The last few times the Boston Bruins and Vancouver Canucks have faced each other, there’s been very little fanfare.
Say goodbye to that feeling.
Vancouver’s subpar play over recent campaigns has taken some of the spice out of the 2011 Stanley Cup Final rematch, but when the Canucks roll into TD Garden on Tuesday night, they’ll do so as the top team in the Pacific Division with plenty to play for.
It’ll be the first game of a back-to-back for the Bruins, which will conclude Wednesday at United Center against the Chicago Blackhawks.
As for the lineup, the Bruins will look at tad difficult than usual. Danton Heinen, who missed Saturday’s win over the Minnesota Wild because he was banged up, will be out against Vancouver, but as a healthy scratch. As such, Sean Kuraly will play on the third line left wing, while Par Lindholm will center the fourth line with Anton Blidh and Chris Wagner as his wingers. Joakim Nordstrom won’t play due to a condition related to allergies.
Tuukka Rask will be in net for the Bruins, while Jacob Markstrom is expected to start for Vancouver.
Here are the projected lineups for both teams:
BOSTON BRUINS (31-10-12)
Brad Marchand–Patrice Bergeron–David Pastrnak
Jake DeBrusk–David Krejci–Karson Kuhlman
Sean Kuraly–Charlie Coyle–Anders Bjork
Anton Blidh–Par Lindholm–Chris Wagner
Zdeno Chara–Charlie McAvoy
Torey Krug–Brandon Carlo
Matt Grzelcyk–Jeremy Lauzon
Tuukka Rask
VANCOUVER CANUCKS (30-18-5)
J.T. Miller–Elias Pettersson–Brock Boeser
Tanner Pearson–Bo Horvat–Loui Eriksson
Antoine Roussel–Adam Gaudette–Jake Virtanen
Tim Schaller–Jay Beagle–Brandon Sutter
Quinn Hughes–Chris Tanev
Alex Edler–Troy Stetcher
Oscar Fantenberg–Tyler Myers
Jacob Markstrom
