Preview: Bruins return from Christmas break to face Columbus

12/27/2024 09:00 AM

Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

Lumbus.

When: Tonight, 7 PM

Where: Nationwide Arena - Columbus, OH

How to follow: NESN, 98.5 The Sports Hub

Opposing perspective:Jackets Cannon

14-15-6, 34PTS, T-5th in the Metropolitan Division
Kirill Marchenko: 13G-24A-37PTS; Zach Werenski: 11G-24A-35PTS; Sean Monahan: 11G-20A-31PTS
Elvis Merzlikins: 10-9-3, 3.13 GAA, .889 save percentage

Welcome back after a holiday layoff, folks! The Bruins and Blue Jackets will shake off the Christmas rust tonight, with both teams back in action for the first time since Monday. Both teams won their respective games Monday as well.
The Blue Jackets soundly beat the Bruins earlier this season, a 5-1 drubbing at TD Garden on November 18. That loss marked the end of the line for Jim Montgomery, who was fired the next day.
Kirill Marchenko, Columbus' leading scorer, has been on a heater of late, with 2G-7A-9PTS totals in his last five games.
Ol' pals Sean Kuraly and James van Riemsdyk are doing relatively fine in Columbus this season. Kuraly has 3G-6A-9PTS in 35 games, while JVR has 4G-5A-9PTS in 28 games.
In case you needed a refresher, the Bruins are 7-2-1 in their last ten games and have points in five games in a row. Columbus has won two of three, with the lone loss coming in OT.
In a somewhat surprising statistic, Columbus actually boasts one of the league's top-ten offenses, coming in at 3.31 GF/G (9th in the league).
The Blue Jackets will host their first outdoor game on March 1, facing the Detroit Red Wings at Ohio State's football stadium. Our friends at Jackets Cannon review all of the Stadium Series jerseys to date.

See ya tonight!