The Bruins will be going with the same lineup against Edmonton as they try to snap their six-game losing streak in a New Year’s Eve matchup against Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and the rest of the Oilers.
The B’s have managed just one goal in each of their last two games and six in their last four, but coach Marco Sturm is still concerned with the defensive zone first.
“That’s sometimes how it goes, but we still are very confident that we can score goals. I think the one thing we want to make is to have less goals against. I think that was the biggest message on the other side of it,” Sturm told reporters in Edmonton. “The goals will come if we play good defense. I do believe in that. Don’t forget, the power play didn’t score for a couple of games. There’s different reasons, but I’m not worried about it. I know we have to get into the tough areas. We know that. We know the power play needs to pick it up.”
The B’s need more from their star players. David Pastrnak has 2-1-3 totals in his last six games and Morgan Geekie has not scored a goal in his last four games, his longest goalless streak of the season.
Geekie said the lighthearted start to Tuesday’s practice, with all the players on the ice at once essentially playing two scrimmages, can help.
“Everybody puts a lot of pressure on themselves in situations like this,” Geekie said. “It’s guys’ livelihoods at the end of the day and everyone’s got a job. When you don’t perform it, it weighs on a lot of guys. To be able lift the mood a little bit, it helps. So you just keep it simple and rely on what you know.”
While they need to score some goals, the B’s might want to keep an eye on that McDavid guy. He’s got 33 points (13-20) in his last 13 games.
Puck drop is a little after 9:30 p.m ET. Also, Tanner Jeannot continued to skate in a red non-contact jersey but Sturm did not venture an estimate for a return.
