Avalanche at Bruins
The Boston Bruins have mustered just three goals in as many games this season, but their sputtering offense is likely the envy of their visiting opponent for Monday's matinee. The Colorado Avalanche were shut out twice by Minnesota's Darcy Kuemper to begin the season, dropping a 5-0 decision on the road Thursday before falling 3-0 in Denver two days later. "Discouraged? I wouldn't think there's any risk for that," Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog said. "We're all professionals in here and we know how to get out of situations like this. ... But certainly, we've got to do something different. We need something, a little spark, we need a goal."
Boston can relate to that sentiment as it followed up a 2-1 loss to Detroit on Thursday by limping to a 4-0 setback to Washington at home on Saturday. "Two hockey teams outplayed us in 120 minutes of hockey," Chris Kelly said. "It's not Bruins hockey, it's not the way we play hockey. Expectations are way higher than that for this group." Boston may receive a jolt from the return of David Krejci, who practiced for the second straight day on Sunday as he looks to overcome an undisclosed injury.
TV: 1 p.m. ET, TVA, Altitude (Colorado), NESN (Boston)
ABOUT THE AVALANCHE (0-2-0): Jarome Iginla, who scored 30 goals for Boston in 2013-14, will return to TD Garden for the first time since shuffling to Colorado in the offseason. "It's early in the year, and it will probably feel like I was just there," Iginla said. "For myself and my family, it was fun last year. It was a great experience." Matt Duchene likely had fun in the teams' first meeting last season, collecting a goal and an assist as the Avalanche posted a 2-0 triumph on Oct. 10, 2013.
ABOUT THE BRUINS (1-2-0): Reigning Vezina Trophy winner Tuukka Rask hasn't gotten out of the blocks the way he would've liked - and faces a Colorado club that has defeated him in all three of his career starts. "We have to bounce back on Monday and get this train on track because the games keep coming," Rask said of the Bruins' slate of seven contests in 11 days. Shoring up their leaky penalty kill also could help matters as Boston has permitted three power-play goals in its last two contests.
OVERTIME
1. Reigning Selke Trophy winner Patrice Bergeron scored and D Dougie Hamilton notched a pair of assists in Boston's 2-0 road victory over Colorado on March 21.
2. The Avalanche have successfully killed all eight short-handed situations this season, while the Bruins have converted just once in 10 power-play opportunities.
3. Boston recalled C Seth Griffith from Providence of the American Hockey League and assigned RW Craig Cunningham to the minor-league Bruins.