The Boston Bruins continue their swing through western Canada with a trip to Edmonton for a Wednesday night matchup with Connor McDavid and the Pacific Division-leading Oilers.
The Bruins began the north-of-the-border leg of their five-game trip with a 2-1 overtime loss to the Calgary Flames on Monday, which wasn’t the worst sign as they hope to snap their six-game slide while in Edmonton.
Despite losing a point in Calgary, Bruins coach Marco Sturm was happy to take the one that his team earned and move forward. The Flames earned the win on a power play in overtime after being held to a single shot and going 0-for-2 with the extra man in the third period.
“We want to build on that (point). We have to,” Sturm said. “It’s a tough league, and you have to sometimes start with the little things.”
Defenseman Andrew Peeke scored less than two minutes into the game, netting his fourth goal of the season and second in the last five games.
However, the Bruins could muster no more and ultimately took an overtime loss for the first time this season, falling on the 12th power-play goal that they have allowed in the last 10 games. The setback leaves them behind three teams chasing the second Eastern Conference wild-card playoff spot.
“We felt like for a good amount we were in control and then, obviously, hockey is hockey. There’s going to be chances both ways,” Peeke said. “We’ve still got to commit to having good breakouts, getting the puck in, working them down low and just kind of getting shots. I think we can still do a little bit more of that.”
Sturm shook up his lineup prior to Monday’s game, with leading scorer David Pastrnak joining a line with center Fraser Minten and Marat Khusnutdinov. On defense, Jonathan Aspirot — whose penalty led to the game-winning goal — drew back in following an upper-body injury.
The Oilers have won seven of their last 10 games — including 3-1 wins on Dec. 18 in Boston and on Monday at the Winnipeg Jets.
While superstar Connor McDavid did move his point streak to 13 games against the Jets, the Oilers were fueled by their depth as bottom-six forwards Max Jones and Jack Roslovic scored goals before Zach Hyman iced the game with an empty-netter.
“We’ve been winning so many games on the sticks of Connor and Leon (Draisaitl), and Winnipeg did a pretty job keeping those guys in check,” Edmonton coach Kris Knoblauch said. “It’s nice to see the other guys contribute. We should be able to win once in a while without them having to be a plus, and it was nice to see Max get his first goal (with us).”
Roslovic shares third on the team with 11 goals, three of which have been game-winners.
Jones, meanwhile, had waited all season for one, but the fourth-line winger — who played in seven games for Boston last season alongside another current Oiler in Trent Frederic — knows his role.
“I’m just trying to play hard and simple,” Jones said. “With low minutes, you have to play a certain way. I think I can do a pretty good job of it and help the team in that way.”
That role is awfully easy when McDavid is on the type of run that he is right now. McDavid has 33 points (13 goals, 20 assists) during his streak, the longest in the NHL this season. His last game without a point was Dec. 2 in a 1-0 loss to the Minnesota Wild.
The Edmonton captain has seven goals and 24 points in 16 career games against Boston, including a short-handed breakaway marker in the third period of the teams’ meeting earlier this month.
Hyman has three goals and five assists during his five-game point streak.
