Music: {allcanada} CANADIENS (21-15-3) at BRUINS (20-12-4)

Thursday, December 31, 2015

{allcanada} CANADIENS (21-15-3) at BRUINS (20-12-4)

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Friday, January 1, 2016

1:00 PM ET

CANADIENS (21-15-3) at BRUINS (20-12-4)

2016 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic

TV: NBC, TVA Sports, Sportsnet

Season series: Boston Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask made 33 saves in a 3-1 win against the Montreal Canadiens on Dec. 9. Prior to that, the Bruins had lost twice to the Canadiens this season and seven straight times in the regular season (0-6-1). Patrice Bergeron and Loui Eriksson each have two goals for Boston; Alex Galchenyuk has five assists for Montreal and Lars Eller has three goals.

Canadiens team scope: Forward Brendan Gallagher, who has missed 17 games with a hand injury, will return to the lineup, playing his first game since Nov. 22. Montreal went 5-11-1 without him. "Like I said from the start, I wouldn't come back if I didn't feel like I could help the team," Gallagher said after practice Thursday at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. "I didn't want to come back for selfish reasons. The doctors helped me to come back and play, and now hopefully I can contribute." Gallagher has nine goals and 19 points in 22 games. Forward Sven Andrighetto was sent to St. John's of the American Hockey League to make room for Gallagher. "The fact that [Gallagher is in the lineup], we could go back almost with the combinations during the season where we had success," coach Michel Therrien said. Goalie Mike Condon, who grew up in Holliston, Mass., about 30 miles from Boston, will start in net. "It's an honor for me to go out there, but at the end of the day, it's just another game, another two points," Condon said. Montreal continues a season-high eight game road trip. The Canadiens are 1-5-0 so far following a 3-1 loss to the Florida Panthers on Tuesday. A win would give the Canadiens 47 points and vault them one point ahead of the idle Panthers, who don't play until Saturday, and into first place in the Atlantic Division.

Bruins team scope: Forward Brad Marchand will not play; he will be serving the first game of a three-game suspension for clipping defenseman Mark Borowiecki of the Ottawa Senators in a 7-3 win Tuesday. "I just wanted to acknowledge the situation that I've put my team in for being undisciplined, affecting the game for them, taking away from the excitement for the fans of being part of this rivalry, and taking that away from them," Marchand said Thursday. Forward Alex Khokhlachev has been called up from Providence of the AHL; defenseman Colin Miler has been sent down. The Bruins altered their top three lines: Eriksson, Bergeron and Seth Griffith were the top line, Matt Beleskey, Ryan Spooner and Brett Connolly the second line, and Frank Vatrano, Landon Ferraro and Khokhlachev were the third line. Rask will start in net. "I know that we're enjoying the moment right now from the skate yesterday with the family to the practice today to everything that's going on," coach Claude Julien said after practice Thursday. "But I can assure you from my past experience that when the puck is dropped, both teams will be focused on what they have to do here. We all know how tight the standings are and where we stand with each other, and that game has great meaning to it tomorrow." The Bruins enter one point behind the Canadiens and two behind the Panthers in the Atlantic.