Bruins at Senators
The Ottawa Senators ended their streak of 12 consecutive games with fewer than three goals and hope to keep producing offense when they host the Boston Bruins on Thursday. Ottawa had not netted more than two tallies since posting a 3-0 victory at Vancouver on Oct. 25 before erupting for four in Tuesday's one-goal triumph at Montreal.
Senators captain Erik Karlsson scored a goal and set up another in the win to become the 13th active defenseman to reach eclipse the 400-point plateau and is three assists away from 300 for his career. Boston fell one point behind Ottawa for third place in the Atlantic Division after dropping a 4-2 home decision to St. Louis on Tuesday. The Bruins will be without their captain on Thursday as Zdeno Chara left the loss to the Blues early in the second period with a lower body injury and did not return. "He's not coming on the road trip, obviously," Boston coach Claude Julien said Wednesday. "From what I've been told, he's day-to-day. I think he's pretty doubtful for these next two games. After that, we'll see.".
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, NESN (Boston), TSN5, RDS2 (Ottawa)
ABOUT THE BRUINS (11-8-0): Forward David Backes became a part of history Tuesday as his goal against the Blues was the 20,000th for the franchise, making Boston the second NHL team (Montreal) to reach the milestone. David Krejci's next point will be the 485th of his career, moving him past Don Marcotte for sole possession of 15th place on the franchise list. The Bruins hope to have David Pastrnak, who leads the team with 10 goals, back in the lineup Thursday as the right wing has missed three games with an upper-body injury.
ABOUT THE SENATORS (11-7-1): Karlsson is the 15th defenseman in NHL history to record 400 points in 500 or fewer games (498) and first to accomplish the feat since Dec. 4, 1993, when Brian Leetch reached the mark in his 380th career contest. Mike Hoffman returned from a two-game absence due to a groin injury on Tuesday and registered a goal and two assists for his seventh career three-point performance and second this season. The 26-year-old had been kept off the scoresheet in each of his previous five contests.
OVERTIME
1. The Senators successfully killed 35 consecutive penalties before Montreal D Shea Weber ended the streak on Tuesday.
2. Boston C Dominic Moore is one goal away from matching his total of six in 80 contests with the New York Rangers last season.
3. Ottawa has allowed the first goal in 14 of its 19 games this season.