Bruins at Jets
There have been times when the Boston Bruins have lacked crispness this season, but they figure to be focused when they take the ice Thursday against the host Winnipeg Jets following a dreadful showing at home on Tuesday. Boston allowed 57 shots, its highest total since 1965, in an ugly 9-2 loss to visiting Los Angeles - leading Patrice Bergeron to tell reporters afterward that plenty of work remains for the club over its final 29 games.
"It happened a lot of times this year, where we really lacked focus, but tonight was that one, I guess, it topped all,” Bergeron said after the Bruins were throttled in their final contest before beginning a season-high six-game road trip. While Boston sits one point ahead of Pittsburgh for the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, Winnipeg flew home after completing a sweep of its two-game road trip with Tuesday’s 2-1 shootout victory at St. Louis. That triumph pulled the Jets within seven points of the final playoff berth in the West and gave them back-to-back victories for the first time since Jan. 14-15. “We’ve been right there the last two games, as good as we’ve been all year, where you’re wired into the game and ready to go,” Jets coach Paul Maurice told reporters.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, NESN (Boston), TSN3 (Winnipeg)
ABOUT THE BRUINS (28-19-6): Coach Claude Julien shook up the team’s lines during Wednesday’s practice, telling reporters he seeks a different look after each of Boston’s last four victories have come by just one goal. Tyler Randell made the most of his first appearance since Jan. 9 on Tuesday, scoring a goal and getting into a fight on a night devoid of highlights for Boston. The road has been kind to the Bruins, who own the second-best record away from home in the NHL at 16-5-3.
ABOUT THE JETS (24-26-3): Winnipeg’s defense and Connor Hellebuyck were much more settled against the Blues, as the team allowed only 22 shots while the rookie goaltender posted just his second victory on his last six starts. Bryan Little snapped an eight-game goal-scoring drought with his 16th of the season, tying Drew Stafford - who served a one-game suspension Tuesday for a high-sticking incident against Colorado three days earlier - for the team lead. The Jets are 26th in the league on the power play at 16.6 percent after going 0-for-5 on Tuesday.
OVERTIME
1. The Jets have lost seven of their last nine at home.
2. The Bruins have allowed four or more goals three times in their last five games, while their offense has not scored more than three in the past eight contests.
3. Tuesday’s victory boosted the Jets’ record in one-goal games to 8-3-3.