BOSTON (WHDH) -- After 119 days of the NHL lockout, ready or not, the puck drops tonight for the Bruins.

“I don't know quite what to expect, how I will feel at the end of it, but it will be a tiring season,” said Andrew Ference, Bruins defenseman.

“You cross your fingers a little bit and hope there’s as much cohesion and sharpness as you can at this time and hope it’s more than the other team,” said Claude Julien, Bruins head coach.

The B's only test against “another team” was a big failure, losing to the Providence Bruins, their minor league team.

“We know that we made some mistakes, we need to address those, but tonight is the real start, so we’ve got to be ready for that,” said Zdeno Chara, Bruins captain.

The game against the New York Rangers will be their first "real" test. If the Bruins want to be the best, Claude Julian believes you need to play the best.

“I would rather play one of the best teams in the conference than not. Right now, let’s go at it,” said Julien.

With a shortened season no doubt each of the Bruins’ 48 games will carry extra significance, but regardless of what happens tonight, the Bruins will live to play another day.

Although the same can't be said for the loser of tomorrow's game at Gillette Stadium, a Patriots, Ravens rematch in the AFC title game with the Pats looking to relive last year's outcome.