Bruins Brace for a Shorthanded Black Friday Battle with the Rangers
So here’s what’s shaping up to be a pretty intriguing Black Friday matchup at TD Garden, where the Boston Bruins are set to host the New York Rangers in a 1 p.m. matinee. And honestly, this one already feels like a story of depth, resilience, and a little bit of rivalry energy mixed in.
The Bruins are going into this game noticeably shorthanded. David Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha have both been ruled out, each dealing with day-to-day injuries, which means Boston will be forced to lean heavily on the rest of the roster. Head coach Marco Sturm didn’t seem rattled at all, though. He basically reminded everyone that the team has dealt with similar situations before and handled them just fine. As long as the structure is respected—especially in those moments without the puck—he believes they’ll hold steady.
Because of the holes in the lineup, Georgii Merkulov has been called up from Providence and will slot right in. The 25-year-old has been producing well in the AHL and has already had a taste of NHL action over the last couple of seasons. On top of that, Casey Mittelstadt is finally making his return after missing several weeks with a lower-body injury. Before he went out, he had been quietly putting together a strong stretch of nine points in 15 games. Riley Tufte is also being reinserted to reinforce the bottom six.
Also Read:- Russia’s Space Launch Success Shadowed by Damaged Launch Pad
- Major M25 Disruptions After Multiple Crashes Near Upminster and Dartford
Other roster moves have been shifting things around too—Michael Callahan heading back to Providence and Matej Blümel being placed on long-term injured reserve after leaving Wednesday’s game early.
This will actually be the first of three meetings between Boston and New York this season, and Sturm acknowledged that the Rangers, despite a rocky start, have been playing well lately—especially on the road. It’s always a fun matchup, and the rivalry adds a little spark.
Joonas Korpisalo gets the start in net for Boston. His stats so far—3.43 goals-against average and .878 save percentage—aren’t eye-popping, but he’s shown he can steady things when needed. And with so many key players out, he may need to shoulder a bit more of the load.
The Bruins will also lean on players like Alex Steeves, who is coming off a two-goal performance and is expected to skate on the top line due to the team’s injury crunch. On defense, Nikita Zadorov continues to take on a massive workload with Charlie McAvoy sidelined, leading the team in minutes and physicality.
As for the Rangers, they come in fresh off a win over Carolina, with big performances from Artemi Panarin, Vincent Trocheck, and others. Igor Shesterkin remains a major factor, and New York’s top players have been heating up just in time for this matchup.
So overall, this one has all the ingredients for a gritty, competitive, injury-tested showdown—exactly what you’d expect on a packed Black Friday afternoon in Boston.
Read More:
0 Comments