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Bruins clinging to playoff spot

Mar 27, 2008 - 12:44 PM Toronto (35-32-10) at Boston (38-28-10) 7:00 pm EDT

BOSTON (Ticker) - The Boston Bruins try to earn some breathing room in the postseason race on Thursday when they host the Toronto Maple Leafs in the finale of a home-and-home series.

Eighth-place Boston maintained its two-point lead over the Washington Capitals in the Eastern Conference standings on Tuesday by snapping a three-game losing streak with a 6-2 victory over the Maple Leafs.

Marco Sturm, David Krejci and Shawn Thornton each had a goal and an assist to lead the Bruins.

Phil Kessel and Jeremy Reich also tallied on Tuesday while defenseman Matt Lashoff and rookie Milan Lucic added a pair of assists apiece for the Bruins, who had scored just 18 goals in their previous 12 games.

The offensive eruption was especially surprising considering Boston was without leading scorer Marc Savard, who sat out with a back injury, and Chuck Kobasew, who left with a leg injury early in the first period.

Savard actually has a broken bone in his back and will miss at least Thursday's game, according to a report Wednesday by the Boston Herald.

Citing a "well-placed" team source, the newspaper reported that Savard has a minor cracked bone called a transverse process. According to the report, the injury likely will not sideline Savard long-term.