Final
Bruins visit Sens aiming to push win streak to 5 straight
Nov 15, 2013 - 4:06 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The rolling Boston Bruins take aim at a season-high fifth straight win when they visit the Ottawa Senators for Friday's Atlantic Division battle at Canadian Tire Centre.The Bruins matched their longest winning streak of the season by recording Thursday's overtime win against visiting Columbus. Milan Lucic's breakaway goal with 48.6 seconds remaining in the extra session lifted Boston to a fourth straight victory, a 3-2 decision over the Blue Jackets at TD Garden.
Boston's current run matches a four-game winning streak from Oct. 17-24. Another victory tonight would give the Bruins their longest winning stretch since a six-game tear from Feb. 17-March 2 of last season.
Chad Johnson helped extend Boston's streak with a sharp 32-save effort between the pipes on Thursday, with Loui Eriksson and Shawn Thornton collecting goals in regulation for the Bruins.
"He made some huge saves in the third and kept us in it," said Marchand of Johnson. "He did a great job today."
Following a scoreless third period that carried over into the initial four minutes of overtime, Lucic prevented the game from entering a shootout with an outstanding defensive play in his own zone. The physical forward blocked a shot attempt by the Blue Jackets' Cam Atkinson, then cradled the loose puck and raced down the ice uncontested before sliding a shot between Sergei Bobrovsky's pads for the clincher.
Thursday's victory gave Boston a 4-0-1 record on a five-game homestand, but tonight's tilt is the first stop on a three-game road trip. The Bruins are 8-3-1 on home ice this season and 4-2-0 as the guest.
Friday's tilt marks the first of four scheduled meetings between the Bruins and Sens this season. Although Ottawa halted a five-game losing streak in this series when the clubs last met on April 28 of last season in Boston, the B's have taken 13 of the past 15 encounters with the Sens.
Boston's dominance goes even deeper when looking at the recent matchups in Canada's capital city. The Bruins have claimed 11 straight in Ottawa since the Sens last posted a home win in this series on April 7, 2009.
The Senators will try to rebound from a rough home loss when they again take the ice at Canadian Tire Center. Ottawa had won two straight to begin a five- game homestand before having an overall three-game winning streak snapped in Tuesday's 5-0 rout against Philadelphia.
Ottawa surrendered a goal in the first period and two each in the next two stanzas in the lopsided loss. The Sens also fired 24 shots at Steve Mason, but the Flyers goaltender turned aside every one to record his first shutout of the season.
It also marked the first time the Senators were held without a goal this season.
Craig Anderson made his first start since Nov. 3, and stopped 26 shots for the Senators.
"It's just one of those things where we've got to be better. That's the bottom line," Anderson said.
Anderson, who had been sidelined with a neck injury, fell to 4-5-2 on the season. It's unclear if Anderson or Robin Lehner, who posted all three wins during the recent hot streak, will get the call on Friday. Lehner is 2-3-2 with a 2.11 goals against average in seven career games against the Bruins, while Anderson is 3-8-0 with a 3.45 GAA.
The Senators played Tuesday without defenseman Chris Phillips and he is questionable for Friday's test with an undisclosed injury.
Ottawa is 3-4-2 as the home team this season and will close this residency Sunday against Columbus.
- BOSTON: 2
OTTAWA: 4
Final
Nov 15 10:15 PM - Ottawa Goal - Jared Cowen (3), from Cory Conacher and Jason Spezza at 5:42.
Bruins 2, Senators 3 3rd - 14:18Nov 15 9:42 PM - Ottawa Goal - Jason Spezza (9), from Erik Karlsson and Milan Michalek at 1:32.
Bruins 2, Senators 2 3rd - 18:28Nov 15 9:34 PM - BOSTON: 2
OTTAWA: 1
End of 2nd
Nov 15 9:13 PM - BOSTON: 2
OTTAWA: 1
End of 1st
Nov 15 8:17 PM - Boston Goal - Brad Marchand (3), from Matt Bartkowski and Loui Eriksson at 9:50.
Bruins 2, Senators 0 1st - 10:10Nov 15 7:56 PM - Boston Goal - Matt Bartkowski, from Patrice Bergeron at 6:03.
Bruins 1, Senators 0 1st - 13:57Nov 15 7:49 PM - BOSTON: 0
OTTAWA: 0
1st Period - 20:00
Nov 15 7:39 PM
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