• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Jets, Bruins get together for matinee in Boston

Jan 4, 2014 - 3:15 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The Winnipeg Jets will try to pick up their first win of the 2014 calendar year as they visit the Boston Bruins at TD Garden on Saturday afternoon.

The Jets closed December on a three-game winning streak before dropping the opener of a three-game road trip Thursday night in Ottawa. Winnipeg was trying to match its longest winning streak of the season, but it fell to the Senators 4-3 in regulation.

Winnipeg, which never led in Thursday's game, received goals from Dustin Byfuglien, Evander Kane and Olli Jokinen in the loss. Byfuglien also added an assist and Al Montoya allowed all four goals on 29 shots.

The score was tied at 2-2 heading into the third period, before Zack Smith and Clarke MacArthur scored to give Ottawa a two-goal cushion. Jokinen scored his 10th of the year with 5:29 left in regulation, but the Jets were unable to pull even after that.

"This was a tough one because I thought we played them really well," said Kane. "We had our skates out there, just couldn't get that last one in."

The setback dropped Winnipeg to 9-11-1 as the road team this season. The Jets are scheduled to complete their current road trip tomorrow afternoon in Pittsburgh.

The Bruins were able to halt a two-game slide in their last trip to the ice on Thursday, edging the visiting Nashville Predators by a 3-2 score in overtime. Brad Marchand netted the game-winner 54 seconds into the extra session, as the Atlantic Division leaders picked up a victory for the fourth time in six outings.

Less than a minute into the extra session, Marchand picked up the puck at the left point and stepped around a defender before throwing a low shot on net that snuck through a screen and found the back of the cage to snap the Bruins' two-game slide.

"I just wanted to get it on net," Marchand said. "Luckily it went in."

Jarome Iginla and Johnny Boychuk each lit the lamp in regulation for the Bruins, who avoided their first three-game losing streak of the season thanks in large part to a solid NHL debut from goaltender Niklas Svedberg. The 24- year-old Swede stopped 33 shots to backstop the triumph.

Tuukka Rask expects to get the call in net for Boston today and he is 7-4-0 with a 2.07 goals against average in 11 career games against the Atlanta/Winnipeg franchise.

The Bruins, who are 17-4-2 at home this season, have won 11 straight as the host in this series. The last time the Jets franchise won in Boston was on March 31, 2007, when the Atlanta Thrashers picked up a 3-2 decision.

Boston has claimed five of the last eight meetings in the series overall.