Bruins at Senators
Rookie Andrew Hammond can shatter a 76-year-old NHL record and, more importantly, help the Ottawa Senators pull within two points of the second wild card in the Eastern Conference when they host the Boston Bruins on Thursday night. Hammond has allowed two goals or fewer in his first 12 starts, matching the mark set by Boston's Frank Brimsek (1938-39). The "Hamburglar" has yet to lose in regulation (11-0-1) for Ottawa, which trails the Bruins by four points.
The surging Senators have won four in a row and are 12-1-1 during a white-hot stretch as they prepare to open a four-game homestand, but that lone regulation defeat was a 3-1 setback at home to Boston. The Bruins were on a tear of their own, rattling off five straight victories before scoring a combined one goal in consecutive losses to Washington and last-place Buffalo and now open a three-game road trip that includes a back-to-back in Florida. Boston has won 12 of its last 14 at Ottawa.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, NESN (Boston), RDS2, TSN5 (Ottawa)
ABOUT THE BRUINS (36-23-11): Center David Krejci, who led the team in scoring a year ago but has been limited to 38 games this season, practiced fully Wednesday after sitting out the past 12 contests with a torn MCL in his left knee. Krejci could return over the weekend and one of the prime candidates to take a seat is Carl Soderberg, who is scoreless over his past 24 games spanning two months. “I can score the puck, but I’m not a sniper," Soderberg said. "I’m more of a playmaker. ... But the most important thing is that we win some hockey games this week."
ABOUT THE SENATORS (34-24-11): While Hammond's meteoric rise has dwarfed all other storylines for Ottawa, Mark Stone has also come up big with five game-winning goals - four during the 12-1-1 surge - and trails only Nashville's Filip Forsberg (six) and New York Islanders forward Anders Lee (six) for the most among rookies. The Senators have scored two goals in each of their last three victories, further testament to Hammond's brilliance. "He's on fire," said Kyle Turris, who set up Stone's latest decisive tally. "I don't think I've ever seen anything like it."
OVERTIME
1. Hammond is the first netminder with at least one point in his first 12 starts since Pittsburgh's Patrick Lalime opened 14-0-2 in 1996-97.
2. Bruins G Tuukka Rask has permitted two goals or fewer eight times during a 6-2-1 stretch.
3. Boston is 0-for-14 on the power play in the last four games since beating Ottawa.