NASHVILLE – The Bruins stretch of six consecutive road games continues on Tuesday night with a visit to the Music City to take on the Predators at Bridgestone Arena. Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the 8 p.m. ET puck drop on NESN and 98.5 The Sports Hub:
JVR Back In
After sitting out five of the last eight games due to illness and healthy scratches, James van Riemsdyk will be back in the lineup riding on a line with Morgan Geekie and Trent Frederic. Jakub Lauko will be the scratch up front.
“I guess what he was doing earlier in the year when he was on top of pucks, he was executing in all three zones and making things happen,” coach Jim Montgomery said when asked what the veteran winger needs to do to remain in the lineup.
“The strengths of my game are just playing smart, playing with detail, making the right play all the time and playing within the structure of the team,” added van Riemsdyk. “Those are the things that we’re trying to work on.”
van Riemsdyk acknowledged that it’s been difficult to find his footing since an illness sidelined him back in mid-March.
“I usually pride myself on not being sick too often, definitely took a lot out of me,” said van Riemsdyk. “Excited to be feeling a lot better and just build my game and as a team as we get ourselves ready to go for the postseason and taking it here one game at a time.”
- On the back end, Mason Lohrei will return to the lineup after sitting out the past three games as a healthy scratch. The rookie blue liner will play alongside Brandon Carlo. Matt Grzelcyk and Parker Wotherspoon will be the scratches.
- Linus Ullmark will make the start between the pipes.
- After making his Bruins practice debut on Monday, Pat Maroon was, once again, a full participant in the morning skate.
