Canadiens at Bruins
THE STORY: Aside from one outburst against the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Boston Bruins have had some trouble converting their scoring opportunities. Tyler Seguin has emerged as a legitimate threat but is getting little help from those around him. The Bruins have yet to post back-to-back victories and are facing down a home-and-home against the rival Montreal Canadiens beginning Thursday at TD Garden. Boston has had plenty of time to find their spark in practice this week with four days off between home games. The Canadiens still have memories of a playoff loss to the Bruins and the vicious hit that Zdeno Chara laid on Max Pacioretty last March, knocking him out for the rest of that season. Montreal fired assistant Perry Pearn prior to Wednesday’s game on the heels of a six-game losing streak. Whether it was that move or something else, the Canadiens went out and blasted the Philadelphia Flyers, 5-1.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, RDS, NHL Network
ABOUT THE CANADIENS (2-5-2): Montreal averaged just over two goals during its slide and entered Wednesday’s contest with just three power-play goals on the season. Pearn was in charge of the power play. The Canadiens started out against the Flyers with a power-play tally and then leaned on Pacioretty, who finished with two goals and an assist.
ABOUT THE BRUINS (3-5-0): Boston seemed to break out against the Maple Leafs, posting a 6-2 victory and coming alive on special teams. But Saturday night against the Sharks was a return to the stagnant offense that had plagued the Bruins through the first two weeks. Seguin and Milan Lucic scored in the third period to tie it but Boston ended up falling, 4-2.
OVERTIME:
1. Boston has surrendered the first goal in six straight games.
2. The Bruins beat the Canadiens in seven games during the Eastern Conference quarterfinals last spring after a regular-season series that included several lopsided decisions in penalty-marred games.
3. Pacioretty, who leads Montreal with five goals and four assists, has seven points in eight career games against Boston.