Bruins Face Kings on Road as Zacha Misses Game With Injury
The Boston Bruins play the second game of a back-to-back on Saturday against the Los Angeles Kings at Crypto.com Arena, marking the third stop of a four-game West Coast road trip, nhl.com reported. Puck drop is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET.
Bruins Look to Extend Streak in Los Angeles
Boston enters the matchup riding a four-game win streak, most recently defeating the Anaheim Ducks 4-2 on Friday. The visitors arrive on short rest to face a Kings team that has had time to practice and reset.
“They’ve been off for a bit and they’re hungry for a win, so we’ve just got to make sure we’re very prepared for a better start,” Kings head coach Marco Sturm said of his squad’s preparation.
Sturm noted that despite the rest disparity, his team has built positive momentum. “A lot of good things happened, so we’re just going to try to get better every day, and getting those points on the road as much as we can,” Sturm said.
Bruins Make Roster Changes for Saturday Contest
The Bruins will make notable roster changes for Saturday’s contest. Forward Pavel Zacha is out with an upper-body injury and is listed as day-to-day.
#Bruins will be without 1C Pavel Zacha vs. Kings. Zacha is day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Fraser Minten bumps to 1C; Matt Poitras to 2C; and Sean Kuraly back in at 4C.
Sean Kuraly draws into the lineup to fill the absence. Sturm confirmed that prospect Minten will start at the first center position alongside David Pastrnak, with the coaching staff evaluating the combination as the game progresses.
On the blue line, Nikita Zadorov will sit out as a healthy scratch. Jonathan Aspirot enters the lineup for his first action since Oct. 3, projected to skate on the second defensive pairing alongside Will Borgen.
Sturm addressed the decision regarding Zadorov candidly.
“He’s a tremendous player and leader for our team. I think we’ve been mentioning it for a while, his discipline on the ice. I think that’s something, he just needs to be better. He was not happy. But, he’s a great human being and he’s a competitor. I do believe he gets stronger after this message,” Sturm said. “This is coach’s decision, and I do believe there is another level in him. Now we’ve just got to try to find this level.”