Blue Jackets at Bruins
The Boston Bruins return after a solid six-game road trip to start a stretch during which they play six of seven at home against the visiting Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday. The Bruins finished at 4-2-0 on their trek after knocking off Dallas 7-3 on Saturday and look to improve their disappointing record at TD Bank Garden (12-14-3).
“Obviously, it was a big win, especially against a team like that on the road, but we have to stay even-keeled,” Boston center David Krejci told reporters Saturday after his team scored six unanswered goals. “Don’t get too high or too low, just kind of go about our business, regroup and come back strong.” Brad Marchand scored twice against Dallas to push his career-high goal total to 30 as the Bruins matched their season best in tallies. The Blue Jackets dug themselves too deep a hole with an 0-8-0 start but have shown some improvement of late with points in nine of their last 11 games (6-2-3). Columbus has played Boston tough in two recent meetings, losing in overtime and a shootout.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, FSN Ohio (Columbus), NESN (Boston)
ABOUT THE BLUE JACKETS (23-29-7): Columbus was blanked 4-0 against Buffalo last time out and has not received much production from its power play, which is 2-for-24 over the last eight games. The Blue Jackets have gotten balanced scoring throughout with Scott Hartnell, Brandon Saad and Cam Atkinson leading the team at 37 points apiece. With Sergei Bobrovsky sidelined for much of the season, Joonas Korpisalo (.920 save percentage) has had a chance to develop in net and is likely to make his 12th straight start.
ABOUT THE BRUINS (32-21-6): While Marchand continues to have a standout season, he has had plenty of help on a productive Boston offense that ranks third in the league at three goals per game. Patrice Bergeron leads the team with 50 points and has scored three goals in his last four games, Krejci has netted three tallies and set up 11 others over his last 13 contests while Loui Eriksson has scored six goals in his last eight games. The Bruins were 3-for-6 on the power play Saturday after going 1-for-36 over their previous 10 games.
OVERTIME
1. Columbus D Seth Jones is one of only three active players on the team who have appeared in more than three games to post a positive plus/minus rating (plus-2).
2. Boston C Ryan Spooner, who notched an assist in the first meeting with Columbus on Jan. 23, missed the game versus Dallas due to illness and is questionable.
3. Atkinson is one tally away from his third consecutive 20-goal season for the Blue Jackets.