(SportsNetwork.com) – Though Boston could probably use a goal-scorer like
Tyler Seguin, the Bruins are in a position that the Dallas Stars continue to
chase themselves.
Seguin makes his second return trip to Boston looking to improve the Stars’
playoff chances on Tuesday night in a clash with his former Bruins club.
The Stars are among the highest-scoring teams in the NHL with 3.11 goals per
game, while the Bruins are towards the rear of the pack with 2.58 GPG. Seguin
is a big part of Dallas’ offense, netting 29 goals on the season while
tying for the league lead with 59 points.
Seguin had 37 goals and 84 points in 80 games last season with Dallas, his
first with the club after it acquired him from Boston on July 4, 2013. The
Bruins had selected the 23-year-old second overall in the 2010 draft.
Seguin has two assists in three previous games versus the Bruins and has
played in Boston only once since the trade, held without a point in a victory
on Nov. 5, 2013.
He also failed to record a point in a 3-1 setback to the visiting Bruins on
Jan. 20, Boston’s fifth victory in the previous seven meetings.
The Bruins also are 3-0-2 with a tie in their past six home games versus the
Stars.
Though Dallas has not had an issue lighting the lamp for the most part, the
club is five points back of a wild card spot in the Western Conference.
Boston, meanwhile, has a six-point edge for the second wild card berth in the
Eastern Conference.
The Stars ended a three-game losing streak with a 3-2 overtime victory against
the New York Rangers on Sunday, one day after suffering a regulation loss to
the lowly Buffalo Sabres. Ales Hemsky had the winner in overtime versus the
Rangers, while Jason Spezza had a goal and two assists.
Erik Cole also scored and Kari Lehtonen made 34 saves, though he was beaten
for the game-tying goal with 1:20 left in regulation. Defenseman John
Klingberg had an assist to give him four goals and 10 points over his past six
games.
“If you want to make the playoffs, you need every point,” said Hemsky. “We got
a win so hopefully we can keep going.”
The Bruins were left without a point last time out as they were defeated 3-1
by the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday. That left Boston without a win in the
completed four-game season series between the rivals.
Tuukka Rask stopped 31-of-33 shots and David Pastrnak supplied the lone goal
for Boston, which had won three of four coming in.
“We had some good looks but for the most of the night, we were losing races
and battles for those pucks, so it was not the effort we were expecting,”
Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara told his team’s website.
Rask is 2-0-1 lifetime versus the Stars with a 1.95 goals against average and
.943 save percentage in three meetings, while Lehtonen has gone 7-7-0 versus
the Bruins with a 2.49 GAA and .916 save percentage in 14 games. All but one
of those have been starts.
