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Bruins look to snap out of offensive funk vs. Canadiens

Jan 29, 2008 - 2:17 PM Montreal (8-3-3) at Boston (7-5-2) 7:00 pm EST

BOSTON (Ticker) - The Boston Bruins look to avenge an earlier defeat to the Montreal Canadiens when they meet their Northeast Division rival Thursday.

The Bruins have lost their last four meetings against the Canadiens, including a 6-1 setback on October 22. That loss ended a five-game winning streak overall for the Bruins.

Since then the Bruins have lost four of their last six, scoring four goals in their past three contests. Boston's offensive futility has ruined some solid performances by goaltender Tim Thomas.

The Bruins have lost two straight games in a shootout, and will have a hard time scoring against Montreal goaltender Cristobal Huet, who stopped 29 shots to post his first shutout of the season in a 2-0 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Monday.

Huet, who stopped 31 shots in the first meeting, is 6-2-2 with a 2.07 GAA this season. Behind the solid play of the six-year veteran the Canadiens have won six of their last eight games.

During that stretch, Huet is 5-1-1 with a 2.01 GAA. Another key element to Montreal's success is the fact that it has outscored opponents 16-7 in the first period and has yet to trail after 20 minutes this season.