Regular season hockey in September? You got that right.
David Pastrnak, coming off his fourth consecutive 100-point season, will make his debut as captain when the Bruins host the Rangers in the season opener for both teams Tuesday night.
He will be joined on the top line by Elias Lindholm and JJ Peterka, acquired from the Mammoth in a trade over the summer. Morgan Geekie, whose 39 goals led the team last season, will skate with Pavel Zacha and Casey Mittelstadt.
James Hagens, selected seventh in the 2025 draft, will skate at left wing on a line centered by Fraser Minten, with Marat Khusnutdinov on the right.
The Rangers are coming off a last-place finish in the Eastern Conference and have missed the playoffs two years in a row.
Here is a preview.
When: Tuesday, 8 p.m.
Where: TD Garden, Boston
TV: ESPN. Radio: WBZ-FM 98.5.
Line: Boston -110. O/U: 5.5.
RANGERS
Season record: 0-0-0. vs. spread: 0-0. Over/under: 0-0
Last 10 games: 6-4-0. vs. spread: 7-3. Over/under: 3-7
BRUINS
Season record: 0-0-0. vs. spread: 0-0. Over/under: 0-0
Last 10 games: 4-5-1. vs. spread: 7-3. Over/under: 3-6, 1 push
Stat of the day: Peterka has scored at least 25 goals in each of the last three seasons.
Notes: The Bruins will be without Charlie McAvoy for the first six games as the defenseman begins his six-game suspension for slashing Zach Benson in the playoffs. … McAvoy’s absence may have cleared the way for Frederic Brunet to get a spot on the roster, although he does not appear to figure into the top three pairs. … Gabe Perreault, who played two seasons at BC, where he was a linemate of Hagens, looks to have claimed a spot of the top line for the Rangers alongside Mika Zibanejad and Alexis LaFreniere. … Former Harvard star Adam Fox anchors the Blue line for the Rangers.
Follow Andrew Mahoney @GlobeMahoney.
