This morning the Bruins had an optional morning skate. Yesterday worked the troops real hard for more than an hour and installed in them that Pittsburgh is the best team they have played in weeks. Now on to the notes...
*Tim Thomas was the first goalie off the ice this morning, indicating he'll start tonight against the Penguins.Tim Thomas (11-2-1, 2.09) vs. Marc-Andre Fleury (11-6-2, 2.86)
* Matt Lashoff will most likely be the healthy scratch.
* Hal Gill is expected to appear in his first game tonight since Dec. 6. Gill was sidelined with a shoulder injury With Hal Gill back in the lineup, the Penguins will dress seven defensemen, with Alex Goligoski taking some shifts up front.
* David Krejci brings an eight-game scoring streak into tonight.
* Patrice Bergeron has not been placed on injured reserve yet.
*The B's are 97-50-21-3 all-time against Pittsburgh and have won 11 of their last 16 contests against the Penguins.
*The Bruins are 13-1-0 since Thanksgiving.
*The B’s have scored an NHL-high 130 goals and allowed a league-low 76.
*Boston leads the NHL in even-strength goals with 88.
*Michael Ryder leads the NHL with seven game-winning goals.
*The B’s have three defensemen with at least 10 points: Dennis Wideman (22), Zdeno Chara (20) and Matt Hunwick (15).
*The Bruins have not allowed a power-play goal in three straight games, going 12-of-12 on the penalty kill.
*Aaron Ward returned to action Sunday against the Thrashers after missing 10 of 11 games because of an ankle injury.
*The Penguins have lost three straight home games and are just 8-7-2 at Mellon Arena this season.
*Pittsburgh ranks 15th in the NHL on the power play (18.4 percent) and has scored just two goals in 13 opportunities over their last five games, including going 0-for-13 in their last three contests.
*Penguins center Evgeni Malkin leads the NHL with 59 points (15 goals, 44 assists), and Sidney Crosby is tied for second with 49 (15, 34).
Crosby is tied for second with Alex Ovechkin in points. Right behind the dynamic players in fourth is the Bruins Marc Savard with 43 points.
*Phil Kessel is fourth in the NHL in goals with 22. Kessel is four goals behind league leader Jeff Carter of the Flyers.
*Tim Thomas is T-2 in Save % with a .935 %. He is third in GAA with a 2.04, right behind his partner in crime, Manny Fernandez who has a 2.02 GAA. Thomas is also tied for 5th in wins with 15 and T-3 with shut outs, (3).
*The top five +/- players in the NHL will be on display tonight with Marc Savard owning the league's top mark as a +23. In a log jam in second with a +22 rating are the Bruins, Dennis Wideman, Blake Wheeler and David Krejci along with Pittsburgh's Evgeni Malkin.
“We’re getting pretty good and creating a lot of offense. We’re doing what we do best and not trying to be too handsome.”--Michael Ryder, in USA Today, after the Bruins’ 2-1 win over the Thrashers
Tonight's expected lineup:
P.J. Axelsson - Marc Savard - Phil Kessel
Blake Wheeler - David Krejci - Michael Ryder
Milan Lucic - Stephane Yelle - Chuck Kobasew
Vladimir Sobotka - Martin St. Pierre - Shawn Thornton
Zdeno Chara - Aaron Ward
Matt Hunwick - Dennis Wideman
Mark Stuart - Shane Hnidy
Tim Thomas
Manny Fernandez
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