Bruins at Red Wings
The Boston Bruins have mustered just four goals this season and saw their three-game skid begin with a 2-1 road setback to the Detroit Red Wings last week. The Bruins look to alter their fortunes when they visit their Original Six rival for the second time in six days on Wednesday. Boston suffered its third consecutive 2-1 loss on Monday - albeit in heartbreaking fashion - as Colorado's Daniel Briere scored his 300th career goal with four-tenths of a second remaining in the third period.
Detroit certainly can relate to losing on a late goal, as captain Ryan Getzlaf tallied with 24 seconds remaining in Anaheim's 3-2 triumph on Saturday. Jimmy Howard will look to rebound versus Boston, against which he turned aside 16 shots last week and holds a 5-1-0 mark with a 1.97 goals-against average in six career regular-season starts. Reigning Vezina Trophy winner Tuukka Rask is singing a different tune in this battle of Olympic goaltenders as he made 24 saves in falling to 0-3-0 at Detroit during regular-season play.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBCSN
ABOUT THE BRUINS (1-3-0): Boston made a move to address its offensive woes on Tuesday by signing Simon Gagne to a one-year, $600,000 contract. The 34-year-old, who played summer hockey with fellow Quebec native Patrice Bergeron, has recorded 288 goals and 309 assists in 799 career games. Gagne also scored a goal and set up another in five preseason contests with the Bruins after sitting out the 2013-14 campaign to assess his options.
ABOUT THE RED WINGS (1-1-0): Coach Mike Babcock isn't shy about talking up what he views to be his team's greatest asset: speed. "We got quicker right to the playoffs," Babcock told NHL.com. "Boston slowed us down to a halt in the playoffs, but with a year under our belts, I think we can be a quicker team." Gustav Nyquist certainly is fleet of foot and scored the go-ahead power-play goal early in the second period against Boston last week.
OVERTIME
1. Detroit RW Johan Franzen notched two assists against the Bruins last week before setting up a goal versus the Ducks.
2. Bergeron, who scored his team's lone goal against the Red Wings, has netted two tallies and set up four others in his last five meetings with Detroit.
3. Red Wings stud C Pavel Datsyuk still is nursing a separated shoulder and will not play on Wednesday.