Bruins 3 - 4 Predators
Final - OT
  for this game

Bruins shoot for a rare win in Nashville

Mar 17, 2011 - 3:13 PM (Sports Network) - Seeking back-to-back victories following their worst losing streak of the season, the Boston Bruins aim to pick up their first victory at Nashville in over seven years as they visit the Predators and Bridgestone Arena.

The Bruins snapped an 0-2-2 slide on Tuesday with a 3-2 shootout victory over the Blue Jackets. David Krejci and Rich Peverley scored in regulation, with Peverley tying the game on a short-handed tally with 5:36 to go in the third period before Tyler Seguin netted the lone goal of the shootout.

The victory was well-timed as it moved Boston four points up on Montreal for first place in the Northeast Division. The Canadiens are also in action tonight, hosting the Lightning.

Tuukka Rask made 34 saves and halted all three Columbus skaters in the tiebreaker after giving No. 1 Tim Thomas a rest.

"This was one of his biggest and best games of the year," Bruins head coach Claude Julien said of Rask. "He was very poised and I thought he did a great job in the shootout."

Despite Julien's praise, Thomas is likely to get the start tonight when the Bruins go for their eighth victory in their last 10 on the road. Boston plays the third contest of a four-game road trip and is 23-9-4 away from Beantown.

Thomas has stopped 65-of-68 shots faced in winning both of his career starts against the Predators. That includes 28 saves in last season's 3-2 home win. Thomas will now try to lead Boston to its first victory in Nashville since March 9, 2004, with the club dropping its last two trips there since that 3-2 triumph.

The Predators will be looking to get back into the win column after falling to 2-1 on a five-game homestand with Tuesday's 4-3 loss to the Kings. Jonathan Blum and J.P. Dumont both scored, while Pekka Rinne gave up three goals on just 17 shots faced in the loss.

"They're a solid team. They capitalized on their chances," said Nashville head coach Barry Trotz. "I thought we played pretty well, but we're not getting rewarded."

With 12 games left, the Predators are a point back of the Flames and Ducks for eighth place in the Western Conference and is just five points back of fourth place in the overall standings.

Trotz's club was without forward Joel Ward, who had scored in three straight games but sat out Tuesday's contest with a lower-body injury. He is questionable for tonight.

Rinne is likely to get the call tonight, his first against Boston since Feb. 14, 2009. He made 23 saves in the victory, which came in his first ever start against the club.

Rinne's 2.09 goals-against average and .929 save percentage are both second in the league, behind only Thomas' 2.03 GAA and .938 save percentage.






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