Given the injuries, it’s quite remarkable that the Bruins are finding ways to tally points and stay afloat during the first month-plus of the 2017-18 season.

Tonight, the battle of adversity continues for Bruce Cassidy and company as they look to do something they haven’t done yet this season – win two in a row. Standing in their way are the New York Rangers, who have bounced back after a rough first month of the season and carry a four-game winning streak – and a five-game win streak against the B’s – into Madison Square Garden.

For the second straight game, the Bruins will be without leading scorer Brad Marchand as he continues to nurse an upper-body injury suffered during Saturday’s 3-2 loss to the Capitals. Cassidy confirmed Marchand’s status following Monday’s 5-3 win over the Wild but also noted that No. 63 could join the Black and Gold in Toronto on Friday night.

There is some good news on the injury front. Noel Acciari traveled with the team and is closer to returning after suffering a fractured finger on opening night, while David Krejci (back) skated for the first time on Tuesday. Both will miss tonight’s contest, however.

As seen in Monday’s triumph over the Wild, the Bruins will need contributions all throughout the lineup. Five different scorers sparked the Black and Gold over Minnesota and a similar performance from the four lines and three d-pairings can only do wonders against the likes of Kevin Shattenkirk (5-game point streak), Henrik Lundqvist and the rest of the Broadway Blueshirts.

Gametime: 8:00 p.m.
TV/Radio: NBCSN/98.5 The Sports Hub
Records: Bruins 6-4-3 (15 points), Rangers 7-7-2 (16 points)
Location: Madison Square Garden

Bruins projected lines

Anders Bjork-Patrice Bergeron-David Pastrnak
Jake DeBrusk-Jordan Szwarz-Frank Vatrano
Matt Beleskey-Riley Nash-Austin Czarnik
Tim Schaller-Sean Kuraly-Danton Heinen

Zdeno Chara-Charlie McAvoy
Torey Krug-Brandon Carlo
Rob O’Gara-Kevan Miller

Tuukka Rask
Anton Khudobin

Rangers projected lines

Chris Kreider-Mika Zibenajad-Pavel Buchnevich
Rick Nash-Kevin Hayes-Mats Zuccarello
Jimmy Vesey-David Desharnais-J.T. Miller
Michael Grabner-Paul Carey-Jesper Fast

Ryan McDonagh-Nick Holden
Brady Skeji-Kevin Shattenkirk
Marc Staal-Steve Kampfer

Henrik Lundqvist
Ondrej Pavelec

Tonight’s storylines

Charlie McAvoy returns home as the Long Beach, New York native will have friends and family watching him at Madison Square Garden tonight. (Photo by Joe Makarski, Bruins Daily)

– For the second time in his hockey career, Charlie McAvoy will play in front of his hometown supporters. A Rangers fan and Long Beach, New York, native growing up, McAvoy and his BU Terriers played at the “World’s Most Famous Arena” in their bi-annual series against Cornell two years ago. Aside from a couple of hiccups here and there, McAvoy has given his hometown fans and The Hub of Hockey something to cheer for as he’s picked up right where he left off following his postseason debut this past spring.

“It’s going to be really special. It’s a game that I’ve been looking forward to,” McAvoy told the press following the Bruins’ pregame skate at MSG. “My freshman year with BU I had a chance to play here in ‘Red Hot Hockey’ [against Cornell] and that was a very good memory for me. Anytime you get to come home and play in a building like this, where you grew up watching games, it really means a lot.”

– It would mean a lot for McAvoy and the Bruins to come away with two points in a place that has given them fits over the last few years. In addition to their five-game skid that carries back into the 2015-16 season, the Bruins have lost four in a row at Madison Square Garden against their Original Six foes. Their last win in Manhattan came on March 2, 2014 – a 6-3 triumph. Given the Rangers’ struggles on defense and an aging Henrik Lundqvist between the pipes, it might take another offensive surge for the Black and Gold to end their skids against the Rangers and at MSG – and get their first two-game win streak of 2017-18.