Back in Boston after a two-game sweep of the Sunshine State, the Boston Bruins will look to jump into sole possession of first place in the Atlantic Division as they play host to the Carolina Hurricanes.
But according to head coach Claude Julien, the Bruins are not yet in the business of looking down on a team like Carolina even if their own status within the Eastern Conference ranks has improved.
“I don’t want it to change to be honest with you because that would mean that certain games and certain situations are more important than others,… Julien said of the team’s mindset heading in to the first game of this two-game homestand. “When we talk about consistency in our game you want to get consistency in your thought process as well. For me, as I mentioned the other day, it’s really about how well you play. And I said it’s not necessarily about going in there telling guys, “We have to win this game.… You know we have to play well in order to win that game. So I wouldn’t really put an emphasis on our play versus the outcome and usually when you do that you let the outcome take care of itself. So that’s where I am. I’m not going to go in there and tell these guys it’s a bigger game than the next one. They all know where we are in the standings. It’s going to be more about can we go out there and respect this team to the point where we’re going to play the same way we did in our last game.…
One of the reasons the Bruins -- 5-0-1 since the trade deadline -- have been able to return back to the top of the Atlantic Division of late has been the balanced scoring up front, along with a steady defensive game that’s been bolstered by the addition of Hurricane-turned-Bruin John-Michael Liles.
“He’s been good because he’s an experienced guy, he’s got great mobility, he’s also got the experience that we need back there,… Julien said of the 35-year-old Liles. “We talked about the fact that he played both sides and he’s gone in there and been on the second power play as well. So you know I like the fact that he’s come in and he’s blended in and fit in really well with our hockey club.…
Promoted to the top pair alongside Zdeno Chara, Liles has played a simplified, puck-moving game that's really appeared to have a calming effect on what the B's defense has done with the puck in their own zone.
Tonight, Liles will play against the team that sent him to Boston a little less than two weeks ago.
The Hurricanes will give this start to veteran goaltender Cam Ward. Entering play with 19 wins and a .907 save percentage in 43 games played this season, Ward was a victor in his last outing behind a 21-of-24 night against the Ottawa Senators back on Mar. 8. The road has been unkind to Ward this season, though, with just six wins and a .906 save percentage in 18 games. But Ward has played well in Boston throughout his career, with six wins and a .927 save percentage in 15 career games at TD Garden (12 wins and a .915 save percentage in 30 career head-to-heads with the Bruins overall).
Expect birthday boy himself, Tuukka Rask, in the B’s crease. The 29-year-old stopped 47-of-51 in his last start, a 5-4 overtime win over the Florida Panthers on Monday, and comes into play with wins in six of his last eight contests, which includes a 39-of-40 effort against the Hurricanes back on Feb. 26. Rask has seven wins and a .941 save percentage in 11 career starts against Carolina.
- B’s center David Krejci has seven goals and 21 points in 26 career games vs. Carolina.
- Lee Stempniak has one goal and six points in five games with Boston.
- Carolina forward Jeff Skinner has four goals and six points in his last four games played.
- Hurricanes center Jordan Staal has four goals and 18 points in 31 games against Boston.
Other news and notes
Forward Tyler Randell and defenseman Zach Trotman are the expected scratches.
Defenseman Kevan Miller, out for the past two games with an upper-body injury after a boarding at the hands of Washington’s Alex Ovechkin last Saturday, was on the ice for the B’s morning skate. And though it appears that Miller dodged any serious injury in the hit for which Ovechkin was assessed a five-minute major, the Bruins aren’t throwing him back into the lineup just yet.
“He’s not going to play tonight,… Julien said of Miller’s status. “He’s obviously doing well. So we’re going to hold him off tonight and we’ll continue to go day-to-day here.…
Julien did note that there’s a ‘chance’ Miller plays in Saturday’s matinee against the New York Islanders.
Carolina All-Star defenseman Justin Faulk is out on a ‘week-to-week’ basis while the ‘Canes are without the services of forward Andrej Nestrasil (fractured vertebra) and d-man James Wisniewski (torn ACL) for the rest of the season.