Bruins at Canadiens
The red-hot Montreal Canadiens can take over first place in the Atlantic Division when they host the Boston Bruins on Thursday. Montreal erased a pair of one-goal deficits in the final four minutes of an eventual 4-3 shootout win at New Jersey on Wednesday to run its point streak to eight games (7-0-1) and close within a point of the division-leading Bruins. The Canadiens have won the last three matchups with Boston, although this will be their first meeting this season.
The Bruins are in the midst of their own torrid stretch, going 10-2-1 over their last 13 games while playing a schedule that featured 17 of their first 27 games at home. Boston has been idle since posting a 3-1 home win over Columbus on Saturday, and coach Claude Julien said it's a fine line balancing the time off versus maintaining the team's edge. "It's the rest that we needed from playing that many games," Julien said. "At the same time, did you lose a little bit of your momentum?"
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, NESN (Boston), RDS, TSN (Montreal)
ABOUT THE BRUINS (18-7-2): Boston will arrive in Montreal with some concerns along its blue line as defenseman Adam McQuaid, who recently was sidelined for eight games, is back on the shelf after aggravating a groin injury. Torey Krug was a no-show at practice Tuesday due to an undisclosed injury, but he was back on the ice Wednesday and pronounced "fine" by Julien. Tuukka Rask has more losses against the Canadiens than any other opponent, compiling a 2-8-2 record and 2.83 goals-against average in 13 appearances.
ABOUT THE CANADIENS (17-9-3): Montreal finally had its 11-game streak of allowing two goals or fewer snapped, but the offense came to the rescue and has scored at least three goals in each of the last seven victories. "We're finding ways to win games," said forward Davis Desharnais, who scored with 37 seconds left in regulation before delivering the decisive goal in the shootout. Desharnais had been a non-factor for the first seven weeks of the season with one assist in 19 games, but he has come to life with nine points in his last eight contests.
OVERTIME
1. Boston and Montreal rank 1-2 in the league in goals allowed per game.
2. Canadiens G Carey Price is riding a five-game winning streak during which he has allowed nine goals.
3. Bruins C Patrice Bergeron had 40 points in 47 games against the Canadiens.