Mike Babcock has confirmed the red-hot Frederik Andersen will start tonight, with Garret Sparks the likely starter in tomorrow’s Hockey Night in Canada matchup in Boston. The strategy appears to be to play the strongest hand for the rested game against the inferior opponent at home, try to secure the two points, and go into Boston tomorrow hoping you can nab a bonus point or two while playing tired with the backup in on the road in a tough building.
It’s a sound strategy: Focus on the two points on offer tonight at home with fresh legs versus the easier opponent, as opposed to overthinking it by looking past the Devils and ahead to Boston, potentially dropping point(s) tonight, and then playing a rested Bruins team on the road with the real possibility of leaving the weekend empty-handed.