Bruins Game Day Notes: Bjork recalled, Acciari out, Vatrano returns

OTTAWA – Since the Boston Bruins will be without Brad Marchand for the next five games due to his suspension, the team recalled rookie forward Anders Bjork from Providence and he’ll be in the lineup tonight against the Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre.

Bjork began the season in Boston and played 28 games for the Bruins before he was assigned to the AHL on Jan. 3. He posted two goals and two assists for four points in eight games for the P-Bruins.



“I learned a lot in the games I played there,” admitted Bjork. “It was big for my confidence. It’s a tough league to play in and you’ve got to move the puck quickly, so I tried to focus on having good habits and hopefully, that’ll translate to tonight.”

A versatile forward, Bjork will play the left side on Patrice Bergeron’s line, along with David Pastrnak, against the Senators.

“It’s exciting,” he said. “It’s a great opportunity. Tons of players would die to be in my position right now, so I’ve got to stay focused and make the most of it and do what I can to keep up with that line and be a positive impact.”

When the Bruins sent Bjork to Providence, the organization was hoping he would accept the assignment as a pro and take advantage of the opportunity to continue to develop his game.

“He’s played well,” said Bruce Cassidy. “What we’re trying to get out of Anders is play a little more straight line and understanding when he can make plays, when he’s got to manage the puck better; that was the biggest issue for him coming to this level – where the open ice is and how to get there. He’s been working on that. He played very well for us earlier this year and we’re confident he can do the job. We’re not asking anybody to replace Brad, that would be unfair, but just go play his game and contribute.”

During his first stint with the Bruins, Bjork registered four goals and eight assists for 12 points, including a plus-2 rating.

Masked men: Tuukka Rask will start against the Senators. He's riding a career-best, 17-game point streak with a 15-0-2 record in this span. He owns a 1.63 goals-against average and a .939 save percentage in his last 18 games. Rask is 10-7-4 with a 2.17 GAA and a .926 SP in 23 career games against the Senators. Mike Condon is getting the nod for Ottawa. Overall, he's 3-6-4 in 16 games this season. He's 2-3-0 in five career games against the Bruins.

Injury updates: Forward Noel Acciari will be out of the lineup due to a lower-body injury that he’s been battling. As a result, Frank Vatrano will play for the first time since Dec. 21, a span of 13 games.

Here are the Bruins’ projected line combinations and defensive pairings vs. Senators. 

Forwards

Bjork-Bergeron-Pastrnak
DeBrusk-Krejci-Spooner
Heinen-Nash-Backes
Schaller-Kuraly-Vatrano

Defense

Chara-Carlo
Krug-McQuaid
Grzelcyk-Miller

Goalies

Rask
Khudobin