The Boston Bruins are the best team in the National Hockey League.
For now, anyway. They are currently acting as a place-holder of sorts. See, they are the Eastern Conference team holding down a spot that will eventually be occupied by the Ottawa Senators, just as soon as that run of unparalleled success kicks in.
So don’t get too comfortable, Bruins fans. Your reign of terror will soon come to an end. Also, playoffs.
The Ottawa Senators return home tonight to host the red-hot, league-leading, Montreal-demolishing Boston Bruins.
Even without Patrice Bergeron in their line up, the Bruins have continued to roll in the Eastern Conference. They come into this one with an absurd 16-3-5 record, including four straight wins.
Last night, they beat the Habs by a touchdown. Hopefully they’re all tuckered out from all those goals they scored last night.
The Senators are coming off a 1-0 loss in Columbus on Monday night. It was a loss that snapped the Sens’ three-game winning streak and sent Ottawa tumbling in the standings a little bit. They now sit 28th overall but still just four points back of third in the Atlantic though.
Earlier today, the Senators announced that Marcus Hogberg has been recalled from Belleville. Craig Anderson missed the morning skate so obviously he’s not available.
Artem Anisimov and Vladislav Namestnikov both skated this morning but in no-contact jerseys.
Here’s how DJ Smith has ’em lined up at the morning skate.
Tkachuk-L. Brown-Duclair
Paul-Pageau-C.Brown
Ennis-Tierney-White
Chlapik-Beaudin-Véronneau
Chabot-Hainsey
Brannstrom-Demelo
Borowiecki-Zaitsev
Anders Nilsson is expected to get the start for the home side.
Puck drop is scheduled for just after 7:00 PM with the game available on Sportsnet 360 and TVA sports. Assuming that hockey isn’t cancelled entirely by the end of the day, you can also illegally stream the game on the internet.
I wouldn’t spend too much time looking at this HEAD2HEAD table, folks. It’s a little frightening.
| HEAD2HEAD |  |
 |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 16-3-5 (37 pts) | 11-12-1 (23 pts) |
| Goals For | 3.79 (1st) | 2.71 (26th) |
| Goals Against | 2.38 (3rd) | 2.96 (T-13th) |
| Power Play | 32.9% (1st) | 9.8% (31st) |
| Penalty Kill | 82.9% (15th) | 83.1% (T-12th) |
| Shots For | 31.6 (15th) | 29.7 (24th) |
| Shots Against | 32.2 (23rd) | 33.3 (26th) |
| Team Shooting % | 12.0% (1st) | 9.1% (21st) |
| Leading Scorers | Marchand- 42 pts Pastrnak- 39 pts Bergeron- 24 pts |
Pageau- 19 pts Duclair- 15 pts Tkachuk- 14 pts |
| Starting Goalie | Tuukka Rask 11-2-2 2.18 GAA, .928 sv% |
Anders Nilsson 7-4-1 2.63 GAA, .928 sv% |
