Bruins at Canucks
The Boston Bruins have answered an 8-1-1 stretch by winning just one of their last four contests, causing coach Claude Julien to stress the importance of being focused as the team opens a five-game road trip against the Vancouver Canucks on Friday. "On this road trip, people talk about bonding and talk about this and that - right now, it's more about going out there and doing our jobs game in and game out," Julien said. The Bruins didn't do much of that during their three-game homestand, registering two-goal losses to both rival Montreal and Dallas to conclude the run.
Zack Kassian has been doing his job of late, scoring in each of his last three contests on the heels of a 21-game drought. Kassian is riding a four-game point streak for the Canucks, who have alternated wins and losses over their last seven contests. Captain Henrik Sedin has recorded eight points in that stretch and twin brother Daniel has seven, highlighted by the former assisting the latter on his second goal 1:20 into overtime in a 5-4 triumph over Chicago on Wednesday.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, NESN (Boston), RSN Pacific (Vancouver)
ABOUT THE BRUINS (28-19-7): Milan Lucic notched an assist in both Boston's 3-1 setback to the Canadiens on Sunday and a 5-3 defeat at the hands of the Stars two nights later. The Vancouver native doesn't have fond memories of his last trip home with the Bruins, getting into a verbal and physical altercation outside a nightclub before later ripping the city and vowing never to return other than to play at Rogers Arena. While he since has apologized for that stance, Lucic recorded a goal and an assist in Boston's 3-1 home victory over the Canucks in the last meeting and has two and three, respectively, in six career encounters.
ABOUT THE CANUCKS (30-20-3): Ryan Miller looks to atone for a porous performance in a 5-3 setback to Minnesota on Monday when he makes his 600th career appearance with his next outing. The 34-year-old has dropped five of his last seven decisions overall but has gotten up close and personal with Lucic dating back to the goaltender's time with Buffalo. Chris Higgins has recorded three assists in his last two games and was one of six different Canucks to score in the 6-3 win over Boston in the last meeting in Vancouver.
OVERTIME
1. Boston is just 3-for-24 on the power play in its last 11 games.
2. The Canucks claimed LW Brandon McMillan off waivers from Arizona on Thursday. The 24-year-old British Columbia native recorded a goal and two assists in 50 games with the Coyotes this season.
3. The Bruins were the last team to yield a short-handed goal before allowing one during a five-minute power play and another on a double-minor versus Dallas.