(SportsNetwork.com) - The Boston Bruins will try to slow down the streaking Tampa Bay Lightning when they host their Atlantic Division rival in Monday's Veterans Day matinee at TD Garden.
The Lightning are off to an impressive 12-4-0 start to the season and currently lead the Atlantic with 24 points, two more than Toronto and Detroit and three points in front of fourth-place Boston.
Tampa earned its fourth straight win on Saturday, beating the Red Wings in overtime to kick off a three-game road trip on a positive note.
The Lightning, however, have not fared well against the Bruins recently and are already 0-2 versus Boston this season. Tampa has been outscored by a combined 8-1 margin over the two meetings in 2013-14, dropping a 3-1 decision on Oct. 3 in Boston before getting slammed by a 5-0 score at home on Oct. 19.
Boston has taken the last six games in this series overall and Tampa has lost seven in a row at TD Garden during the regular season.
The Lightning also lost the 2011 Eastern Conference finals series between the clubs. Tampa won the first game of that series in Boston, but then lost the next three road games in the playoff encounter, including a 1-0 setback in Game 7.
However, the Lightning ended a couple of long droughts against the Red Wings on Saturday and could be ready to do the same versus the Bruins on Monday. Teddy Purcell scored the game-winner with 69 seconds left in overtime to lead Tampa Bay to a 3-2 win in Detroit.
It was Tampa's first win against Detroit since a 1-0 decision on Jan. 7, 2003. It was also Tampa Bay's first win in the Motor City since Jan. 12, 1994. The Lightning had been 0-10-1 in its last 11 at Detroit before the victory.
Richard Panik's hard work behind the net resulted in a turnover and from the back boards he threw a pass out front to Purcell, who gathered the puck and wristed it home for the win.
"It was great to break out," Purcell said. "It seemed every game I was getting two or three really good looks and I couldn't buy one."
Ryan Malone and Steven Stamkos also scored for the Lightning, who have won seven of eight. Ben Bishop made 25 stops in the win.
Stamkos has scored a goal in six straight games and is tied for the NHL lead with 14 markers this season. The Canadian sniper also has posted a point in eight straight games, registering nine goals and four helpers during that run. Only St. Louis forward Alex Steen, who also has 14 goals on the year, has a longer current point streak in the NHL at 10 games.
The Lightning improved to 5-2-0 as the road team this season after the win in Detroit. Tampa will cap the swing Tuesday night in Montreal.
The Bruins enter Monday on a two-game winning streak after surrendering a total of two goals in consecutive home victories against Florida and Toronto. Boston downed the Panthers by a 4-1 score on Thursday before taking a 3-1 decision Saturday against the Maple Leafs.
Patrice Bergeron tallied a pair of goals in the third period to help Boston record the victory over Toronto. Zdeno Chara netted a first-period score and Tuukka Rask stopped 33 shots for the Bruins, who had dropped four of six coming into their first meeting this season against the rival Maple Leafs.
Both of Bergeron's goals came on the power play. Boston was 2-for-3 on the man advantage while also killing off all three of Toronto's power-play chances.
"I felt our special teams were obviously the difference tonight," Bruins Claude Julien said after the win. "Penalty kill was extremely good; winning battles and getting pucks down the other end and even when they had the possession in our own end we were always in the shooting lane, didn't give them much there."
Boston is playing the fourth test of a five-game homestand today and is 6-3-1 as the host this season. The Bruins will close the residency with Thursday's game against Columbus.
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