[Game Preview] Bruins @ Canadiens

Game Twenty-Eight (Live on NESN(HD) or 98.5FM The Sports Hub)
Boston Bruins (14-8-5) vs. Montreal Canadiens (12-14-2)
December 4th, 2009 @ 7:00PM

GAMEDAY HEADLINES:

• This is second of six meetings between the Bruins and Canadiens this season. Montreal won the first game in the shootout back in early November.
• Tonight will be the official Centennial Game and mark the official anniversary for the Canadiens franchise, which was founded back on December 4th, 1909. Who throws an anniversary celebration that lasts two seasons long?
• Vladimir Sobotka left the last Bruins game after only registering around 7-minutes of ice time. There has been no official announcement on his status but according to coach Claude Julien Vlad was just under the weather and didn't feel like he had the energy to compete at the level that was expected of him.
• "The Road to the 2010 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic" began yesterday when the worlds largest refrigeration truck left Toronto for its 8-day trek until it lands at Fenway on December 10th.
• Georges Laraque will be available to play for the first time since receiving his 5-game suspension back in mid-November for his knee-to-knee hit on Detroit's Niklas Kronwall, sidelining him for 4 to 6 weeks. Biggest disgrace to the game of hockey if you ask me.
• No word on who will start in net tonight but I expect to see a Thomas/Price duel.
• The Winter Classic countdown continues as we are only 29-days until the Bruins move from Causeway to Yawkey.

MATCHUP STAT BREAKDOWN:

Boston Bruins		Montreal Canadiens
14-8-5	Record	12-14-2
33	Points	26
2.33	G/G	2.29
2.26	GA/G	2.96
53.9	Faceoff %	49.8
17.0	Power Play	16.9
85.4	Penalty Kill	80.0
1	+/-	-10

CREASE REPORT:

PLAYER	W	L	OTL	GAA	SV%	SO
Boston Bruins
Tim Thomas	7	6	3	2.27	.920	3
Tuukka Rask	7	2	2	2.02	.929	1
Montreal Canadiens
Carey Price	7	10	2	2.86	.909	0
Jaroslav Halak	5	3	0	2.62	.904	0

INJURY REPORT:

PLAYER	POS	INJURY	STATUS
Boston Bruins
Milan Lucic	LW	Ankle	Out
Vladimir Sobotka	C	Sick	Probable
Montreal Canadiens
Benoit Pouliot	LW	Hand	Out
Hal Gill	D	Foot	Out
Brian Gionta	RW	Foot	Out
Andrei Markov	D	Ankle	Out
Georges Laraque	RW	Suspension	Probable