The NHL -- at last -- released its 2012-13 schedule late Saturday night and, as expected, the Bruins will open at home next Saturday night, Jan. 19, against the Rangers. That game will be followed by a 1 p.m. matinee against the Jets on Martin Luther King Day, Jan. 21.
The full 48-game schedule will take place over the course of 96 days, from Saturday, Jan. 19 through Saturday, April 27. The Bruins will play five games each against their Northeast Division rival Senators and Sabres, and and four games each against the Maple Leafs and Canadiens. They will also play three games against each of the Atlantic and Southeast Division teams.
There had been much public speculation that teams would play seven games against each of their division rivals and one game each against all other teams in their conference, but that proved not to be the case. However, teams will play no out-of-conference games, as had also been speculated.
The complete Bruins' schedule:
Saturday, January 19 -- N.Y. Rangers, 7 p.m.
Monday, January 21 -- Winnipeg, 1 p.m.
Wednesday, January 23 -- at N.Y. Rangers, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, January 25 -- N.Y. Islanders, 7 p.m.
Monday, January 28 -- at Carolina, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, January 29 -- New Jersey, 7 p.m.
Thursday, January 31 -- Buffalo, 7 p.m.
Saturday, February 2 -- at Toronto, 7 p.m.
Wednesday, February 6 -- at Montreal, 7 p.m.
Saturday, February 9 -- Tampa Bay, 1 p.m.
Sunday, February 10 -- at Buffalo, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, February 12 -- N.Y. Rangers, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, February 15 -- at Buffalo, 7 p.m.
Sunday, February 17 -- at Winnipeg, 2 p.m.
Thursday, February 21 -- at Tampa Bay, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, February 24 -- at Florida, 3 p.m.
Tuesday, February 26 -- at N.Y. Islanders, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, February 28 -- Ottawa, 7 p.m.
Saturday, March 2 -- Tampa Bay, 1 p.m.
Sunday, March 3 -- Montreal, 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, March 5 -- at Washington, 7 p.m.
Thursday, March 7 -- Toronto, 7 p.m.
Saturday, March 9 -- Philadelphia, 1 p.m.
Monday, March 11 -- at Ottawa, 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, March 12 -- at Pittsburgh, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, March 14 -- Florida, 7 p.m.
Saturday, March 16 -- Washington, 1 p.m.
Sunday, March 17 -- at Pittsburgh, 12:30 p.m.
Tuesday, March 19 -- at Winnipeg, 7 p.m.
Thursday, March 21 -- at Ottawa, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 23 -- at Toronto, 7 p.m.
Monday, March 25 -- Toronto, 7 p.m.
Wednesday, March 27 -- Montreal, 7 p.m.
Saturday, March 30 -- at Philadelphia, 1 p.m.
Sunday, March 31 -- at Buffalo, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, April 2 -- Ottawa, 7 p.m.
Thursday, April 4 -- New Jersey, 7 p.m.
Saturday, April 6 -- at Montreal, 7 p.m.
Monday, April 8 -- Carolina, 7 p.m.
Wednesday, April 10 -- at New Jersey, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, April 11 -- N.Y. Islanders, 7 p.m.
Saturday, April 13 -- at Carolina, 7 p.m.
Monday, April 15 -- Ottawa, 7 p.m.
Wednesday, April 17 -- Buffalo, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, April 19 -- Pittsburgh, 7 p.m.
Sunday, April 21 -- Florida, 3 p.m.
Tuesday, April 23 -- at Philadelphia, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 27 -- at Washington, 7 p.m.