Blackhawks at Bruins
All-Star left wing Brad Marchand is taking on even more responsibility with three key players out and hopes to stay hot when his Boston Bruins host the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday afternoon in the opener of a home-and-home set. Marchand boasts five goals and four assists over the last four games for the Bruins, who have won five straight to stay within six points of first-place Tampa Bay in the Atlantic Division with three games in hand.
“With (Patrice Bergeron) being out from their line and (David) Backes being out, he wants to be a difference-maker even more and the past few games he’s been that,” Boston goalie Tuukka Rask told reporters of Marchand, who leads the team with 29 goals and 67 points. “So it’s great for him. He’s even got the letter on his chest.” Backes will sit out two more games because of a suspension while Bergeron (foot) and defenseman Charlie McAvoy (knee) are out at least a few more weeks. The Bruins will try to take advantage of the fading Blackhawks, who are 2-4-0 in their last six games and likely will miss the playoffs for the first time since 2007-08. Chicago, which sits last in the Central Division, took a 2-1 lead after one period Thursday against Carolina before being outshot 29-15 in the final 40 minutes en route to a 3-2 loss at home.
TV: 1 p.m. ET, NHL Network, NBCS Chicago, NESN (Boston)
ABOUT THE BLACKHAWKS (29-31-8): Forward Tomas Jurco scored one of the goals Thursday to give him three in six games after managing only one in his previous 49 NHL contests with Chicago and Detroit. Patrick Kane leads the team with 24 goals and 63 points and captain Jonathan Toews has five of his 45 points in the past four games to tie fellow center Nick Schmaltz for second. Rookie Alex DeBrincat is second on the team with 22 goals, but is mired in a nine-game drought, while Artem Anisimov needs one to reach 20 for the third straight season and fourth overall.
ABOUT THE BRUINS (42-15-8): Marchand’s linemate David Pastrnak has also stepped up with Bergeron out, recording one goal and 10 assists in the last seven games to push his season total to 63 points - second behind Marchand. Defenseman Torey Krug was kept off the scoresheet in Thursday’s 3-2 win over Philadelphia after collecting nine points (three goals) in the previous four contests while veteran forward Brian Gionta has made an impact with four points in four games since being signed. Forward Riley Nash boasts seven points (three goals) in the last five games to increase his career-high total to 35.
OVERTIME
1. Chicago D Jan Rutta, who has 19 points in 44 games this season, signed a one-year extension Thursday worth $2.3 million.
2. Rask turned aside 31 shots to earn the win Thursday after sitting out the previous two games with a lower-body injury.
3. The teams split a pair of games last season with the road team winning each. They will meet again in Chicago on Sunday afternoon.