The Boston Bruins won’t have everyone available Saturday night, but it won’t be as bad as it could be.
Patrice Bergeron is expected to be in the lineup when the Bruins take on the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena. Bergeron didn’t practice Friday and was described as having a lower-body injury, though Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy was optimistic Bergeron would travel and play Saturday.
But while Bergeron will be in, Boston’s other top-six center will be out. David Krejci was ruled out Friday, as was fourth-line winger Joakim Nordstrom. This will be the second straight game Krejci’s missed after leaving Monday’s win over the Anaheim Ducks early. Charlie Coyle will stay as the second line center in Krejci’s place, but joining him and Jake DeBrusk will be Karson Kuhlman, not Brett Ritchie, who was in that spot Thursday. Ritchie slides down to the third line with Par Lindholm and Danton Heinen.
After a serving as a healthy scratch the last three games, David Backes returns to the lineup, taking up the fourth-line winger spot vacated by Nordstrom’s absence.
Jaroslav Halak will be in net for the Bruins and will be opposed by Frederik Andersen.
Here are the projected lineups for both teams:
BOSTON BRUINS (5-1-1)
Brad Marchand–Patrice Bergeron–David Pastrnak
Jake DeBrusk–Charlie Coyle–Karson Kuhlman
Danton Heinen–Par Lindholm–Brett Ritchie
Chris Wagner–Sean Kuraly–David Backes
Zdeno Chara–Charlie McAvoy
Torey Krug–Brandon Carlo
Matt Grzelcyk–Connor Clifton
Jaroslav Halak
TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (4-3-1)
Andreas Johnsson–Auston Matthews–William Nylander
Ilya Mikheyev–Alexander Kerfoot–Mitch Marner
Trevor Moore–Jason Spezza–Kasperi Kapanen
Dmytro Timashov–Nick Shore–Frederik Gauthier
Morgan Rielly–Cody Ceci
Jake Muzzin–Tyson Barrie
Martin Marincin–Justin Holl
Frederik Andersen
