OTTAWA -- The Bruins will be facing a shorthanded Ottawa club because of the losses of captain Daniel Alfredsson and alternate captain Mike Fisher in the Senators' 8-2 thrashing of Toronto last night.
GM and coach Bryan Murray reiterated that both players will be out for weeks. Alfredsson said he has not been diagnosed with a concussion, but it's highly unlikely he didn't suffer a significant head injury when he was rattled by Mark Bell in last night's first period. Alfredsson also injured his knee on the play.
"My opinion's the same, but the league doesn't agree with me," said Murray of Bell's takeout of Alfredsson. "It doesn't matter anyway at this point and time. I hear on the Toronto radio station that they got their pound of flesh. And they did. But it doesn't matter if Mark Bell is suspended or not. It doesn't affect us in any way. I don't care less."
* Andrew Ference (sprained knee) skated this morning and said he felt good. The Bruins have not determined whether Ference will play tonight.
* Tim Thomas will start tonight against Martin Gerber.
* Marc Savard (back) didn't skate yesterday at Ristuccia Arena. Chiarelli didn't know whether Savard would skate today. Chiarelli said Savard is close to skating.
* Jordan Knackstedt, Boston's most recent seventh-round pick, has signed an amateur tryout agreement with Providence, joining Zach Hamill, Jeff Penner, and Adam Courchaine. Knackstedt is unsigned by the Bruins, who have until June 1, 2009, to bring the forward into the fold before he becomes a free agent. Knackstedt has one more year of junior eligibility remaining. Courchaine will also return to juniors next season. "He's very athletic," Chiarelli said of Courchaine. "But he has to work on his work ethic and conditioning. He has to commit to becoming a professional."
* Ottawa will recall Nick Foligno for tonight.
Tonight's expected lineup:
Sturm-Krejci-Murray
Lucic-Metropolit-Axelsson
Schaefer-Sobotka-Kessel
Reich-Nokelainen-Thornton
Chara-Ward
Stuart-Wideman
Alberts-Hnidy
Thomas
