The Stanley Cup playoffs are well out of reach for both the host Boston Bruins and the Chicago Blackhawks entering their Thursday night clash.
Both teams have won just two of their last 10 games and sit second-to-last in their respective conferences but could have had more opposite Tuesday results.
Boston (32-38-9, 73 points) has won two of three since a 10-game skid after pouring a season-high seven goals on the New Jersey Devils in a 7-2 road win.
“I think it was one of our better games in a long time,” Bruins interim coach Joe Sacco said.
Meanwhile, Chicago (22-46-10, 54 points) looks to recover from a 5-0 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins — only its second shutout defeat of the season but its 13th loss in 15 games (2-11-2).
David Pastrnak’s fingerprints have been all over the Bruins’ recent run, leading the way on a new-look line with Morgan Geekie and Elias Lindholm.
Pastrnak factored into 13 Boston goals in a row through the first period Tuesday, and on the strength of a three-point night, became the first Czech-born player in NHL history to post three consecutive 100-point seasons.
“Pasta has been really good,” Sacco said. “He leads by the way he plays on the ice. Every team knows what he’s about, but yet he can continue to drive offense and make plays. He’s done a really good job of staying consistent over this stretch.”
Geekie reached 30 goals and could double his career-high 17 from last season. Tuesday, the Bruins also saw Massachusetts native Michael Callahan score his first NHL goal and 2021 first-round draft pick Fabian Lysell his first point, while Fraser Minten and Jakub Lauko each scored their first goals since being acquired – or in Lauko’s case, re-acquired — last month.
“I mean, things haven’t been going great recently,” Callahan said. “It’s nice to have that kind of good feeling again. A lot of guys really stepped up and we got a couple milestones. It feels good.”
The Blackhawks’ long-lasting struggles have included seven consecutive road losses. Thursday will mark their first action since holding a team meeting following the loss to Pittsburgh.
“Sometimes it’s good to blow off some steam and not sit on it for days, so (we talked about) just how bad we played,” Chicago alternate captain Connor Murphy said. “It’s good to hear guys talk and be a part of a locker room at any stage.”
In large part to defensive-zone turnovers, it was a long way off from a 3-1 home victory over the Penguins just two days earlier. That difference and lack of effort, interim coach Anders Sorenson said, was “mind-boggling.”
“I don’t think they let me down,” Sorensen added. “They let themselves and their teammates down, right? … We’re a group here. It’s not me or them.”
Touted prospects like defenseman Sam Rinzel and forward Oliver Moore have joined the Blackhawks recently. Both 20-year-olds have played in only five NHL games, with Moore earning some top-line time alongside star sophomore Connor Bedard and Ilya Mikheyev.
For that group, the team’s recent postgame sit-down is particularly important.
“As veterans or guys who have been around long enough know, you’ve got to bring (young players) with you and teach them the right way,” forward Ryan Donato said. “There’s some hard lessons in there, but it makes the team better. I think everybody can look at themselves in the mirror and find something they didn’t do great (Tuesday). You’ve got to continue to build. It’s a hard league.”
Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov missed Wednesday’s practice due to a family matter, leaving his game status to be determined. Blackhawks forward Philipp Kurashev took a puck to the face late Tuesday and did not return.
