Georgii Merkulov will make his NHL debut Saturday night at TD Garden as the Boston Bruins host the New Jersey Devils for a 7 p.m. puck drop in the teams’ second meeting of the season.
The Bruins and Devils last played Dec. 13 at Prudential Center, where Boston fell 2-1 in overtime with Morgan Geekie as its lone goal-scorer. The B’s snapped a four-game losing streak Thursday against the Buffalo Sabres with a 4-1 win, and will look to build on that against a New Jersey team that’s won three straight.
“They play fast. I was impressed, they don’t give up much defensively. They close really quick in the D-zone and they kind of swarm you and don’t give up much,” Brad Marchand said Saturday of the Devils. “You’ve got to compete for everything you get against this group, and expecting a good game.”
Merkulov was called up from AHL Providence Friday morning, and practiced with Boston that day. The 23-year-old forward leads the P-Bruins with 30 points (14 goals, 16 assists), but it’s the improvement of his 200-foot game that earned Merkulov the promotion.
“Just enjoy it, you always remember this one,” Charlie Coyle said Saturday of Merkulov. “I think he’ll settle in whether it’s after the national anthem or after his first shift, and he’ll just be playing hockey. We’ll help him along the way.”
Merkulov centered the third line with James van Riemsdyk and Trent Frederic during Friday’s practice, and will likely stick with that grouping against the Devils.
“I think he’s excited. He’s got really good talent, he just has to trust his instincts and not try to do too much,” Marchand said. “Sometimes offensive guys feel like they need to produce right away, but it’s just about doing the right things.”
Per Bruins coach Jim Montgomery, Matt Grzelcyk will reenter the lineup after missing three games with an upper-body injury. He’ll skate on the third pair with Kevin Shattenkirk, and Parker Wotherspoon will draw out.
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