Preview: Bruins look to extend win streak against Flames

Just the facts

When: Tonight, 7:00 PM

Where: TD Garden – Boston, MA

How to follow: NESN, SN360, SNE, SNW, 98.5 The Sports Hub

Rival SBN site: Matchsticks and Gasoline

Know your enemy

• 10-3-5, 25PTS, 2nd in Pacific Division
• Johnny Gaudreau: 18GP, 7G, 14A, 21PTS; Elias Lindholm: 18GP, 8G, 11A, 19PTS; Andrew Mangiapane: 18GP, 14G, 2A, 16 PTS
• Jacob Markstrom: 7-3-4, 1.71 GAA, .942 save percentage; Dan Vladar: 3-0-1, 1.96 GAA, .933 save percentage

Game notes

• The Boston Bruins host the Calgary Flames at the TD Garden for their SECOND game this weekend after their five-day break. Craziness. Two games in a row? What a treat.
• It’s game one of their season-series against the Flames, with the second and final season meeting on December 11 in Calgary. The teams last saw each other on February 25, 2020 when the Flames beat the Bruins 5-2 in Boston. That season, the Bruins got in their season series against Calgary and ended with a 1-1-0 record.
• This is the third back-to-back this season for the Bruins, and the second in an away-home set-up. The Bruins went 0-2-0 in their first back-to-back on October 27-28, and then won both games in the second back-to-back on November 13-14.
• The Bruins took the first game of this third back-to-back last night with a 5-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. It’s the third consecutive game the team has beaten their opponent by the same score.
• Secondary scoring was the difference maker against the Flyers. Derek Forbort netted two goals and Tomas Nosek added one tally. David Pastrnak and Craig Smith each scored one to make the final 5-2. Jake DeBrusk, Smith, Pastrnak and Forbort each had two points.
• Who would have thought that Forbort would be the leading defensive scorer on the Bruins? Forbort netted two goals in last night’s game against the Flyers to bring his total to a single season career-high for him with four goals in 14 games so far. In his previous six seasons combined, he scored eight goals in 331 games, only scoring at most two goals in a single season. His four goals ties Taylor Hall and for fifth most goals this season on the team.
• The Flames also won 5-2 yesterday against the New York Islanders. Mangiapane netted two goals while Brad Richardson, Trevor Lewis and Gaudreau added one each. They are on a two-game win streak.
• Tonight concludes a seven-game road trip for the Flames. On their road trip, Calgary is 3-1-2. They’ve shut out their opponents twice (a 4-0 win over Ottawa Senators and 5-0 win against the Buffalo Sabres).
• Craig Smith returned to the lineup yesterday. After a pointless eight-game streak and then missing the last two games, Smith finally registered his first points this season. Smith accumulated one goal and an assist on Forbort’s second goal in last night’s game.
• Calgary’s Mangiapane is one of the league’s leading goal scorers with 14 goals this season. He has seven goals in his last seven games played, including six on this road trip.
• Jeremy Swayman is slated to start in net for the Bruins. Swayman is 5-2-0 this season and 5-0-0 on home ice. In those five home games, he has a .938 save percentage with eight goals allowed.

See ya tonight!