TEAM SNAPSHOTS
BLUES The Blues' offense finally cooled off on Saturday, taking a 6-1 loss in Nashville as the Predators try to fight their way into the playoff picture. Robert Thomas and Pavel Buchnevich both missing a second straight game did the Blues no favors in trying to create good scoring chances.
It was the first time that the Blues did not score at least four goals in their last five games, and their first time only scoring one since Feb. 21. Calle Rosen provided the scoring for the Blues, getting his sixth point in five career games against the Predators.
"It wasn't a good game right from the get-go," said Blues Head Coach Craig Berube. "In the second period, we had some opportunites on the power play, did some good things, but other than that it was not very good."
Looking to shake off the loss, the Blues will have a challenging visitor as they resume their back-to-back set at Enterprise Center on Sunday afternoon.
The team recalled defenseman Matt Kessel from the AHL's Springfield Thunderbirds on Sunday morning after Marco Scandella left Saturday's game with a lower-body injury. If Kessel plays Sunday, it would mark his NHL debut.
They'll take on the Boston Bruins with a record of 35-35-6, worth 76 points with six games left on the regular-season calendar.
BRUINS The Boston Bruins have had as strong a season as anyone could ask for, leading the NHL standings for most of the year and clinching the Presidents' Trophy this week.
Former Blues assistant coach Jim Montgomery is making his mark behind the bench with the Bruins as they set their sights on hockey history and a Stanley Cup. They were the fastest team in NHL history to win 50 games in a season, and are three wins away from the League-record 62 wins in a season with six games remaining.
David Pastrnak's career year has been a key driver to the Bruins' success, recording career bests in goals and points in his ninth season in Boston.
The Bruins have also benefitted from one of the best goaltending tandems in the League in Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman. Among goalies with at least 15 starts this year, both Ullmark and Swayman are in the Top 5 for save percentage and goals-against average.
The Bruins beat the Penguins on Saturday to begin their own back-to-back set, seeing a hat trick from Pastrnak to drive the victory.
Boston will take on the Blues with a record of 59-12-5, worth 123 points and the top spot on the NHL standings.
HEAD-TO-HEAD The Blues fell 3-1 in Boston earlier this season after two goals in the second half of the third period broke a tie in the Bruins' favor. The Blues are 1-2-1 overall against Boston since beating them in the 2019 Stanley Cup Final.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
BLUES Torey Krug, who played his first nine seasons with the Bruins before coming to St. Louis in 2020-21. Krug has three points in three games against Boston, where he posted 337 points in 523 games.
BRUINS David Pastrnak, leading the Bruins in goals (56), assists (46) and points (102) this season. Pastrnak has seven goals in his last five games and recorded one assist against the Blues earlier this year.
BLUE NOTES
The Blues have earned points in three straight games against Boston at Enterprise Center (2-0-1)... Blues defensemen have combined for 34 goals this season and are 14-8-5 when a defenseman scores. Their seven game-winning goals from defensemen shares No. 13 in the NHL... Justin Faulk posted a four-game multi-point streak from March 25-30, marking the first time in his career he recorded four straight multi-point games. Faulk tallied two goals and seven assists over the run, leading the NHL in points over that span... Blues prospect Zach Dean of the Gatineau Olympiques posted a hat trick on Saturday in the opening round of the QMJHL playoffs. Dean was acquired from Vegas in the Ivan Barbashev trade earlier this season.
There will be little at stake for the Boston Bruins on Sunday when they skate against the host St. Louis Blues.
Boston (59-12-5, 123 points) already has captured the Presidents' Trophy, which is presented to the NHL team that finishes the regular season with the most points. The Bruins also set the franchise record for victories in a regular season when they posted a 2-1 victory in overtime vs. the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday night.
"Obviously, to have won the Presidents' Trophy, like I said to the players, be proud of what we've achieved," Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said. "I guess it exemplifies how good of a team we've been, and that's a feather in everyone's hat throughout the organization, including scouts, pro scouts, the job they've done for us, the amateur scouts throughout the years and, obviously, upper management.
"Then you look at the players and what they've done. It's the players that get us there, and it's a bunch of work that's gone in throughout the organization to get the right players in the locker room."
The Bruins are chasing the record for most points in a season -- 132 by the 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens -- but might be on cruise control until the playoffs. Boston has six games remaining on its regular-season slate.
"Of course you're proud," Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron said. "It was a lot of games, a lot of hard work. I'm proud of the way we've done it by sticking to our process and growing as a team and learning, and really playing for each other. That being said, it's nice, but obviously you have your eyes set on something bigger. We know there's a lot of work in front of us."
Bergeron, who has been battling nagging injuries, didn't play in Boston's 4-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday afternoon. Montgomery said he will rest Bergeron against St. Louis as well. Following Sunday's game, the Bruins are off until Thursday, when they will host the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Blues (35-35-6, 76 points) had been playing well until dropping a 6-1 decision to the Nashville Predators on Saturday. St. Louis had a 6-1-1 record in the eight games leading up to Saturday's contest, but the loss left the Blues on the brink of playoff elimination.
Special teams continued to hurt St. Louis in Saturday's loss, when the Blues surrendered two power-play goals and another goal when the Predators were shorthanded. St. Louis has allowed 10 power-play goals in its last four games.
"PK's gotta get back here for the next six or seven games or whatever we have left," Blues forward Brayden Schenn said. "Just kill off some penalties. We're giving up way too many goals right now."
For the Bruins, David Pastrnak scored three goals in Saturday's victory at Pittsburgh. His third goal broke a 3-3 tie with 2:26 to play and was his 56th of the season. It was the 14th hat trick of Pastrnak's career.
Boston killed all six Pittsburgh power plays in the win.
Boston posted a 3-1 win over St. Louis on Nov. 7. Bergeron, Trent Frederic and Jake DeBrusk scored for the Bruins, who received 26 saves from Linus Ullmark.
Jordan Binnington recorded 34 saves for St. Louis, which got its goal from Schenn.
