Penguins at Bruins
THE STORY: The Pittsburgh Penguins saw their run of luck in close games come to an end earlier this week. They may want to avoid keeping things tight Saturday afternoon as they face the formidable Bruins in Boston. Pittsburgh won four consecutive extra-time games - two in overtime and two others via shootout - before dropping a 1-0 decision to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday. That loss halted the Penguins' season-high eight-game winning streak, with five of those victories coming after 60 minutes. They'll meet their match Saturday against a Bruins team with a .579 winning percentage in one-goal games, ranking it in the top 10. Boston has struggled of late, alternating wins and losses over its last 10 games. The Bruins are coming off a tough 3-0 loss to Carolina, stymied by a 47-save performance from Cam Ward. The veteran goaltender helped lead the Hurricanes to their first-ever series sweep of the Bruins.
TV: 1 p.m. ET, NHL Network-U.S., ROOT Sports, NESN
ABOUT THE PENGUINS (29-18-4): Pittsburgh locked up one of its key depth forwards on Friday, signing Joe Vitale to a two-year contract extension. The 26-year-old will earn $1.1 million over the length of the extension. Vitale has been one of the top faceoff men in the league this season, winning nearly 56 percent of his draws while recording three goals and seven assists. He also serves as one of the club's top penalty killers.
ABOUT THE BRUINS (32-15-2): Boston has spent most of the season as the class of the NHL, but coach Claude Julien says his team is far from an elite team at the moment. "Right now we're playing more like a team that should be at the bottom of the standings then at the top of the standings and that's the reality of it," he said following Thursday's shutout loss. Boston will have plenty of time to work out the kinks in practice, with just four games in the next 10 days.
OVERTIME:
1. The road team has prevailed six straight times in the head-to-head series.
2. Boston has dominated the Atlantic of late, winning 23 of its last 32 games against the division.
3. Saturday's game pits two of the top teams when it comes to extra-time games. Pittsburgh is 9-4 in overtime and shootouts while the Bruins are 6-2.