Music: {allcanada} Canadiens' Ryder making return to Boston

BOSTON -- Sunday's game between the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens at TD Garden is more than just a showdown between the two teams tied for the most points in the Eastern Conference standings.

It's also the return of forward Michael Ryder for the first time since he won the 2011 Stanley Cup with the Bruins and then left for Dallas as a free agent. Ryder, acquired by the Canadiens last week, didn't play in Boston last season.

Rich Peverley and Chris Kelly combined with Ryder to provide the Bruins with a formidable third line for most of the club's Cup run.

"He's one of those guys that he skates down the wing and tells you where he's shooting and still scores," Peverley said.

The Bruins held an optional skate and coach Claude Julien said he would make some lineup decisions after the pregame warm-up. Saturday against Tampa Bay, Julien scratched veteran Shawn Thornton for the first time this season in favor of Jay Pandolfo.

The Canadiens did not skate as a team after flying in after their 7-6 overtime home win against Pittsburgh on Saturday.

Here are the projected lineups for the Bruins and Canadiens:

BRUINS

Milan Lucic - David Krejci - Nathan Horton

Brad Marchand - Patrice Bergeron - Tyler Seguin

Daniel Paille - Chris Kelly - Rich Peverley

Jay Pandolfo - Gregory Campbell - Chris Bourque

Zdeno Chara - Johnny Boychuk

Dennis Seidenberg - Dougie Hamilton

Andrew Ference - Adam McQuaid

Tuukka Rask

Anton Khudobin