The Boston Bruins are trying to stop skidding, so the timing of Tuesday’s matchup with the Nashville Predators really couldn’t be better.
Nashville is a stumbling team that, though not short on talent, very much is in transition. Peter Laviolette was canned Monday, and Tuesday it was announced that John Hynes, who was let go by the New Jersey Devils last month, would be his replacement. Hynes will be behind the bench Tuesday at Bridgestone Arena.
The Bruins have lost each of their last three games and are 4-1-5 in their last 10, which has caused their Atlantic Division lead to shrink to just six points. With Boston still struggling to find answers on the second line, Anders Bjork will get his long-awaited shot aside David Krejci. Bjork likely will play on the right side, an interesting development since he’s largely struggled on that side at the NHL level, while faring much better on his dominant left. Instead, it’ll be Jake DeBrusk manning his usual spot on the second-line left wing.
With Bjork up, Brett Ritchie will play on the third line right wing, with David Backes getting scratched. Joakim Nordstrom is ill, so Par Lindholm slots in as the fourth line center, bumping Sean Kuraly to the left wing.
Tuukka Rask is expected to be in net for the Bruins.
Here are the projected lineups for both teams:
BOSTON BRUINS (24-8-11)
Brad Marchand–Patrice Bergeron–David Pastrnak
Jake DeBrusk–David Krejci–Anders Bjork
Danton Heinen–Charlie Coyle–Brett Ritchie
Sean Kuraly–Par Lindholm–Chris Wagner
Zdeno Chara–Charlie McAvoy
Torey Krug–Brandon Carlo
John Moore–Matt Grzelcyk
Tuukka Rask
NASHVILLE PREDATORS (19-15-7)
Filip Forsberg–Ryan Johansen–Viktor Arvidsson
Calle Jarnkrok–Matt Duchene–Mikael Granlund
Rocco Grimaldi–Colin Blackwell–Craig Smith
Yakov Trenin–Kyle Turris–Austin Watson
Roman Josi–Yannick Weber
Jarred Tinordi–Mattias Ekholm
Dan Hamhuis–Matt Irwin
Pekka Rinne
Semyon Varlamov
