The Boston Bruins are set to host the St. Louis Blues on Thursday at TD Garden, reuniting key forwards and debuting a recalled defenseman. With injuries still impacting the lineup, including David Pastrnak's absence, the team aims to rebuild chemistry ahead of the 7 p.m. puck drop. Joonas Korpisalo will start in net for Boston.
As the Boston Bruins prepare to face the St. Louis Blues, head coach Marco Sturm is focusing on restoring offensive balance. Pavel Zacha, Casey Mittelstadt, and Viktor Arvidsson are back together on the second line after injuries sidelined Mittelstadt and Arvidsson for weeks. The trio showed early-season promise with strong two-way play before the setbacks.
Zacha, who leads the Bruins with 18 points (five goals, 13 assists) in 27 games, emphasized the need to reignite their scoring touch. "It is great to have them back," Zacha said. "We just have to create a little bit more offense as a line, which is something we did before the injuries."
Arvidsson tallied four goals in his first seven games before an injury on Nov. 15 in Montreal. Mittelstadt has two points (one goal, one assist) since returning on Nov. 28. Sturm highlighted their previous success against top lines. "They did it all. They played against the top lines, they did it defensively, they did it offensively," he said.
Injuries continue to challenge the Bruins. David Pastrnak remains sidelined, though the team hopes he resumes skating soon. Charlie McAvoy, recovering from facial surgery after an Nov. 15 injury, joined Thursday's morning skate in a non-contact jersey. "We will see how he is next week. There is no timeline," Sturm noted, adding that McAvoy's positive attitude boosts the team.
Roster moves include Victor Soderstrom's emergency recall from Providence for his Bruins debut, pairing him with Mason Lohrei on the third defense unit. Traded from Chicago in June, Soderstrom has nine points (one goal, eight assists) in 18 AHL games this season. "I think just play simple," he said of his approach. Alex Steeves, fresh off two goals against Detroit on Tuesday, skated on the first line with Elias Lindholm and Morgan Geekie; he has four goals in his last four games across 12 NHL appearances.
Korpisalo, with a 3.52 goals-against average and .880 save percentage in 11 games, takes the net after relieving Jeremy Swayman on Tuesday.
The Blues, coming off a 4-1 loss to Anaheim on Monday, have dropped three of their last five. Jordan Kyrou scored their only goal, with Robert Thomas leading the team at 17 points (four goals, 13 assists) in 23 games. Jordan Binnington was pulled early, yielding to Joel Hofer's 19 saves. Former Bruins coach Jim Montgomery, now with St. Louis since November 2024, returns to TD Garden with a 120-41-23 record from his Boston tenure.