-0 in matinee games this season with Saturday’s 6-3 win over the Philadelphia Flyers, and they’ll have the chance to make it 6-0 in Monday’s 1 p.m. ETÂ contest against the New York Islanders at TD Garden.
Expected to be a playoff contender in the preseason, the Islanders now are dead-last in the Eastern Conference after losing four of their last five games, their latest a 7-4 defeat against the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday. Yet New York beat the Bruins 4-2 on their own ice on Dec. 20, and a pair of familiar faces in defensemen Johnny Boychuk and Dennis Seidenberg will be looking to hand their former team another loss.
Boston also likely will be without defenseman Kevan Miller, who was injured in Saturday’s contest. Colin Miller also is expected to be out, and Joe Morrow is projected to see the ice as part of the Bruins’ third defensive pairing. It would be Morrow’s first appearance since Dec. 12.
Here are the projected lineups for both teams:
BOSTON BRUINS (23-18-5)
Brad Marchand–Patrice Bergeron–David Pastrnak
Frank Vatrano–David Krejci–David Backes
Tim Schaller–Ryan Spooner–Riley Nash
Anton Blidh–Dominic Moore–Austin Czarnik
Zdeno Chara–Brandon Carlo
Torey Krug–Adam McQuaid
Joe Morrow–John-Michael Liles
Tuukka Rask
NEW YORK ISLANDERSÂ (16-17-8)
Anders Lee–John Tavares–Josh Bailey
Shane Prince–Brock Nelson–Ryan Strome
Alan Quine–Anthony Beauvillier–Jason Chimera
Nikolay Kulemin–Casey Cizikas–Stephen Gionta
Nick Leddy–Adam Pelech
Thomas Hickey–Johnny Boychuk
Calvin de Haan–Dennis Seidenberg
Thomas Greiss
Thumbnail photo via Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports Images
