(Sports Network) - The Boston Bruins try to stay perfect on the young season
Wednesday night when they battle the New York Rangers for the second time in
five days, this time at Madison Square Garden.
The Bruins and Rangers met in Boston on Saturday to open the campaign, with
the defending Northeast Division champions besting last season's Atlantic
Division winners 3-1.
It was the Bruins' second straight win over the Rangers since a five-game
series losing streak as Johnny Boychuk, Milan Lucic and Daniel Paille all
scored. Tuukka Rask made 20 saves.
Reigning Vezina Trophy winner Henrik Lundqvist made 31 saves in defeat for the
Rangers, who have still won seven of their last nine at home versus the
Bruins.
Boston followed up that victory with Monday's 2-1 shootout triumph over the
Winnipeg Jets. Brad Marchand scored in regulation, while Tyler Seguin and
Patrice Bergeron had shootout tallies.
Rask made 26 saves and stopped 2-of-3 skaters in the deciding frame.
"I think we've got to keep moving forward and keep playing the same way,"
Bergeron said. "We've said all along that it's going to be games like that we
need to win this year."
Boston is a perfect 9-for-9 on the penalty kill this season and kept the Jets
from scoring during a span of 2:17 while down a man in overtime. However, the
Bruins' power play is 0-for-9, failing to score on seven power-play chances
versus the Rangers.
The Bruins, set to play their first road game of the season, are trying for
their first 3-0 start since 2001-02.
The Rangers, meanwhile, are in danger of beginning a season winless in three
straight for a second campaign in a row. However, two of New York's three
season-opening losses in 2011-12 came after regulation.
That hasn't been the case in 2013 as New York was bested 6-3 by the visiting
Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday. Lundqvist yielded four goals on 18 shots before
being pulled in favor of Martin Biron. He made 19 saves in relief.
"We have to take these last two games and look at them, watch the video, and
learn some things from them," the Rangers' Ryan Callahan remarked. "I think we
got away a little bit from the way we were playing last year -- the hard-nosed
style, in your face. I think it starts with that, and it trickles from there
into our systems."
Callahan and Taylor Pyatt got the assists on Rick Nash's first goal with the
Rangers. Acquired this past offseason from the Columbus Blue Jackets, Nash had
an assist in the loss to the Bruins.
The Sports Network