Game 67: Penguins Vs. Bruins Preview
BOSTON (KDKA) – The Pittsburgh Penguins will look to snap a two-game losing streak when they finish off a five-game road trip in Boston Saturday night.
The Penguins are 1-1-2 on this current road trip, with the lone win coming in a shootout against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday.
Last night, the Penguins lost 2-1 in overtime to the New Jersey Devils. Ilya Kovalchuk scored on a power play after a questionable hooking call on Zbynek Michalek.
Since the beginning of February, the Penguins have gone to overtime or a shootout eight times over a span of 16 games. That stretch includes a streak of three straight games going beyond regulation. In addition, six of their previous eight games couldn't be settled in 60 minutes of play.
According to the Penguins official website, the team is 9-8 in games that have gone into overtime or a shootout this season.
This will be the fourth and final meeting between the teams this season. The Bruins won the first two games in Pittsburgh by erasing two-goal deficits in the third period in each contest.
Pittsburgh won the only meeting in Boston on Jan. 15 after watching another two-goal lead evaporate in the blink of an eye.
Boston has erased those three two-goal leads in spans of 15, 12 and 13 seconds respectively. Boston has also outscored Pittsburgh 9-1 in the third period this season.
Patrice Bergeron leads the Bruins with 50 points (21 goals, 29 assists). Power forward Milan Lucic is only three points behind Bergeron, but leads the team with 28 goals.
Lucic is no stranger to the penalty box and isn't afraid to drop the gloves either. His 97 penalty minutes rank second on the team behind Shawn Thornton's 113.
In goal, there may not be a better tandem in the league this season.
Tim Thomas is having another Vezina Trophy worthy campaign. He's 29-8-6 with seven shutouts to go along with his 1.95 GAA and .940 save percentage.
Behind him, Tuukka Rask is 9-11-1 with two shutouts and a 2.66 GAA and .921 save percentage.
Thomas has won his last three starts and only allowed one goal in each of those games.
Rask is riding a four-game win streak, including a 33-save shutout performance against the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday.
For Pittsburgh, Tyler Kennedy's goal last night matched his career-high of 15, which he set during the 2008-09 season.
Recently acquired winger James Neal is still searching for his first point in a Penguins sweater. In five games with the team, Neal is a minus-two with four penalty minutes and 11 shots on goal.
In goal, Marc-Andre Fleury is 28-16-5 with a 2.37 GAA and .917 save percentage and has allowed three or more goals in each of his last four starts.
Fleury has been the one constant during this injury-plagued season for the Penguins. Without his solid play in net, the Penguins' playoff hopes would be in jeopardy.
The puck is set to drop at 7 p.m. and you can watch the game on FSN Pittsburgh.
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