After a three-day holiday break, the Boston Bruins and the rest of the NHL return to action on Friday night. The Black and Gold will kick off a home-and-home with the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena before the two teams return to the TD Garden on Saturday night. Ahead of the matchup, there was Bruins news following the morning skate in Columbus on Friday morning.
David Pastrnak will be in the lineup
If there was a player who needed the three-day more than anyone, it was David Pastrnak. The Bruins' top scorer left in the second period of Monday night's 4-1 win over the Washington Capitals with what the team deemed an upper-body injury. Friday morning, he was on the ice in Columbus, and interim coach Joe Sacco gave a positive update on his superstar.
"David will be back in the lineup tonight,'' Sacco said. "He went through the morning skate and he's ready to roll. He's feeling good and going to be back in the lineup.''
That is a huge sigh of relief for the Bruins who are facing a Blue Jackets team that beat them 5-1 back in November and the next day, Jim Montgomery was fired. The Blue Jackets are going to be difficult as they are hanging around wild card position in the Eastern Conference.
Joonas Korpisalo starts between the pipes
Boston goalie Joonas Korpisalo, who spent the first eight years of his career with the Blue Jackets, will be in goal in his return to Nationwide Arena. He was acquired as part of the Linus Ullmark trade with the Ottawa Senators back in June and it will be his first game back wearing the Spoked-B.
In his eight years with Columbus, Korpisalo was 87-78-24 with a 3.06 GAA and a .903 SV%. This season he has been good for the Bruins posting a 7-3-1 record backing up Jeremy Swayman with a 2.42 GAA and a .904 SV%.
Andrew Peeke returns following trade last March
Another former Columbus player makes his return with Korpisalo. Andrew Peeke was acquired from the Blue Jackets last season by Boston GM Don Sweeney and it will be his first time back since the deal that sent defenseman Jakub Zboril and a 2027 third-round pick to the Blue Jackets.
"It's pretty cool, a lot of familiar faces,'' said Peeke. "It's where I started, it's where I was drafted. A lot of good memories here and a lot of good friends that I keep in touch with and talk with. It's the first time I'm playing back here so it'll be special.''