Boston Bruins Postpone Game vs. Penguins Due to Marathon Bombing Manhunt

Friday night's NHL game between the Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins has been postponed due to the ongoing manhunt in connection to the Boston Marathon bombing. 

UPDATE: Friday, April. 19, at 10:10 p.m. ET by Ian Hanford

According to the Bruins' official Twitter feed, the team's game vs. the Penguins has been rescheduled for Saturday.

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According to a tweet from the Boston Police Department, the game has been postponed, along with the Boston Red Sox game and another community event:

The City of Boston's Twitter account, which operates directly under the influence of Mayor Thomas M. Menino's jurisdiction, also posted a tweet informing constituents of the decision to delay the games:

ESPN's Pierre LeBrun also weighed in, announcing on the social networking site that the NHL has a tentative date to make up the game:

The Bruins canceled their morning skate (via NHL.com) while keeping a close eye on the events in Watertown, Mass., as authorities continue to lock down the area over a 20-block radius. 

Boston will also postpone the sale of playoff tickets until Monday, April 22 (via the team's official website).

The Bruins returned to the ice on Wednesday against the Buffalo Sabres, just two days after the chilling events of the finish-line bombings at the Boston Marathon. In one of the most special scenes you will ever see in professional sports, the pregame festivities included a video montage of on-site photos and the entirety of the capacity crowd joining in the rendition of the national anthem before chants of "U-S-A" rocked the TD Garden. 

The game went off without a hitch, and the Bruins dropped a 3-2 decision in a shootout. 

However, authorities escalated the issue overnight after a report that there was an unidentified shooter at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) who shot and killed a university officer (h/t New York Times).

With the manhunt for reported suspects connected to the Boston Marathon bombings, MIT shooting and subsequent gunfight that left one of the suspects dead on Thursday evening, things in and around Boston are simply not safe for citizens right now (h/t Boston Globe).

State officials have urged folks to stay in their homes as the search for the other suspect from Thursday evening rages on (via the Globe): 

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Governor Deval Patrick asked people who live in the entire city of Boston, as well as the nearby communities of Watertown, Waltham, Newton, Belmont, Cambridge, to “shelter in place” — stay inside and not open their doors to anyone, except police with proper identification.

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Pittsburgh and Boston are both NHL playoff teams, sitting first and fourth, respectively, in the Eastern Conference standings. While the rivalry between the two clubs is intense, each will gladly put the clash on hold as a search for justice continues.

Our thoughts and prayers continue to rest with the city and those affected by the string of recent tragedies in the area, as "Boston Strong" continues to ring true to more than just those affected in the city limits.