A comeback win on the road against the New York Islanders last month got the Boston Bruins started on their longest win streak so far this season.
That success might seem like a fading memory for the Bruins after their recent performance.
Boston will try to avoid a fourth consecutive loss in its return to Brooklyn on Sunday while the Islanders will seek to earn just their second win in six games.
Boston (6-6-1) scored four consecutive goals after the first period Oct. 23 en route to a 5-3 victory over the Islanders. The Bruins would eventually get their run of victories to four while producing a 6-0-1 streak that was snapped with a 5-3 loss to Dallas on Tuesday.
They've since endured back-to-back road defeats after winning their first five games there and lost 4-2 to Montreal on Saturday. David Krejci's cross-checking penalty led to David Desharnais' tiebreaking power-play goal with 1:08 remaining.
Brad Marchand's roughing penalty in the second period Thursday in Washington led to a 5-on-3 power play that let the Capitals take a two-goal lead in a 4-1 victory.
"If you're going to go in the right direction I think it's important that our leaders lead the way the right way," coach Claude Julien told the league's official website. "Really, really bad penalties there and the (Canadiens seem) to find ways to win. Right now, I'd say we're finding ways to lose."
Boston has been outscored 13-6 in its past three games with Tuukka Rask in net for two contests. Jonas Gustavsson started Saturday and was charged with two of the Canadiens' three goals in the third period.
The Bruins have failed to hold on to one-goal leads in each of their last three games.
The Islanders (7-4-3) also allowed Montreal to score a trio of third-period goals in its latest game, a 4-1 loss Thursday. They've tallied eight goals in a 1-2-2 stretch after registering 28 while winning six of their prior seven games with the lone loss coming against Boston.
New York would appear to have a better chance of getting back on track soon with leading scorer John Tavares ending a three-game absence because of an illness Thursday.
The Islanders captain had five goals and six assists in his first eight games, registering an assist in the loss to Boston, but didn't have a point for a third consecutive contest Thursday. He has five goals and five assists in his past seven meetings with the Bruins.
"He worked hard and he had some really good chances around the net, especially in the second period," coach Jack Capuano told the team's official website. "He could have had one or two goals tonight. That's been a bit of an issue for our team. We're not scoring many goals."
Rask has given up three goals on 85 shots in back-to-back wins against the Islanders. He made 39 saves in a 2-1 victory in Boston on Feb. 7 in his latest matchup, but has allowed eight goals on 49 shots in his two games this month.
Boston center Patrice Bergeron has seven goals and five assists in his last 12 matchups with the Islanders. Jimmy Hayes has four goals and two assists in six career meetings.
New York's Kyle Okposo has three goals and eight assists in his last six games against Boston, but he has one goal in his past five overall.
The Bruins are 11-2-1 in their last 14 road games against the Islanders.
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