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Bruins try to right the ship against Islanders

Mar 11, 2011 - 4:07 PM (Sports Network) - The Northeast Division-leading Boston Bruins will try to get back on the winning track tonight when they visit the New York Islanders tonight at Nassau Coliseum.

The Bruins, who are four points ahead of Montreal for the division lead, are 0-1-2 in the last three games after winning their previous seven contests.

Boston was dealt an overtime setback last night against the visiting Buffalo Sabres. The Bruins scored the first two goals on Thursday, but the Sabres rallied for a 4-3 overtime win. Brad Boyes scored with 1:16 left in the extra session to give Buffalo two points.

Nathan Gerbe set up the game-winning goal by picking up a loose puck and racing down the center of the ice before ripping a shot from the point. Tim Thomas blocked the initial shot, but wasn't quick enough to prevent the diminutive forward from slipping the puck to Boyes for the open-net tap-in.

Gregory Campbell, Nathan Horton and Mark Recchi lit the lamp for the Bruins. Thomas surrendered all four goals on 45 shots.

Tuukka Rask could get the start in net tonight for the Bruins. He is 3-1-0 in a 2.70 goals-against average in four career starts against the Islanders.

The Bruins are kicking off a four-game road trip tonight and they have an excellent 22-8-4 record as the visitor this season.

Boston has won both meetings with the Islanders this season and has outscored New York by a combined 11-5 margin in those encounters. The Bruins have taken three straight and 10 of the last 12 tilts in this series overall and have won two in a row and five of their last six on Long Island.

Although they are seeded 14th in the East and are likely headed for a fourth straight year out of the playoffs, the Islanders have continued to play hard. New York has won three of its last four contests and has earned a point in all five of its games in March, posting a 3-0-2 mark this month.

The Islanders picked up a thrilling win Thursday against Toronto, as Blake Comeau's goal off a deflection with 58 seconds remaining in overtime lifted New York to a 4-3 decision over the visiting Maple Leafs.

After some good puck possession in the Toronto zone with time winding down, the disc came out to Frans Nielsen, who fired a shot from the right point that Comeau deflected past James Reimer to give the Islanders the victory.

Comeau also had an assist in regulation, while Nielsen had a goal in addition to the helper on the game-winning tally. Michael Grabner and Zenon Konopka also scored for the Islanders.

"It's always fun to get on the scoring sheet and you can do some things offensively for the team," Nielsen said.

Al Montoya turned aside 24-of-27 shots to pick up the victory. Montoya is 6-2-2 with a 2.02 goals-against average for the Isles this year. He stopped 15-of-16 shots in a relief role against Boston on Feb. 17. That was Montoya's first career game against the Bruins.

New York is 3-0-1 on a five-game homestand that ends tonight and the Isles are 15-15-5 at the Coliseum this season.