Preview: Bruins return from Christmas break to face Columbus

When: Tonight at 19.00

Where: Nationwide Arena – Columbus, OH

How to follow: NESN, 98.5 The Sports Hub

Opposite perspective: Great jacket

14-15-6, 34PTS, T-5th in Metropolitan Division
Kirill Marchenko: 13G-24A-37PTS; Zach Werenski: 11G-24A-35PTS; Sean Monahan: 11G-20A-31PTS
Elvis Merzlikins: 10-9-3, 3.13 GAA, .889 save percentage

Welcome back after a holiday layoff, folks! The Bruins and Blue Jackets shake off the Christmas rust tonight, with both teams back in action for the first time since Monday. Both teams also won their respective matches on Monday.
The Blue Jackets soundly beat the Bruins earlier this season with a 5-1 romp at TD Garden on Nov. 18. That loss marked the end of the streak for Jim Montgomery, who was fired the next day.
Kirill Marchenko, Columbus’ leading scorer, has been on a heater lately with 2G-7A-9PTS totals in his last five games.
Friends Sean Kuraly and James van Riemsdyk are doing relatively well in Columbus this season. Kuraly has 3G-6A-9PTS in 35 games, while JVR has 4G-5A-9PTS in 28 games.
In case you needed a refresher, the Bruins are 7-2-1 in their last ten games and have points in five straight games. Columbus has won two of three, with the only loss coming in OT.
In a somewhat surprising statistic, Columbus actually boasts one of the league’s top-ten offenses, coming in at 3.31 GF/G (9th in the league).
The Blue Jackets will host their first outdoor game on March 1, against the Detroit Red Wings at Ohio State‘s football stadium. Our friends at Jackets Cannon review all Stadium Series jerseys to date.

See you tonight!