Wild at Bruins

Bill Guerin’s Minnesota Wild is in TD Garden tonight to battle the Bruins without its superstar forward Kirill Kaprizov, who will be out of the Minny lineup for a substantial absence to recover from a necessary surgery.

Marc-Andre Fleury gets the start. The veteran netminder making his farewell tour of NHL cities was the subject of an emotional reception in Montreal, where every member of the Canadiens shook his hand after their recent encounter.

Jeremy Swayman in net for the Bruins.

The Bruins get back center Mark Kastelic tonight. Kastelic missed time with an apparent concussion sustained in a nasty exchange with Tampa Bay’s Emil Lilleberg on Jan. 9. Kastelic returned but went back out of the lineup with an undisclosed injury. Kastelic’s hard-driving style of play has won many fans, and he signed a contract extension with the Bruins at a team-friendly price even before one factors the not-yet-realized news that the salary cap will increase over the next three NHL seasons.

Local product Matt Boldy, like Seattle center Matt Beniers, is emerging as a force for the Wild. Old friend Jakub Lauko has played well of late for Minnesota.

FIRST PERIOD

Oliver Wahlstrom to the penalty box for tripping, Minnesota to the powerplay five minutes into the game.

Swayman gloves Brock Faber’s shot from the center point as Wahlstrom’s penalty expires, but the visitors have dominated the game just as much while at even strength and enjoy an early, 6-0 shot-on-goal advantage.

Nikita Zadorov fanned a headman pass but recovered in time to move the puck to Brandon Carlo.

After the Wild iced the puck, the Elias Lindholm line between Brad Marchand and Charlie Coyle helped generate Boston’s first shot on goal just shy of the 10-minute mark. On the ensuing shift, Morgan Geekie had the puck in the slot and deferred, his pass not connecting with a linemate. It was a surprise move for Geekie, who has been outstanding of late in recognizing and executing shot opportunities. Pavel Zacha had a look shortly thereafter and did shoot, but Fleury snared his attempt.

The officials took a Minnesota shot off the board and, coupled with the Bruins’ surge over the last two shifts, now tally a 5-3 shots advantage for Minnesota.

Wahlstrom makes a move in the slot and weaves to put a formidable shot on Fleury, who closed the pads in time.

Zach Bogosian trips Justin Brazeau, and the Bruins get their first powerplay at 13:27.

Nothing doing, as Fleury is playing solidly while the Bruins have taken away play over the second half of the period.

The Wild peppered Swayman early and landed the game’s first five shots on goal, but the Bruins, after finally getting their first shot on Fleury almost 10 minutes into the game, then outshot Minnesota, 13-2, the rest of the way to enter intermission with a 14-7 advantage.

We remain scoreless.

SECOND PERIOD

The Bruins sustain pressure on Fleury and finally score on Charlie McAvoy’s seventh of the season at 5:46.

Now the Bruins are back on the powerplay with Jonas Brodin in the box for interfering with Marchand.

Trent Frederic makes it 2-0 at 14:14 with assists from Matt Poitras and Brandon Carlo.

The Wild are pushing with their best shift since early first period.

Poitras and Wahlstrom sucking wind, Zadorov has to ice it. Minny wins the draw, Bruins finally clear and get the long change.

The Bruins survive Minnesota’s late-period push. Shots after two: 28-21 Boston.

THIRD PERIOD

Coyle had a big chance on the end of a 2-on-1 (3 on 1?), but mini-deflections took away his positioning as he scrambled to find the puck with Fleury down.

Minnesota center Marco Rossi goes off for delay of game at 1:36, and the Bruins go back on the powerplay up 2-0 in the game.

Pavel Zacha is stopped by Fleury on the finishing end of a textbook powerplay entry, but he got hit in the face and left the ice, continuing down the hallway to the medical room.

Penalty on the Bruins with 42 seconds left on Rossi’s penalty. It’s Morgan Geekie for interference (flinging Jon Merrill’s stick high into the air), so it’s 4-on-4, then a 1:18 length powerplay for the Wild.

All the penalties expire, as the Wild ice the puck.

Wahlstrom gets his second tripping penalty of the night, this one with 8:48 remaining in regulation and the Bruins up 2-0.

Wild powerplay: Bruins get the kill.

Fleury is to the bench with over two minutes remaining. Bruins ice the puck. Minny coach John Hynes takes his one and only timeout with 2:10.

Geekie hits the open net from his own blue line with 45.9 seconds left. Bruins lead 3-0. Looks like a shutout for Swayman.

Drive safely.