Need to Know: Bruins at Avalanche

DENVER - The Bruins open up their four-game, nine-day road trip on Wednesday night with a visit to the Colorado Avalanche. It will be a battle of top lines as Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, and David Pastrnak take on Gabriel Landeskog, Nathan MacKinnon, and Mikko Rantanen.

Here's everything else you need to know ahead of B's-Avs:

Riding High

David Krejci enters tonight's game in Denver with a four-game points streak (six assists), coinciding with Joakim Nordstrom sliding in as his left wing ahead of Boston's win over Dallas last Monday. Despite the recent surge in production, Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy has been pleased with Krejci's game throughout the season as he's adjusted to playing with a bevy of different wingers on his left side.
Krejci is fourth on the Bruins with 15 points (2 goals, 13 assists) in 17 games this season.
"I thought Krech has been pretty good no matter who we've put there after maybe week one or two," said Cassidy. "I think early on we didn't like a lot of our game, but he's come around and Jake [DeBrusk] obviously going to the right side about that time - we used a bunch of different left wingers. I think [Nordstrom] helps his game.
"I think what it's done is put two guys with speed on his wings that want to get going and hunt pucks and play in straight lines. I think the way the game is today that benefits him, as well, to have speed outside so he can make his plays through the middle."

Miller Returns

Kevan Miller skated with the full group for the first time since suffering a hand injury on Oct. 18 in Edmonton. The blue liner has missed the last 10 games and is not expected to play before next Wednesday's game in Detroit.
"It's nice to have him back and see him out there working really hard in practice," said Matt Grzelcyk, Miller's customary defense partner. "I know he's excited to join the guys and kind of feel more a part of the team than maybe the past few weeks. It's always nice to have a guy like him in you back corner for any sort of advice or if you need to lean on him for something. He's always there for you."

Acciari Scratched

Noel Acciari will be the healthy scratch for the third straight game as Cassidy continues to ride the same lineup that's helped Boston to two consecutive victories.
"I don't want him to sit for too long. He's a great character guy, gives us lots of energy," said Cassidy. "We made a decision the other night [before the Toronto game], involves as much bringing a third-line center [Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson] in to get the pace up on that line. Obviously someone had to come out, happened to be Noel. And then we go out and play a couple good games, the line looks good that he would be going into with [Sean] Kuraly.
"Right now, we're gonna leave it be but I feel for him. He does a lot of good things for this club. A little snakebite to start offensively, but he'll find his way back in there.
"I just want to put him in the best place where he has the best chance to have success. We'll see if that's Friday. That won't be tonight unfortunately."

Getting a Bump

With Brandon Carlo and Charlie McAvoy both out of the lineup, Zdeno Chara was in need of a new partner. That job has been given to Grzelcyk, who will be playing his second consecutive game alongside Boston's captain.
"I'm trying to expand my defensive abilities, I guess," said Grzelcyk. "Just try to be a sponge and learn from him as much as I can, how much he communicates to me. It's been awesome so far."

Waiting His Turn

With the injury to Carlo, Jakub Zboril was recalled from Providence on Tuesday to join the B's for their lengthy road trip. Cassidy said the young blue liner will not play against the Avalanche, but is not ruling out him playing at some point this weekend.
"We're gonna go day by day with that," said Cassidy. "He's here cause he's the next best guy according to Providence, so he's earned it. But we've liked [Jeremy] Lauzon and [Steven] Kampfer. We've got a back-to-back coming up, so that might be an opportunity. But I'm not gonna say for sure that he'll go in until maybe the other guys play themselves out of the lineup."

Wednesday's Projected Lineup

Brad Marchand - Patrice Bergeron - David Pastrnak
Joakim Nordstrom - David Krejci - Jake DeBrusk
Danton Heinen - Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson - Anders Bjork
Chris Wagner - Sean Kuraly - David Backes
Zdeno Chara - Matt Grzelcyk
Torey Krug - John Moore
Jeremy Lauzon - Steven Kampfer
Jaroslav Halak
Tuukka Rask
Scratches: Noel Acciari and Jakub Zboril