Good to know: Bruins at Rangers

NEW YORK – The Bruins will be in search of their seventh straight win Thursday night when they visit the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. Here’s everything you need to know before the puck drop at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+ and 98.5 The Sports Hub:

Reilly back in the lineup

Injury fever continues to bite the Bruins Derek Forbort now sidelined with an upper body injury that has forced him to return to Boston and be considered from week to week. With Forbort out of the lineup, Mike Reilly will return for his first game since October 25 after being sent to Providence in what he called a “paper transaction.” Brad Marchand was activated last week.

“It’s definitely a mental wear and tear,” Reilly, who consulted with Bruins general manager Don Sweeney about his situation, said of his departure from the lineup. “I feel like I like where my game is … basically I was the only guy they could do that with, the paper transaction thing [of being sent down].

“I feel like I liked where things were going in and it just kind of stalled, obviously, just because of the situation I think. But I just want to try and build on what I was trying to do those first few games.”

The veteran blue liner, who has qualified for seven games this season, said he’s been trying to remain as professional as possible throughout last week as he waited for an opportunity to return to the lineup.

“I just come out on the rink every day with a good attitude, you can control that,” he said. “So that’s what I tried to do every day when I wanted to come onto the rink and just work on my game. That’s what I’m concentrating on. And then there are times when you want to think a little bit ahead in the future and so on.

“But of course we did [Forbort] go down the other day which is very hard to see; he is a close buddy of mine. But now there is an opportunity and you just come to the rink and to work every day with a good attitude.

Coach Jim Montgomery praised Reilly for his professional approach despite it being an unusual situation.

“He’s a great professional,” said Montgomery. “He’s a really good team-mate. He was outstanding in his work habits in training and excellent with the team-mate he was.”

Video: Reilly plays Rangers at 7:30 p.m

Kinkaid Up from Providence

With Jeremy Swayman The Bruins, who rejoined Forbort in Boston and were also considered week-to-week after suffering a lower-body injury in Pittsburgh on Tuesday, recalled the goalie Keith Kinkaid by Providence on an emergency basis. The veteran backstop, who signed a two-way, one-year contract in July, has plenty of NHL experience with 167 games on his resume for New Jersey, Montreal and the Rangers.

“Another opportunity where I’ve worked in New York in the last two years,” said Kinkaid, who worked for the Blue Shirts organization from 2020-22 and is committed to 10 games with the big club and 43 with the Hartford Wolf Pack advertised.

“It stinks that Sway had to hurt himself like that. I wish him the best in his recovery and I will do my best to fill in for him.”

In four games with Providence this season, Kinkaid compiled a 2-1-1 record with a .922 save and 2.70 goals against average, forming a solid tandem with Kyle Keyser (4-0-1, .928, 1 ,94).

“Every goalie in the organization gets along really well,” Kinkaid said of his relationship with Keyser. “We’re all on each other’s teams and friends off the ice. It was a good, healthy competition. Both teams developed well, so it was nice.”

Kinkaid will back up Linus Ullmark on Thursday night against the Rangers.

Video: Kinkaid supports Linus in New York.

Wait, there’s more

• David Krejciwho took part in the morning skating at the MSG on Thursday is considered to be up to date, but is “very close” to returning to the game. CraigSmithMeanwhile, he also remains in everyday life with an upper body injury. Montgomery said both could be in the lineup in Toronto on Saturday.
• Charlie McAvoy was once again a full Morning Skate participant, though Montgomery reiterated that the blue liner’s schedule for a return hasn’t changed. “It’s his first week that he’s getting back into a rhythm with us,” said Montgomery. “We’re just hopeful with him. No updated schedule. We have our internal process… it’s ahead of December 1st, but we don’t know for sure. There are boxes that need to be checked.”
• Rangers start the season 6-3-2 and have won three straight games, including a 1-0 overtime win over Philadelphia on Tuesday night. Artemi Panarin leads the blueshirts with 16 points from 11 games while Mike Zibanejad leads the club with six goals. “They’re a really impressive team,” said Montgomery. “They’re good defensively, they’re just a really good hockey team. We’ve got to have our best game of the year to have success tonight to have any chance of success.”

Video: Coach Montgomery addresses the media ahead of the game @NYR

The expected line-up for Thursday

FORWARD

Brad Marchand – Patrice Bergeron – Jake DeBrusk

Taylor Hall – Paul Zacha – David Pastrnak

Trento Frederic – Charlie Coyle – AJ Greer

Nick Foligno – Thomas Nasek – Jacob Lauko

DEFENDER

Hampus Lindholm – Connor Clifton

Matt Grzelcyk – Brandon Carlo

Mike Reilly – Anton Stralmann

GOALKEEPER

Linus Ullmark

Keith Kinkaid