Islanders vs. Bruins [Game 41 Thread]

After staying over to practice at the alma mater of several Gopher Islanders (and rival rink for one Brock Nelson), the New York Islanders are in Boston tonight to close out 2013, a year that saw a very fun spring and playoff series, followed by a miserably disappointing first half to 2013-14.

Tonight's game concludes that first half. The first-place Bruins and last-place Islanders bring a nice symmetry into this contest: Boston has a +33 goal differential, the Isles have a minus-33. But who's counting?

Good news: Michael Grabner is back in the lineup after missing Sunday night with an illness. Bad news: Zdeno Chara is back in the lineup for the Bruins, and he sort of impacts half the game.

In goal, Evgeni Nabokov faces Tuukka Rask.

Isles lines:

Vanek-Tavares-Okposo
Grabner-Nielsen-Clutterbuck
Nelson-Strome-McDonald
Regin-Cizikas-Martin

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