Bruins Vs. Devils: B's Look For Renewed Spirits; Marchand Back In Lineup

Bruins Vs. Devils Preview: TV/Radio Info, Time, Location And More

Event: Boston Bruins at New Jersey Devils
Date/Time: Thursday, January 19, 2012 - 7 p.m. EDT.
Location: Prudential Center (Capacity: 17,625), Newark, N.J.
Broadcast Info: Thursday’s game between the Bruins and the Devils will be broadcast live on NESN. The game can also be heard on 98.5 The Sports Hub, with Dave Goucher providing play-by-play, and Bob Beers providing analysis.

Last Time Out: Coach Claude Julien called his team "ordinary" when asked how they were playing. Based on how they were playing the past couple of months, the ho-hum past couple of games could definitely be categorized like that, especially last game against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

They came out and scored three goals, but ultimately fell 5-3 with an open net goal, courtesy of Steven Stamkos. The Lightning currently sit in last place in the Eastern Conference.

Nathan Horton scored two of those goals, just one game after Patrice Bergeron led his team to a victory scoring the team’s only two goals in regulation against the Florida Panthers. Daniel Paille scored the third on the penalty kill--his second on the shorthand this year.

The Devils have been on a bit of a kick, winning five of their last six games, including their last three.

In their last game against the Winnipeg Jets, they put up a 5-1 victory. The game prior to that, they beat the Jets again, though only by a 2-1 margin.

Ilya Kovalchuk scored twice on Tuesday, one on the power play and the other at even strength, while Petr Sykora, David Clarkson and Patrick Elias each scored as well.

Storyline: Tonight will be the first night back for Bruins forward Brad Marchand, who missed the last five games due to a suspension after clipping Vancouver forward Sami Salo back on January 7. In those five games, the Bruins have recorded a 3-2-0 record and have allowed 15 goals in that time.

Marchand is a leading scorer for the Bruins and up to the point of his suspension had 16 goals--tied with Milan Lucic and Nathan Horton for second most on the team. Tyler Seguin still holds first place with 17 goals.

Also returning to the lineup for the Bruins is Rich Peverley who missed the last two games for personal reasons.

The last time these two teams met was back on Jan. 4 and the Bruins took a 6-1 win--their first of the New Year.

Clarkson was the only one to score for the Devils while Patrice Bergeron had another two-goal game, while David Krejci, Nathan Horton, Shawn Thornton and Gregory Campbell each netted one as well.

Players To Watch:
Last time Marchand was removed from even a play during the game, he came out the shift and buried a goal. It wouldn’t be surprising if he came out tonight and made a significant difference on the ice.

Bergeron continues to make his presence known and will continue to be the leader on the ice when his team is "struggling."

Prediction: I think with Marchand back in the lineup as well as teammate Rich Peverley, the Bruins will be in fine form, even against a hot team. It might take a while for them to get back into the swing of things, but they should come out on top. Final Score: Bruins 3, Devils 2.

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