Bruins Look to Salvage Pride, Season Series in Tilt With Eastern Conference-Worst Carolina

The Boston Bruins welcome the Carolina Hurricanes to TD Garden for the final time this season, looking for their first winning streak since January 12th tonight. But if history indeed repeats itself, Boston will be searching for a while longer.

The Bruins are 0-3 against Carolina this season, losing those three games by a combined score of 11-5. Despite their league-leading goal differential, Boston just hasn't been able to solve Cam Ward on a regular basis.

Carolina fell 5-2 to the New York Islanders on Tuesday night, while Boston came from a 3-1 deficit to beat Ottawa 4-3.

Three of Carolina's 18 wins on the season have come against Boston, and the Bruins will need a game effort to avoid being swept by the worst team in the Eastern Conference.

They'll get a boost with the return of defenseman Andrew Ference to the lineup after finishing serving a three-game suspension after charging the New York Rangers' Ryan McDonagh in a mid-January game. But Boston will still be without Nathan Horton, who's battling the ill effects of his second concussion in eight months.

Expect Tuukka Rask in net for Boston, after Tim Thomas returned to the win column with a workmanlike, 30-save effort on Tuesday night.