Need to Know: Bruins vs. Canadiens

BOSTON –– The Boston Bruins will close out their homestand on Tuesday with an Original Six matchup against the Montreal Canadiens.

The 7 p.m. puck drop marks the second of four regular-season meetings between the Atlantic Division opponents; the Bruins previously beat Montreal 3-2 on Nov. 15 at Bell Centre. It is Boston’s final game before the break, too.​

“Those are the games that are really fun to play in, to be part of. Before Christmas, we have some days off, big game for us,” head coach Marco Sturm said. “My guys will be ready today, that’s what I can say.”

Vladislav Kolyachonok will make his Bruins debut on Tuesday. Boston claimed the 24-year-old defenseman off waivers from the Dallas Stars on Dec. 16. Kolyachonok has three points (one goal, two assists) through 11 NHL games this year.

“At the end of the day, I just want him to be himself, let’s put it that way. I want him to defend well. Doesn’t have to be a different player. We got him off waivers for a reason,” Sturm said. “We think he can close with his feet. He has good positioning, he has good sticks. Just being a pain in the butt, a little bit, to play against.”​

Kolyachonok is projected to skate on the third pair with Mason Lohrei while Victor Soderstrom draws out of the lineup.

“We have a good communication, a good understanding of each other. Happy to play with [Lohrei],” Kolyachonok said. “It is cool to start, and we are looking for a win…Whatever they tell me to do, I will do my best, and I will try to help the team today.”

​Viktor Arvidsson will be a game-time decision, Sturm said. The 32-year-old forward suffered a lower-body injury on Dec. 11 against the Winnipeg Jets and has not played since; he has been practicing with the team this week, though. Arvidsson has 14 points (seven goals, seven assists) through 25 games. He was on the second line with Pavel Zacha and Casey Mittelstadt during Tuesday’s morning skate.

“Every injury is tough, and you don’t want to go through it. I feel like we had a good thing going, and we were finding each other. I think we still can find back to that pretty quick. I’m confident in our abilities,” Arvidsson said. “I’m looking forward to coming back from this one and to contribute to team success and try to help the team.”

Wait, There’s More

• Charlie McAvoy enters Tuesday’s matchup on a three-game point streak; he has one goal and three assists through that stretch. The defenseman scored his first goal of the season on Sunday. McAvoy has a total of 19 points through 25 games this year and is on the first pair with Nikita Zadorov.
• Jeremy Swayman will start in net for Boston. The goaltender last played on Sunday when he relieved Joonas Korpisalo; he went on to make 10 saves. Swayman has a 2.78 goals against average and a .906 save percentage through 25 games. He made 26 saves in the Bruins’ win over Montreal in November.
• The first line of Morgan Geekie, Elias Lindholm and David Pastrnak returned during Tuesday’s morning skate. The trio has combined for four goals and six assists in the last five games, and are all on the first power-play unit. Geekie and Pastrnak are tied for most PPG on the Bruins with seven each.

Opposing View

• The Canadiens most recently fell 4-3 in a shootout to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday. Oliver Kapanen, Ivan Demidov and Noah Dobson scored in the loss, and netminder Jakub Dobes made 28 saves. Montreal has won three of its last five games.
• Nick Suzuki leads the Canadiens with 40 points (10 goals, 30 assists) through 36 games. The 26-year-old is centering the first line between Zack Bolduc and Cole Caufield, who has the most goals on the team with 17. Suzuki and Caufield are both on the first power-play unit, too.
• Lane Hutson has the fifth-most points of all NHL defensemen, and most of all Montreal defensemen. The 21-year-old – who played two seasons of NCAA hockey at Boston University – has 32 points (five goals, 27 assists) through 36 games. Hutson has been skating on the second pair with Alexandre Carrier.