Jeremy Lauzon will return from an upper-body injury when the Boston Bruins host the New York Islanders in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Second Round at TD Garden on Saturday.
The defenseman was injured in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup First Round against the Washington Capitals and missed the remainder of the best-of-7 series, which the Bruins won in five games. He scored eight points (one goal, seven assists) in 41 games during the regular season.
Boston has not played since May 23, when it eliminated the Capitals with a 3-1 win in Game 5.
"I imagine there will be a little bit (of rust); they've played more recently in a high-intensity game, so there may be a little bit of an advantage," Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said. "I just think the rest for any team is good in the long run if you have aspirations of making a long run, that these extra days will come in handy whether it's this series, the next series."
The Islanders defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games in the first round, winning the final three games of the series.
It is the first time the Islanders and Bruins are playing against each other in the Stanley Cup Playoffs since the 1983 Wales Conference Final; New York won the series in six games.
Teams that win Game 1 are 495-224 (68.8 percent) winning a best-of-7 NHL playoff series, including 5-2 in the first round this season.
Here are 3 keys for Game 1: