The Boston Bruins and visiting Seattle Kraken look to bounce back from their respective losses when they meet for the first time ever on Tuesday night.
Boston returns home after going 1-1-1 during a Western Conference road trip that concluded with Sunday’s 6-1 loss at Dallas.
Following the team’s third regulation loss in seven games, head coach Bruce Cassidy said goaltender Tuukka Rask is “highly unlikely” to play until after the upcoming All-Star break due to a lower-body injury.
“Tuukka hasn’t even practiced yet,” Cassidy said. “(Jeremy) Swayman and (Linus) Ullmark will be the guys for Tuesday, and then we’re off.” After Tuesday, the Bruins will have a full week before their next game against Pittsburgh at home.
Swayman rejoined Boston before Sunday’s game after being assigned to the American Hockey League following Rask’s return from offseason hip surgery on Jan. 11. Ullmark saw his 7-0-1 run end as he was pulled after allowing four goals on 15 shots versus the Stars.
The Bruins look to right the ship after allowing two goals in each period against Dallas, suffering their second lopsided loss in less than two weeks. They also dropped a 7-1 decision to Metropolitan Division-leading Carolina on Jan. 18.
“We didn’t do enough in front of (Ullmark),” Cassidy said. “It was a little more of, ‘OK, let’s get him out of there, he’s done some good work for us.’ We weren’t playing great, so get Swayman some work back at the NHL level. … I didn’t think goaltending (on Sunday) was the problem at all. There were just too many easy opportunities for them.”
Erik Haula was placed on the COVID-19 list before the game during which Cassidy reunited the trio of Brad Marchand, captain Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak. Craig Smith moved off the top line and scored the team’s lone Sunday goal, his sixth of the season.
Forwards Trent Frederic and Nick Foligno are progressing from upper-body injuries, but their status for Tuesday remains unknown.
Seattle started its four-game trip with an overtime win last Thursday in Pittsburgh before a heartbreaking Sunday loss to the New York Rangers.
Despite logging a season-high 42 shots and outplaying New York, the Kraken fell on K’Andre Miller’s goal with 33.7 seconds left. Jared McCann, whose 18 goals and 28 points lead Seattle, scored for a third straight game and added an assist on Sunday.
“I thought we played a really good game throughout,” Seattle defenseman Mark Giordano said. “I thought we generated a lot of shots. … We threw a lot of pucks towards (New York’s Igor Shesterkin). You’re not going to get more than two or three on that guy most nights. He’s a top goaltender in the league for a reason and made a lot of big saves.”
For the Kraken, forward Calle Jarnkrok was a late scratch due to an upper-body injury that coach Dave Hakstol said emerged on Thursday. Former Bruin Karson Kuhlman left the most recent game after hitting the boards on a first-period bodycheck.
Goaltender Chris Driedger could return from COVID-19 protocol in Boston. He was scheduled to start during a back-to-back this past weekend, but Saturday’s game against the Islanders was postponed due to a major snowstorm.
–Field Level Media