The Boston Bruins are back from their week break as they host the Pittsburgh Penguins tonight and two forwards will return to the lineup.
Erik Haula is back to center the second line after he spent the last two games in COVID protocol. Prior to protocol, Haula’s production took off in January, registering four goals and seven assists in 14 games and mostly recently, two goals in his last three games.
Nick Foligno will also slot into the fourth line’s left-wing. Foligno missed the last four games due to injury. With Foligno’s return, Anton Blidh will be a healthy scratch.
Jeremy Swayman will start in net for his 17th start of the season. He is 4-4-1 on home ice this season.
Connor Clifton rounds out the third defensive pairing with Derek Forbort, as Urho Vaakanainen is sidelined with an upper-body injury.
Here’s how lines and defensive pairings are projected to look:
Lines:
Brad Marchand - Patrice Bergeron - Craig Smith
Taylor Hall - Haula - David Pastrnak
Jake DeBrusk - Charlie Coyle - Oskar Steen
Foligno - Tomas Nosek - Curtis Lazar
Defensive pairings:
Matt Grzelcyk - Charlie McAvoy
Mike Reilly - Brandon Carlo
Forbort - Clifton
Swayman gets the start