Blue Jackets at Bruins
The Columbus Blue Jackets look to extend their season-high winning streak to eight games when they visit the surging Boston Bruins on Monday to start a two-day, two-game road trip. The Blue Jackets have posted three one-goal victories during their run, including a 2-1 triumph over Ottawa on Saturday, as they sit one point ahead of New Jersey for the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference and two behind third-place Philadelphia in the Metropolitan Division.
“It’s become that feeling that you can relax and just do your thing and don’t worry about anything else,” Columbus goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky told reporters after winning his fifth straight start while posting a .935 save percentage in that span. “You know that guys will do their job. We have a good atmosphere in the locker room.” Blue Jackets All-Star defenseman Seth Jones (upper body) is day-to-day, while the Bruins could be without as many as five regulars due to injury after going 2-2-0 on their four-game road trip. Boston earned a big victory on Saturday as it blanked Atlantic Division-leading Tampa Bay 3-0 and sits four points behind the Lightning with two games in hand. “We’ve been talking about trying to get back to our identity in that way, playing a solid defense and finding our offense through that,” Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask told reporters Saturday. “I think it was a great thing to show to ourselves that it works.”
TV: 7 p.m. ET, Sportsnet, TVA, FS Ohio (Columbus), NESN (Boston)
ABOUT THE BLUE JACKETS (39-28-5): The newly constructed line of Boone Jenner, Thomas Vanek and Alexander Wennberg has been quite productive of late and combined for the tying goal on Saturday. “We feel comfortable together,” Jenner, who has recorded four goals and two assists during his five-game point streak, told reporters. “Each game, we're talking a lot, communicating and seeing what we can do better. It's been fun playing with them.” Artemi Panarin was kept off the scoresheet by the Senators but has notched 10 of his team-leading 63 points in the last seven games.
ABOUT THE BRUINS (45-17-8): David Backes (28 points in 50 games) suffered a laceration above his right knee on Saturday and is questionable to face Columbus, but Boston announced there is no structural damage. His absence would add him to an injured group that includes Patrice Bergeron (foot), Jake DeBrusk (upper body) and defensemen Charlie McAvoy (knee) and Zdeno Chara (upper body). Brad Marchand has recorded 15 of his team-leading 73 points in the last eight games while linemate David Pastrnak scored Saturday to give him 14 of his 69 points over the past nine contests.
OVERTIME
1. Jones has registered four goals and four assists over his last four games and needs one point to reach 50 for the first time in his career.
2. Boston signed United States Olympic star Ryan Donato to a two-year, entry-level contract on Sunday, and the Harvard product could be in the lineup as early as Monday.
3. The teams have split a pair of meetings this season, with the Bruins winning 7-2 at home on Dec. 18 in the last matchup.