Predators' Jones expects to play against Bruins

Monday, 12.23.2013 / 2:20 PM

By NHL.com Staff - / 2013-2014 At the Rink Blog

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Nashville Predators rookie defenseman Seth Jones expects to be in the lineup Monday when his team faces the visiting Boston Bruins.

Jones sustained a cut near his left eye when he was hit in the face by a deflected puck during the Predators’ game Saturday against the Montreal Canadiens.

“I am pretty lucky,” Jones told the Tennessean. “The doctor said it was probably the best spot cut-wise for it to happen. When it happened I was feeling around it. I knew it wasn’t around [the eye], so it got a little scary that it was right on the eye.”

Jones said he never lost vision, but the eye had swelled shut by the time doctors got to him in the locker room.

“They forced it open and the vision was still there, so I was good,” Jones said.

Jones has three goals and seven assists in 36 games and leads all NHL rookies with an average ice time of 21:34 per game.

The Bruins expect to have a key player of their own in the lineup Monday. Forward Brad Marchand sat out practice Sunday, but traveled with the team and is expected to play Monday in his usual second-line spot.

Also traveling with the team was defenseman Adam McQuaid, who was one of seven defenseman to practice Sunday. He hasn’t played since Nov. 30 due to a lower-body injury

Here is what the lineups for each team could look like:

BRUINS

Milan Lucic - David Krejci - Jarome Iginla

Brad Marchand - Patrice Bergeron - Reilly Smith

Carl Soderberg - Ryan Spooner - Matt Fraser

Jordan Caron - Gregory Campbell - Nick Johnson

Zdeno Chara - Torey Krug

Matt Bartkowski - Dennis Seidenberg

Adam McQuaid - Johnny Boychuk

Tuukka Rask

Chad Johnson

Scratched: David Warsofsky