Patrice Bergeron is back.
The Boston Bruins center will make his highly anticipated return Saturday afternoon when the Boston Bruins host the Nashville Predators at TD Garden. The star center has missed 16 games since suffering a rib/sternoclavicular injury Nov. 16 against the Dallas Stars.
The Bruins largely have weathered the storm in Bergeron’s absence, going 9-6-1, including 5-2-0 in their past seven games. But Boston will have its work cutout for it Saturday afternoon, as the Predators, despite losing their last three games and being 0-7-2 in their last nine road games, remain one of the best teams in the Western Conference.
Jaroslav Halak is expected to start in net opposite Nashville goaltender Pekka Rinne.
Here are the projected lines and pairing for Bruins vs. Predators:
BOSTON BRUINS (19-12-4)
Brad Marchand — Patrice Bergeron — Danton Heinen
Joakim Nordstrom — David Krejci — David Pastrnak
Ryan Donato — Colby Cave — David Backes
Sean Kuraly — Noel Acciari — Chris Wagner
Torey Krug — Brandon Carlo
Matt Grzelcyk — Charlie McAvoy
John Moore — Steven Kampfer
Jaroslav Halak
Nashville Predators (22-12-2)
Ryan Hartman — Ryan Johansen — Kevin Fiala
Calle Jarnkrok — Kyle Turris — Craig Smith
Miikka Salomaki — Nick Bonino — Austin Watson
Zac Rinaldo — Frederick Gaudreau — Rocco Grimaldi
Roman Josi — Ryan Ellis
Dan Hamhuis — Mattias Ekholm
Matt Irwin — Yannick Weber
Pekka Rinne
