It may feel like Stanley Cup playoff weather outside. Inside TD Garden, it will be nice and cool when the Boston Bruins and Nashville Predators drop the puck.
The Bruins, nor Predators, are all warm and fuzzy thanks to injuries. Coach Bruce Cassidy and company will be without Patrice Bergeron (lower body), David Backes (illness) and Torey Krug (jaw). Both Bergeron and Backes are day-to-day with their respective injuries, while Krug skated again on Thursday with a red non-contact jersey.
On the other side, the defending Western Conference champion Predators will be without Ryan Ellis (knee). New addition Nick Bonino, who missed all of Nashville’s camp while recovering from a broken tibia, is expected to be in the opening night lineup.