5 Reasons to watch Bruins-Rangers

The Boston Bruins and New York Rangers are headed in opposite directions as they prepare to play at Madison Square Garden in the Wednesday Night Rivalry game (8 p.m. ET; NBCSN, NHL.TV).
The Bruins flew to New York after a 3-2 road victory against the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday. Boston is 8-1-0 in its past nine games and 17-1-4 in its past 22. After a slow start, the Bruins have closed within three points of the first-place Tampa Bay Lightning in the Atlantic Division.

The Rangers return home after back-to-back losses at the Nashville Predators and Dallas Stars. They are 0-3-0 since the All-Star break and 1-6-0 in their past seven.
But it's the Rangers, not the Bruins, who will try to sweep the season series. New York won 4-2 at home on Nov. 8 and 3-2 in overtime on Dec. 16.
Here are 5 reasons to tune in:

Marchand's back

Boston forward Brad Marchand will play in his first regular-season game since Jan. 23, when he elbowed New Jersey Devils forward Marcus Johansson in the head and was suspended for five games (though he was allowed to play in the Honda NHL All-Star Game). Marchand said earlier this week that he intends to be "more aware" and not put himself in jeopardy of any more punishments from the NHL. Despite missing 13 games with injuries and suspensions, Marchand's 50 points (21 goals, 29 assists) are tied for the team scoring lead with David Pastrnak. For the Bruins to catch the Lightning and make a long playoff run, Marchand has to be smart and focused. This would be a good place to start.

Old rivals

The Bruins and Rangers haven't been in the same division for decades, but there's rarely any love lost when these two Original Six rivals play. Their rivalry goes back to the Rangers' arrival in the NHL in 1926, two years after the Bruins joined the League. They struggled together for most of the 1960s, then became elite teams at the same time in the late 1960s and played in the 1972 Stanley Cup Final (won by the Bruins in six games). The Rangers have won their past seven games against the Bruins and are 5-0-0 at the Garden since Boston won 6-3 on March 2, 2014.

Patrice Bergeron

Bergeron doesn't pile up offensive numbers like Sidney Crosby or Connor McDavid, but he's long been one of the best two-way centers in NHL history. At age 32, he's averaging nearly a point a game (44 points in 46 games), is among the NHL's leaders in plus-minus (plus-24) and is winning 56.5 percent of his faceoffs. Bergeron is a four-time winner of the Selke Trophy as the top defensive forward in the NHL and figures to make life miserable for the Rangers' top line - at both ends of the ice.

Happy anniversary

It's been exactly one year since Bruce Cassidy replaced Claude Julien as coach of the Bruins, and to say they've been transformed would be an understatement. The win at Detroit on Tuesday gave Boston a 50-19-9 record. That includes their recent 8-1-0 and 17-1-4 surges. Cassidy has given his young players a chance to show what they can do while getting the most from veterans such as defenseman Zdeno Chara and Bergeron. It's been a winning combination from the day he took over.
RELATED: [Cassidy right fit for Bruins one year after becoming coach]

Time to sell?

The lineup that takes the ice for the Rangers at the Garden might look a lot different than the one New York fans see after the NHL Trade Deadline on Feb. 26. The Rangers' struggles may have convinced management that it's time to rebuild, or at least do a major roster renovation. Goaltender Henrik Lundqvist said last week that he's OK with whatever happens, and forward Rick Nash has given the front office a list of teams he's willing to be traded to. Forward Michael Grabner (team-high 21 goals) and defenseman Nick Holden are other players whose time in New York could be coming to an end.