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Bruins-Flyers Preview

Oct 22, 2009 - 4:17 AM By MATT BEARDMORE STATS Writer

Boston (3-4-0) at Philadelphia (3-2-1), 7:00 p.m. EDT

The Boston Bruins' first game without Marc Savard and Milan Lucic was a success. Now, they'll try to win consecutive games for the first time this season.

Boston goes for its fifth straight victory in Philadelphia on Thursday night, when the Flyers look to snap a three-game losing streak.

With Savard placed on the injured list earlier in the day with a broken left foot and Lucic also sidelined four to six weeks after breaking his right index finger in last Friday's 3-0 win at Dallas, the Bruins (4-4-0) responded with a 3-2 win over Nashville on Wednesday.

Steve Begin, who signed in the offseason after spending 2008-09 with Montreal and Dallas, scored the game-winner in the third period off an assist from Daniel Paille, who was acquired from Buffalo on Tuesday.

"It's awesome," Begin said. "Most important thing is we won the game but it's great to get my first goal out of the way. Now, I'm going to have to think about something else. Not that I was thinking about it every day but it's a big relief."

Bruins coach Claude Julien would feel better if his team could sustain this level of play.

"We're standing here with another win and also standing here knowing we haven't won two in a row," he said. "We need to put together two good games in a row."

Beginning with its 4-1 season-opening defeat to Washington, Boston has alternated wins and losses for eight games.

While Paille scored a point in his Bruins debut, so did rookie center Brad Marchand, who notched an assist on Michael Ryder's second-period goal.

Trent Whitfield, a fourth-round pick by Boston in 1996, was called up from AHL Providence on Wednesday and took one shot in his first-ever game with the Bruins.

Center Patrice Bergeron scored the game-tying goal in the second period Wednesday, giving him four points in the last four games. Bergeron had a goal and two assists as the Bruins went 2-1-1 against the Flyers last season.

Boston has won all four of its visits to Philadelphia since the beginning of the 2007-08 season. Reigning Vezina Trophy winner Tim Thomas, who stopped 28 shots to earn Wednesday's win, is 4-0-0 with a 2.25 goals-against average in four career starts in Philadelphia.

The Flyers (3-2-1) open a three-game homestand and take the ice for the first time since last Friday's 4-2 loss at Florida.

Philadelphia went 0 for 2 on the power play and yielded a short-handed goal in the third period, when it was outscored 2-0.

"We're creating a lot of offensive opportunities, but we're not executing right now," Flyers coach John Stevens said. "I think we need to simplify a little bit and get pucks to the net. Special teams are the difference. We don't score on the power play. They score a power-play goal and a short-hander and it's the difference in the game."

Forward Simon Gagne had an assist for the second straight game, but he has yet to score a goal this season. Gagne had 34 goals in 2008-09, with four coming against Boston.

Flyers goaltender Ray Emery is 4-1-0 with a 1.81 GAA and a shutout in his last five starts against the Bruins.