(Welcome to the TD Garden for tonight's game between the Boston Bruins and visiting New York Islanders..)

It's been over five years since Rick DiPietro beat the Boston Bruins. You'd have to go all the way back to Nov. 24, 2007, when the Massachusetts-born goaltender stopped 20 of 21 shots faced in a 2-1 victory over the Black-and-Gold. P.J Axelsson scored Boston's only goal in the loss. In other words, it's been an extremely long time since the embattled Isles' goaltender has had any luck against the Spoked-B.

Chased out of the crease after allowing three goals on 13 shots in his last showing against Boston, which came back on Nov. 19, DiPietro gets his first start of the year on the heels of a game that saw the Blue and Orange put seven in the back of the Toronto net.

"This is a young hockey team that has a lot of skill, obviously up front. Their back end also has some guys that can move the puck well, not only that, but can shoot the puck very well," B's coach Claude Julien said of the Islanders. "They’ve had some pretty good goaltending since the beginning. We say that because there’s so much unknown right now, at the beginning of the season, with the different positions. I think they’ve done a good job, they seem to have their guys playing fairly well."

Entering tonight with a 2-1-0 record on the year and with 12 goals in three games, the B's will look to shut down the Islanders' high-flying offensive attack by turning to Tuukka Rask for the fourth straight game. Boasting a 1.95 goals-against-average on the young season, Rask looks to continue his dominant play at the TD Garden this year, with just two goals allowed in 125 minutes of play. The 25-year-old Rask also has a 4-1-1 against the Isles in his career with a .917 save-percentage.

On a lineup front, pregame skate pairings would indicate that defensemen Dennis Seidenberg will be in the Boston lineup tonight, paired with Dougie Hamilton. Seidenberg has missed the last two games with what's been called a "lower-body injury."

First Period

20:00 - Islanders will begin the night with their first line -- Matt Moulson on the left, Kyle Okposo on the right, and John Tavares in the middle -- and Travis Hamonic and Andrew MacDonald on the point. B's counter with their first line -- Milan Lucic, David Krejci, and Nathan Horton, with Zdeno Chara and Johnny Boychuk on defense.

17:14 - Whoa there, Seidenberg just got rocked. Think that was either Marty Reasoner or Matt Martin on the hit. A bit far from my vantage point.

15:08 - B's strike first. Shawn Thornton bangs the rebound home off a Hamilton drive. That'll be Hamilton's second point in as many games. That's Thornton's first of the year, and comes on the Bruins' second shot of the night. Gregory Campbell gets the secondary assist. He now has three in four games.

14:06 - Classic Milan Lucic right there. Drops the gloves with Matt Carkner. The Isles' brute gets the early advantage, but No. 17 in black just absolutely pummels him with a right that puts him on his butt.

12:38 - DiPietro's down for what seems like a minute, but the B's defense can't pop it home. Islanders ice it. But once again, that was Boston's fourth line wreaking havoc in front of the net.

9:39 - Isles nearly capitalize but can't convert on the 2-on-1. They've really struggled to gain access into the attacking zone since surrendering that goal. In fact, they don't even have a shot on net.

8:47 - Keith Aucoin scores. Right in the slot, untouched. His second in as many games. Colin McDonald and David Ullstrom get the helpers. This line, comprised of (really good) AHLers has really been great for the Isles this year. That's just my take, though.

4:12 - Brad Marchand will do Brad Marchand things. He exchanges some crosschecks with Mark Streit and Tavares after the whistle.

3:27 - Paille with the huge hit on Brian Strait in the corner. Martin is not happy with that. Wants a piece of Paille, but Thornton steps in. Danny Paille, while willing, would've been absolutely destroyed. Refs don't let Thornton and Martin tangle. And as Thornton heads down the tunnel, looks like he'll get a ten. B's going on the power-play.

3:27 - Not sure how the B's got a power-play out of this one. Martin wanted to fight Paille, sure, but Thornton was the third man in. Where's the instigator penalty?

2:07 - DiPietro with the big save from the seat of his pants. Denies the B's on the rebound. This one will be reviewed, though.

2:07 - No goal.

1:00 - What an undersized power-play unit the B's trudged out there. You had Bergeron in the middle with Chris Bourque and Marchand on the wings. Rich Peverley was playing the point, too. Need some size. Need some 'jam'.

:21 - Chris Kelly to the box. Islanders going on the power-play right now.

Thoughts after one...

Rick DiPietro is playing like a man possessed right now. He's been in the zone since allowing that first goal, stopping 13 of 14 thrown his way. Up front, however, you've seen the New York forwards out-skate a rather flat-footed Boston defense, which has led to numerous chances in front of and around the net.

Rask, however, was been able to stop most of them with each, finishing the first with 10 saves. For the Bruins, the best chances certainly seemed to come off the sticks of their fourth line players. The first line, though? Ghostly in that frame.

Second Period

19:39 - Puck looks to cross the line, but you can't tell from the camera angles, therefore its inconclusive, and thus, not a goal. Isles and B's still tied at 1-1.

18:12 - The Islanders iced it -- on the powerplay. That takes an awful lot of uhh -- reverse skill. Their power-play worsens to 3-for-14 on the year.

16:37 - "Tuuuu," echoes throughout the arena as No. 40 makes a nice glove-save on an uncontested wrister from the Isles' Tavares.

15:50 - Islanders going back on the power-play. Chara's going off for interfering with Tavares on his rush up ice. Islanders are 0-for-1 on the advantage tonight.

15:45 - My goodness, what a hit on Frans Nielsen by Seidenberg. That rattled the glass. Rattled Nielsen's bones, too.

13:05 - B's kill off the penalty. Have some chances of their own up ice as well, but Ricky D is there to hold the door for the Blue-and-Orange.

10:10 - Aucoin wide open, again. Blasts it through Rask, and it's 2-1, Islanders. That's Aucoin's third goal in two games. This dude was a waiver-wire pickup. Again, he's been awesome for the Islanders this year. Small sample size, yes, but it's proving to be a great pickup.

9:42 - Boston going back on the power-play now. Casey Cizikas for hooking. The Black-and-Gold are 0-for-1 on the night when on the man-advantage.

7:42 - Another power-play of nothingness for the B's. Make it 1-for-16 on the year. Yikes.

6:18 - Campbell gets the rebound and we have a tie game. That's Campbell's first of the year. Makes up for the point he lost out on due to a scoring change in the first intermission.

3:46 - The Bruins are going to get their third power-play of the night. The Captain, Mark Streit, gets whistled this time. B's are 0-for-2 on the night. 1-for-16 on the year. This one would be a big one, that's for sure. Another lame interference call.

1:30 - No luck on the power-play once again.

Thoughts after two...

It's been four years since the Bruins have had a healthy Marc Savard working the half-wall on the power-play. Four years. Yet, the Boston power-play is still just as lifeless as it was when they lost him to injury the first time around. It's almost unbelievable at this point.

Rick DiPietro has now made 20 saves on 21 shots. Huge.

Third Period

18:00 - Boychuk limps a bit after getting a stinger to his leg.

15:00 - Now Chris Kelly gets hit in the hand! Everyone's getting popped!

12:53 - Big Z. Big goal. Chara with the wrister off the feed from Lucic. 3-2, Bruins. Lucic now has two goals and an assist in four games. He's also among the league leaders in hits. But hey,he's not in shape. Not at all.

11:07 - Oof, off the post for the Bruins. That would've been the dagger, or so they thought.

9:35 - John Tavares just made Adam McQuaid stupid, but he can't get a handle on the loose puck. Would've been just him and Rask with about ten feet of separation. Man, that would've been something.

8:00 - While it's safe to say that his passing game has been a bit off at times, Milan Lucic's puck-possession game in the offensive zone has been a thing of beauty this year.

6:27 - Outlet pass from Hamilton gets it going, the B's split the defense, and Patrice Bergeron is in alone. Capitalizing on the breakaway -- and without a lick of defense from the Isles' defense -- it's 4-2, Bruins. That's a two-point night for Hamilton.

6:27 - 100 points in a B's jersey for Brad Marchand.

2:30 - Dougie chants from the crowd.

0.0 - B's win this one, 4-2.

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