Bruins at Ducks
The Anaheim Ducks and Boston Bruins are both in the hunt for a division title, but each team also is trying to avoid a scenario in which they relinquish home-ice advantage in a first-round postseason series. Against that backdrop, the Ducks are seeking their fifth consecutive win in the series when they host the Bruins on Friday night.
Boston was brutalized by the three California teams earlier in the season, losing by a combined 20-8 score at home, but put forth a much better performance in a 3-2 setback at San Jose on Tuesday. "We realize that we have to get some points out of here and focus on Anaheim and L.A. coming up and try to get some wins," Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask said. While Boston is in second place in the Atlantic and three points behind division-leading Florida, Anaheim trails first-place Los Angeles by six points and is one ahead of San Jose for second in the Pacific. The Ducks, who had their 10-game home point streak (9-0-1) halted in a 2-1 loss to the New York Rangers on Wednesday, have won only once in their last five (1-3-1) but demolished the Bruins 6-2 on Jan. 26.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, NESN (Boston), Prime Ticket (Anaheim), Sportsnet1, NHL.TV
ABOUT THE BRUINS (39-24-8): Boston is receiving great production from the No. 2 line of Loui Eriksson, David Krejci and David Pastrnak, with the first two tallying in San Jose to give the unit 13 points over the past three games. Conversely, the third line of Matt Beleskey, Ryan Spooner and Jimmy Hayes have combined for only one assist in the last four games. Ex-Duck Beleskey, returning to Anaheim for the first time since signing with Boston in the offseason, has notched only one point in his last nine and Hayes held off the scoresheet for the past 10.
ABOUT THE DUCKS (38-22-9): Anaheim coach Bruce Boudreau has alternated his goaltenders for two starts at a time, which would have John Gibson in line to face Boston, but he was sick Thursday and sent home from practice. The tandem of Gibson and Frederik Andersen have yielded more than two goals only twice in 13 games. "I’m sure decisions are coming down the road, but they’ve both played very well and made it tough for anybody to decipher that one’s better than the other," Boudreau said. "So far it’s worked, so there’s no need to change it right now."
OVERTIME
1. Anaheim has killed off 15 straight penalties over the past 15 games.
2. Rask has only one win in six starts (1-4-1) with a 3.48 goals-against average versus Anaheim.
3. The Ducks start a five-game road trip Sunday while Boston will play six of its next seven away from home after Friday's tilt.