The New York Rangers arrived to TD Garden following a chaotic 72 hours full of controversy. Their run-ins with Tom Wilson and the NHL Player Safety Department drew the headlines around hockey circles. In the midst of their public statement expressing disgust toward George Parros, the Rangers parted ways with team President John Davidson and general manager Jeff Gorton — a former assistant GM with the Bruins — with the postseason out of the question.
The Boston Bruins returned to Causeway St. following their two-game stint in New Jersey, hoping to gain ground toward a first or second seed in the East Division.