Preview: Bruins look to keep Hurricanes at bay on Willie O’Ree night

Just the facts

When: Tonight, 7:00 PM

Where: TD Garden – Boston, MA

How to follow: NESN, TVAS, SNE, SNO, 98.5 The Sports Hub

Rival SBN site: Canes Country

Know your enemy

• 25-8-2, 52PTS, 2nd in Metropolitan Division
• Sebastian Aho: 32GP, 16G, 22A, 38PTS; Andrei Svechnikov: 32GP, 12G, 16A, 28PTS; Teuvo Teravainen: 35GP, 10G, 18A, 28PTS
• Frederik Andersen: 19-6-0, 2.03 GAA, .928 save percentage; Antti Raanta: 5-2-1, 2.35 GAA, .908 save percentage

Game notes

• The Bruins continue their homestand tonight against the Carolina Hurricanes! This is the second meeting between the two this season. It would have been the last if COVID didn’t interfere last month, as the Bruins’ home game against them on December 21, 2021 was postponed. Nevertheless, here we are!
• The B’s are currently on a five-game, season-high win streak after they defeated the Nashville Predators, 4-3, in overtime on Saturday afternoon. The Bruins have collected 16 points in January’s nine games so far. They’ve also have double the amount of goals they’ve scored in those games compared to their opponents (40-21).
• Brad Marchand’s goal in the team’s OT win over the Predators earned him his 20^th goal of the season. It is now the 11th season in which he’s registered at least a 20-goal season. Marchand right now has nine goals during a six-game point streak.
• The Bruins will retire Willie O’Ree’s No. 22 in a pre-game ceremony tonight! O’Ree played in 45 games for the Bruins. It will be 64 years to the date that O’Ree played his first game for the B’s (on January 18, 1958) and became the NHL’s first Black player. He appeared in two games that season. During the 1960-61 season, he registered four goals and 10 assists.

• The Bruins last saw the Hurricanes on October 28, 2021 when they were shut out, 3-0, on the road. Both teams had five power plays, but the Bruins couldn’t capitalize on any, while Carolina scored one on the man-advantage. The Hurricanes scored a goal a period – from Tony DeAngelo, Nino Niederreiter and Svechnikov – to defeat the B’s. Andersen made 33 saves for Carolina. The Bruins outshot their opponent, 33-24.
• Carolina is 3-1-1 in their last five games. In those games, Brady Skjei has four goals and three assists.
• The Hurricanes last played on Saturday January 15 when they beat the Vancouver Canucks, 4-1. Aho gave Carolina the lead on a power play, but the Canucks tied the game in the first period. Vincent Trocheck and Martin Necas added tallies in the second, while Steven Lorentz capped off the Hurricanes’ third unanswered goal in the final frame for the 4-1 win.
• Tuukka Rask will start in net. He played his first game of the season last Thursday against the Philadelphia Flyers. While he didn’t see much action in the first period, he came away with 25 saves as the game progressed, including a few crucial breakaway stops for his first win of the 2021-22 season.
• COVID updates: Connor Clifton is back from protocol after missing the last four games. He skated on the third pairing during yesterday’s practice. Matt Grzelcyk remains in protocol.
• Injury updates: Nick Foligno skated with the Bruins yesterday, but he won’t play tonight. Trent Frederic and John Moore remain sidelined with injuries.

See ya tonight!