Be sure to 'like' Hockeybuzz on Facebook!
Slow starts have killed the Boston Bruins in back-to-back games. So much so that the Bruins have made the call to the Providence Bruins for two jolts of life to their forward corps ahead of tonight’s head-to-head with the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs at TD Garden in Noel Acciari and Danton Heinen.
Acciari’s return to the Big B’s comes after a one-game get-your-legs-back (no pun intended) stint with the P-Bruins last night after Acciari had missed the prior 16 games with a knee injury. Acciari recorded an assist in that game, by the way, on Jake DeBrusk’s goal a 5-3 win over the Toronto Marlies. He’ll be reunited on a fourth line with Dominic Moore and Tim Schaller.
The 25-year-old Acciari has recorded two assists and 26 hits in 12 games this season.
For Heinen, the bump back to Boston comes after a 13-game run with the P-Bruins designed to give him top-six minutes in a generally pressure-free role while also allowing him to work on his game along the walls and in puck-battles (something the B’s emphasized to him on his initial send down). Heinen recorded seven goals (including three power-play strikes) and 13 points in Providence.
He’ll skate with David Krejci and David Backes on the B’s second line.
Former Maple Leaf draft pick Tuukka Rask will be in net for the Bruins. Rask stopped just 16-of-20 in a losing effort Wednesday in Washington, but comes into action with 14 wins and a .934 save percentage in 20 games this season. The 29-year-old has been a straight-up monster against the Leafs in his career, too, with 15 wins and a .935 save percentage in 20 starts against the Leafs.
The Leafs counter with Frederik Andersen. The 6-foot-4 Andersen took a loss on a 17-of-20 night on Dec. 7, and has just 10 wins and a .911 save percentage. But Andersen does come into this game with unbelievable numbers against the B’s in his career, with five wins and just seven goals allowed in five games. Andersen stopped 24-of-25 in his only prior head-to-head with Boston this year.
This will be the second of four meetings between the B’s and Leafs this season.
- Brad Marchand has 11 goals and 24 points in 30 career games against Toronto.
- Boston’s man advantage has just two goals on their last 23 opportunities.
- The Bruins come into tonight’s game with a five-game home point streak against the Leafs (3-0-2)
- Nazem Kadri has three goals and five points in his last seven games played.
- Morgan Rielly has one goal and six points in 12 career head-to-heads with the Bruins.
Other news and notes
With Acciari and Heinen in, Jimmy Hayes will sit as a healthy scratch for the second time in five games. Forward Anton Blidh has been reassigned to the Providence Bruins, too, after recording one assist, seven shots, and 13 hits in four games with the Big Bs.
Joe Morrow, who turned 24 yesterday, will draw back into the lineup in place of Colin Miller.
Winger Frank Vatrano (foot surgery) was seen skating on the ice at the morning skate, as well, and is still on pace for a return within the next couple of weeks, it would appear. Next week might be when things begin to really ramp up for the East Longmeadow, Mass., native’s return to game action.
The Bruins have wins in nine of their last 13 home games against the Maple Leafs.
David Pastrnak: The Bruins' next great superstar?
Ty Anderson has been covering the National Hockey League for HockeyBuzz.com since 2010 and has been a member of the Pro Hockey Writers Association's Boston Chapter since 2013. Ty is also the Boston Bruins beat writer and columnist for WEEI.com, and can also be found in the New England Hockey Journal. Contact him on Twitter or send him an email at Ty.AndersonHB[at]gmail.com.