The Boston Bruins will try to post their first three-game winning streak of the season, as the defending Stanley Cup champions host the New York Islanders tonight at TD Garden.
The Bruins' offense has come alive in the last two games, scoring 12 total goals in wins over Ottawa and Toronto. Boston beat the Senators, 5-3, on Tuesday to end a three-game skid and then pummeled the Maple Leafs, 7-0, Saturday in Toronto. It's the first time this season that the Bruins have won back-to-back games.
Tyler Seguin recorded his first career hat trick to lead Boston to the rout of the rival Leafs.
"Obviously, I was a Leafs fan growing up, so to get a hat trick against them is pretty cool. I'm going to remember this one for while," Seguin said.
Seguin was the second overall pick in the 2010 draft -- a selection that Boston earned by trading winger Phil Kessel to Toronto. Seguin is leading the Bruins with seven goals and 14 points this year.
Milan Lucic added two goals and Tim Thomas notched his 27th career shutout. David Krejci and Gregory Campbell also added goals for the Bruins, who improved to 5-7-0 on the season.
Boston is 3-5-0 on home ice this season and had lost four of five at TD Garden prior to the win over the Senators.
The Islanders are coming off their first win in weeks, as they ended a six- game slide (0-4-2) with Saturday's win over visiting Washington. P.A. Parenteau scored the game-winner with 1:46 remaining in regulation to help lift the Isles to a 5-3 victory over the Capitals.
Parenteau and Frans Nielsen each had a goal and two assists for New York, which tied a season-high in goals.
Rick DiPietro made 25 saves to post his first win of the season. DiPietro is 1-1-2 with a 2.67 goals-against average and .904 save percentage.
With time winding down, Washington goaltender Tomas Vokoun allowed Milan Jurcina's slap shot from the point to slip under his pads, and Parenteau was there to stuff in the difference maker while falling to the ice.
John Tavares sealed things with an empty-netter with 61 seconds on the clock.
"It's a good feeling to win against a really good hockey team," Parenteau said.
Tonight's test is the first stop on a three-game road trip for New York, which is winless away from Long Island this year, posting an 0-2-1 record as the visiting club,
Boston won three of four meetings with the Islanders last year and has taken four of five, 11 of 14 and 12 of the last 16 encounters in this series. New York has dropped two straight and eight of nine in Beantown.
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