(SportsNetwork.com) – The Boston Bruins will look to conclude a four-game
homestand with a fifth straight victory on Monday night as they play host to
the New Jersey Devils.
The Bruins extended their longest winning streak of the season on Thursday
with a 5-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers. Carl Soderberg and Dougie
Hamilton netted power-play markers as part of a four-goal third period.
Boston trailed 2-1 with under nine minutes left before scoring three times
within a span of 2:34 to move ahead, with Soderberg’s tally with 7:31
remaining following Loui Eriksson’s equalizer that began the barrage.
Hamilton added a pair of assists, while Eriksson, Soderberg and Reilly Smith
each finished with a goal and an assist. Milan Lucic tacked on an empty-net
goal and Tuukka Rask made 24 saves.
“Those games aren’t always perfect, but you like the way your team responds to
different situations,” Bruins head coach Claude Julien stated. “We’re down 2-1
(and) instead of panicking, we just picked up our game and put our foot on the
gas pedal and found a way to get some goals here.”
Julien will have to juggle his blue line again tonight as defenseman David
Warsofsky is out 2-to-4 weeks due to a groin injury. He joins Zdeno Chara
(knee), Kevan Miller (shoulder) and Torey Krug (finger) as injured Boston
defensemen.
Krug, though, has returned to practice after missing four games and could
return tonight, though forward David Krejci’s status is unknown as he deals
with an undisclosed injury. Krejci returned on Thursday after missing the
previous two games.
The Devils have their own injury issues, with Ryane Clowe sitting out Friday’s
4-2 loss to the Detroit Red Wings with a head injury.
New Jersey was already without Mike Cammalleri (bruised jaw/stiff neck),
Martin Havlat (facial laceration/lower body), Adam Henrique (lower body) and
Jon Merrill (bruised arm). Henrique, Merrill and Clowe did not travel to
Boston, though Cammalleri and Havlat returned to practice on Sunday.
Cammalleri has missed the past six games, while Havlat has sat out the last
eight.
The pending return of those two comes on the heels of Jordan Tootoo returning
to action on Friday from a seven-game absence caused by a foot injury. He and
Steve Bernier both scored, but Cory Schneider was pulled early for a second
straight game. He gave up four goals on 24 shots through two periods, while
Keith Kinkaid stopped all seven shots he faced in his third career NHL
appearance and second this season.
“I have a lot of concerns from our game tonight,” said New Jersey head coach
Peter DeBoer. “I think the score is flattering because they were a much better
team tonight.”
New Jersey will visit Minnesota on Tuesday, so Kinkaid may get a chance at his
first NHL start then as DeBoer will go back to Schneider tonight.
Schneider has faced Boston only once before in the regular season and got a
win by stopping 36-of-39 shots faced.
The Bruins have won 12 of their last 15 versus the Devils and six of the past
seven played in Boston. Rask is likely to start tonight and is 3-2-2 lifetime
versus the Devils with a 1.44 goals against average, .953 save percentage and
two shutouts in eight prior meetings, including six starts.
