Game preview: Boston Bruins @ Pittsburgh Penguins

November 14, 1:17 AMBoston Bruins ExaminerMark Marino

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The Boston Bruins, coming off a 1-0 shootout loss to the Florida Panthers, travel to the Igloo tonight to face the reigning Stanley Cup champs, Pittsburgh Penguins, for their second of four meeting this season. The B's, backstopped by Tim Thomas' 27 save performance, won their first match-up just four nights ago with a 3-0 blanking of the Pens.

The Penguins are coming off their fourth-straight loss on Thursday night to the New Jersey Devils, 4-1. Pittsburgh Penguins Examiner Shawn McCullough has more on their recent losing streak and vast array of injuries.

Away Team: Boston Bruins (8-7-3, 18 points, 2nd Northeast Division, 10th Eastern Conference, 2-1-2 last five games)

Who's Hot: Tim Thomas, although1-2-2 in his last five games, the reigning Vezina Trophy winner has allowed just four goals in regulation while facing 115 shots against. That calculates into an astounding 0.80 goals-against average and .965 save-percentage, in regulation and overtime, in his last five starts.

Tuukka Rask has also been up to the task (sorry, I couldn't help it) when called upon. Having started in five of the Bruins 18 games this season, the 22-year-old is 3-1-1, including one shutout, with a .919 save-percentage and a 2.33 goals-against average.

The duo have crept up to 2nd place overall in the NHL with 39 total goals-against (2.17 goals/game) in 18 games—right behind the New Jersey Devils (36 goals-against; 2.07 in 17 games played). Now if they could just get some support!

The Bruins have successfully killed 31 of their last 32 times short-handed.

Who's Not: Not one particular player in this edition; but rather the offense as a whole. The Bruins have been shutout three times already this month in six games, and have a mere eight goals-for during that span. And if it wasn't for Patrice Bergeron's goal with under a minute remaining against the Canadiens on Nov. 5, the Bruins very well could have been blanked four times.

Boston is ranked 28th in the NHL with 2.17 goals per game average (39 total)—second worst in the Eastern Conference. Only the Carolina Hurricanes in the East (2.00) are worse with 36.

What To Watch For: Look for the Bruins to take advantage of the Penguins injuries, their lack of depth at defense, and slump between the pipes. The Penguins have allowed 20 goals-against in their last five games, while lighting the lamp just seven times. Thursday night against the Panthers, the B's peppered Tomas Vokoun with 40 shots. If they enter tonight's game with the same offensive aggression against this slumping squad, good things are bound to happen.

Who To Watch For: Zdeno Chara. Last week against the Pens, Big Z made one of the best players in the game, Sidney Crosby, look more like a ghost than an MVP of the league. No. 33 was like a blanket on Crosby, allowing No. 87 just two shots on net, while finishing with a minus-2 rating. Now, if Evgeni Malkin is to return, his job gets twice as hard. Look for Chara, and linemate Derek Morris, to concentrate on the Penguins top-line, as it's sure to be a battle of match-ups all night long.

Line Combinations:

Marco Sturm—Patrice Bergeron—Mark Recchi
Blake Wheeler—David Krejci—Michael Ryder
Shawn Thornton—Steve Begin—Byron Bitz
Brad Marchand—Vladimir Sobotka—Daniel Paille

Zdeno Chara—Derek Morris
Matt Hunwick—Dennis Wideman
Andrew Ference—Mark Stuart

Tuukka Rask—Tim Thomas

Injury Report:  Milan Lucic, on the LTIR with a broken right index finger, has been skating and practicing with the team, still eyeing a Nov. 19 return against the Atlanta Thrashers. Marc Savard LRIT with a broken right foot. Mark Recchi missed yesterday's practice with a "personal day off".

Home Team: Pittsburgh Penguins (12-7-0, 2nd Atlantic Division, 4th Eastern Conference, 1-4-0 last five games)

Injury Report: From penguins.nhl.com

• Maxime Talbot, torn labrum (July 7), 4 to 6 months, practicing (cleared for contact)
• Sergei Gonchar, broken left wrist (Oct. 20), 4 to 6 weeks, practicing (no contact)
• Evgeni Malkin, shoulder strain (Oct. 29), 2 weeks, practicing (cleared for contact)
• Tyler Kennedy, undisclosed (Nov. 5), day-to-day, no ice participation
• Kris Letang, shoulder contusion (Nov. 7), 2 weeks, no ice participation
• Brooks Orpik, lower-body (Nov. 10), 2 weeks, no ice participation

With six regulars out of the lineup, Pittsburgh is missing one-third of its 18 skaters, and with Gonchar, Letang and Orpik going down, the Penguins are missing half of their defensive unit.

Possible Line Combinations:

Ruslan Fedotenko—Sidney Crosby—(Malkin)
Chris Kunitz—Jordan Staal—Bill Guerin
 Matt Cooke—Craig Adams—Pascal Dupuis
Chris Bourque—Mike Rupp—Eric Godard

Defense
Alex Goligoski—Jay McKee
mark Eaton—Deryk Engelland
Martin Skoula—Ben Lovejoy

I feel stronger now. I feel awesome. I won't play tonight (against New Jersey) but maybe next game." Evgeni Malkin

Malkin, who hasn't played since Oct. 28, should be a gametime decision.

Also, be sure to check out Penquinsbuzztap on Twitter for last minute news and all Penguins info, all the time.

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