GameDay: Kopitar, Struggling Kings Visit Chara-less Bruins

On Tuesday night the Boston Bruins will return to action for the first time since Saturday’s 5-3 win in Columbus as they get set to host Anze Kopitar and the Los Angeles Kings. The Kings, 13-12-4 (30 Points) are coming off a string of four straight losses, a streak in which they’ve been outscored 11-6 by their opponents. This will be the only time these two squads will face off in the Hub, with another meeting on March 24, 2012 scheduled for the Staples Center. The Bruins will be without captain Zdeno Chara, who injured his knee on Saturday night during a second period power-play. Chara is listed as day-to-day and will make the trip to Ottawa tomorrow.

Tonight’s Line-Up (Subject To Change):

FORWARDS

Marchand–Bergeron–Seguin

Lucic–Krejci–Horton

Pouliot–Kelly–Peverley

Caron–Hamill–Thornton

DEFENSE

Seidenberg–Boychuk

Kampfer–Corvo

Ference–McQuaid

GOALTENDER

Rask

Thomas

Scratches– ….. Chara (Leg–OUT), Paille (Concussion — GTD), Campbell (Lower Body–OUT)

– Tonight’s game can be seen on NESN (Edwards, Brickley) and heard on 98.5 The Sports Hub (Goucher, Beers), the flagship radio station of the Boston Bruins.

NEWS & NOTES

– In net for Boston tonight will be their 24-year-old Finn Tuukka Rask, who steeped in o relieve Tim Thomas who allowed 3 goals in two periods in Columbus on Saturday. B’s head coach Claude Julien noted this morning that Thomas will be in net tomorrow night when the Black and Gold visit the Ottawa Senators at ScotiaBank Place. On the other side of the ice is Kings’ netminder Jonathan Quick. The UMass-Amherst product has been an absolute workhorse for the Crowns this season, starting 23 of his team’s 29 games.

– One day after firing head coach Terry Murray, the Kings will be playing their first game under the direction of interim bench boss John Stevens. Stevens takes the reigns amid rampant speculation that Kings’ GM and Ludlow, MA native Dean Lombardi has eyed former Flames’ coach Darryl Sutter for a possible hiring. Tonight’s game could very well be both the first and the last game for John Stevens as head coach of the Los Angeles Kings.

– Bruins’ agitator and beloved sports figure in the city of Boston Brad Marchand was today fined $2,500 by the NHL’s discipline committee on the heels of his slew footing of Penguins’ defenseman Matt Niskanen last Monday night in Pittsburgh. Coach Claude Julien denounced such actions, stating  “I want him to be a good brat, not a bad brat”.

– Former Philadelphia Flyers’ captain Mike Richards will be making his first appearance in the Hub since being dealt to Los Angeles this past June, in a deal that sent Wayne Simmonds, and top prospect Brayden Schenn back to Broad Street. Skating on the Kings’ second line this season, the 5’11″ native of Kenora, Ontario has posted 11-9-20 splits in 25 games of action.

From The Room:

B’s Captain Chara Speaks For The First Time Since Being Injured

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