Backes And Chara Return Versus Tampa Bay

7 p.m. ET
TD Garden – Boston, MA
TV: NESN
Radio: 98.5 FM The Sports Hub

Season Series/Schedule
Date      Game                                    GWG
11/29     TBL 2 @ BOS 3                   Torey Krug
3/17       BOS 3 @ TBL 0                   David Pastrnak
3/29       TBL @ BOS         
4/3         BOS @ TBL

Team Leaders
Bruins                                                                                   Lightning
Brad Marchand, 82                          Points                   Nikita Kucherov, 96
Brad Marchand, 33                          Goals                    Nikita Kucherov, 38
Brad Marchand, 49                          Assists                  Steven Stamkos, 59

The Boston Bruins will be back at the TD Garden tonight after a four-game road trip and playing eight of their last nine games away from home.

Tonight's game will have a playoff feel to it because of the Bruins can score a regulation win, they jump over the Tampa Bay Lightning for first place in both the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference.

The Bruins will have some reinforcements when they go for their third win over Tampa this season.  Both forward David Backes and defenseman Zdeno Chara will both return to the lineup tonight.  Backes has been out since March 17 with a knee laceration and the captain has not played since March 13.

The update on Rick Nash, who was also hurt in that March 17 game at Tampa Bay, was not as positive today.  Head coach Bruce Cassidy said Nash is improving and working out off the ice but has not skated yet.

Speaking of injuries, Lightning captain Steven Stamkos has been bothered by a lower-body injury and is officially listed as day-to-day.  Stamkos was a full participant in Tampa's morning skate today and told reporters afterwards that he is good to go for tonight's game.

Probable Bruins Lineup
FORWARDS
Brad Marchand - Patrice Bergeron - David Pastrnak
Ryan Donato - David Krejci - Brian Gionta
Danton Heinen - Riley Nash – David Backes
Tim Schaller - Noel Acciari - Tommy Wingels

DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS
Zdeno Chara – Nick Holden
Torey Krug – Brandon Carlo
Matt Grzelcyk – Kevan Miller

GOALTENDER
Tuukka Rask (32-11-5, 2.32 GAA, .918 save %, 3 SO)

INJURY REPORT
LW-Anders Bjork (shoulder) out, D-Charlie McAvoy (knee) out, LW-Jake DeBrusk (upper-body) out, RW-Rick Nash (upper-body) out

Probable Lightning Lineup
FORWARDS
J.T. Miller – Steven Stamkos– Nikita Kucherov
Yanni Gourde – Brayden Point – Tyler Johnson
Ondrej Palat– Anthony Cirelli – Alex Killorn
Chris Kunitz – Cedric Paquette – Cory Conacher

DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS
Victor Hedman – Anton Stralman
Ryan McDonagh – Dan Girardi
Braydon Coburn – Mikhail Sergachev

GOALTENDER
Andrei Vasilevskiy (42-15-3, 2.59 GAA, .921 save %, 7 SO)

INJURY REPORT
RW-Ryan Callahan (upper-body) day-to-day, LW-Adam Erne (lower-body) day-to-day