Preview: Bruins look to bounce back against Penguins

Just the facts

When: Today, 12:30 PM

Where: TD Garden – Boston, MA

How to follow: NESN, NHLN, SNW, 98.5 The Sports Hub

Rival SBN site: PensBurgh

Know your enemy

• 43-22-11, 97PTS, 3rd in Metropolitan Division
• Sidney Crosby: 63GP, 29G, 51A, 80PTS; Jake Guentzel: 70GP, 37G, 41A, 78PTS; Kris Letang: 72GP, 8G, 55A, 63PTS
• Tristan Jarry: 34-18-6, 2.42 GAA, .919 save percentage; Casey DeSmith: 8-4-5, 2.94 GAA, .906 save percentage

Game notes

• The Boston Bruins close out their homestand and will look to end a three-game losing streak as they host the Pittsburgh Penguins this afternoon at the TD Garden.
• The B’s have had a few two-game losing streaks this season, but this is their longest skid and the first three-game losing streak since the 2019-20 season. They are 3-4-0 this month with eight games left of the regular season.
• This is only the Bruins’ second time facing the Penguins this season. They’ll wrap up the three-game season series in Pittsburgh on April 21. The B’s last saw the Penguins on February 8, a 4-2 loss.
• In that game, David Pastrnak gave the Bruins a 2-0 lead. The Penguins had a three-goal second period with two goals from Danton Heinen and a power-play tally from Sidney Crosby. Bryan Rust added one in the third period to secure Pittsburgh’s win.
• The second period hasn’t been the Bruins’ strongest. That loss was no exception and neither was Thursday’s loss to the Ottawa Senators. In the 3-2 loss to the Senators, the Bruins allowed three-unanswered goals – two stemming from a 5-on-3 power play.
• To say the power play is struggling is an understatement right now. The Bruins’ power play is 0 for 23 in the last six games.
• Will Marc McLaughlin’s perfect goal streak on home ice continue? McLaughlin has now appeared in six games for the Bruins. But in the three home games with the team, he has registered a goal in each.
• Injury updates: Some encouraging news! Brandon Carlo practiced with the team yesterday and could be in the lineup today. But with the good, comes the bad. Linus Ullmark, who left after the first period on Thursday, was absent from the skate. Troy Grosenick was recalled from the Providence Bruins for the practice and will be Jeremy Swayman’s back-up today.
• There’s still no update on Hampus Lindholm or Pastrnak’s return, but both skated on their own before yesterday’s practice.
• Pittsburgh is 2-2-1 in their last five games, but 2-4-1 this month. They clinched their playoff berth with a win over the New York Islanders on Thursday.
• For the Pens, Guentzel has four goals and three assists in his last two games. Rickard Rakell has five assists in his last three games with the Penguins. Since Pittsburgh picked him up from a trade with the Anaheim Ducks, he’s registered three goals and seven assists in 13 games.

See ya soon!