[Max Bemis voice]: And the blog begins with a lede of snark.[/Max Bemis voice.]
Finally, Martin Jones makes his long awaited return to Boston’s TD Garden.
The Bruins’ big return for Milan Lucic last June, Jones spent all of a weekend in Boston before the club shipped him off to San Jose in exchange for a first-round pick in 2016 (a pick that’s not lottery protected, mind you) and NCAA prospect Sean Kuraly. The Jones Era in Boston was a particularly memorable one and should come with a lengthy video tribute to his time in the Hub.
In their first head-to-head meeting of the season, the Bruins will look to improve their stock of one of their two first-round picks in this upcoming draft. But it won’t be any easy feat against a San Jose Sharks club that’s won the first two games -- against the Red Wings and Sabres on Friday and Saturday, respectively -- of their six-game road swing (and six of nine on the road in total this season).
“Well they were off to a real good start,… Claude Julien said of the Sharks. “And obviously when you look at their record on the road they’ve played well. They’re a good well-balanced team. Their goaltending has been good, they’ve got [Brent] Burns on defense who to me- he’s a beast, you know- so big, strong, mobile, skates well, shoots the puck well. So they’ve got a good asset back there.
“Up front, they’ve got some skill. So you know they’re a good team; they’re well coached, you know I think Peter [DeBoer] has always done well in this league no matter where he’s gone so, you know, they’ve had a little change of scenery there. But nonetheless at this point with our game where it’s been going at home I think a lot of the focus has to be on us and knowing that every team that comes here looking at our home record certainly comes in here with a lot of confidence right now.…
The Bruins took a positive step forward in their last game, however, with a home win -- their second of the season -- in a much needed positive bend-don’t-break showing against the Red Wings.
“You win tonight you got the opportunity move up three spots and that’s important. And with Thanksgiving just around the corner we have to take advantage of those games at home and make the most of it,… noted Julien. “So yes, there is an importance to winning tonight and being able to play a full sixty minute type of effort that we’ve been looking for.…
San Jose, of course, gives this one to Jones. The 25-year-old Jones has been stellar for the Sharks -- with eight wins (two shutouts) and a .923 in 14 games for San Jose this season -- and rolls into the Hub following a 30-of-31 showing against the Buffalo Sabres last Saturday. Jones’ road record has been vicious for the opposition, too, with six wins and a .939 save percentage away from the Tank. A Western Conference backup goalie his entire career, this will be Jones’ first career start against the Bruins.
Boston counters with Tuukka Rask. This will be the fourth straight start for the 28-year-old Rask, and comes on the heels of an impressive 22-of-23 showing against the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday night. Rask has been impressive over his last seven starts, with four wins and a .928 save percentage, and comes into play with three wins and a .923 in four career games against the Sharks.
Other news and notes
The Bruins will have all eight of their defensemen available tonight, as Colin Miller (lower-body) is set to return to the lineup if the Bruins so choose. Plugging Miller back into the mix should be an obvious for the Bruins given his stats (one goal, seven points in 14 games) and his success on Boston’s second power-play unit. The obvious odd-man out in this scenario would be Zach Trotman.
But Julien’s not tipping his hand either way just yet.
“I think when you look at how long he sat out for and how he’s done when he’s played he’s done well,… Julien said of Trotman following the team’s morning skate at TD Garden. “When you have eight Ds there’s going to be guys that are going to be going in and out throughout the year. So we shouldn’t make too much of a deal of who’s in, who’s out more than they’re all going to play at some point.…
One of them will most likely join Joe Morrow as the healthy scratch for the Bruins.
San Jose is without the services of Logan Couture (ankle), winger Ben Smith, and agitator Raffi Torres (suspension for having actual concrete between his ears).