Jets search for success vs. Bruins

The Winnipeg Jets have battled to get back to .500, but lived given tonight's meeting with a game point streak.

After losing the opener of a five-game homestand on Nov. 29 to Ottawa, Winnipeg has ripped off consecutive wins against Phoenix and New Jersey. Ondrej Pavelec made 33 saves in a 1-0 win over the Coyotes on Thursday before coming up with another 23 stops in Saturday's 4-2 triumph against the Devils.

Mark Stuart scored the go-ahead goal with 6:47 left in the third period and Evander Kane had two goals to give him six tallies and an assist over a five- game point streak. Kane has nine goals in his past nine games.

Alexander Burmistrov also scored for the Jets, who have won six of their last nine.

"It's good to see when you're holding onto those one-goal leads, the third- period lead," said Stuart. "It shows that you're a team that is learning how to win. I feel like the best teams in the league they get up by one, two goals and they shut the door and that's it."

The Bruins have certainly been shutting the door since the start of November. Boston ended October with just three wins in 10 games, but has gone 14-0-1 since to roar up the Eastern Conference standings. The Northeast Division leaders pulled within a point of Pittsburgh for the top spot on the conference following last night's 3-1 win over the Penguins.

Tim Thomas turned aside a season-high 45 shots to win his 10th straight decision, a personal best.

"I think once we got ahead they got desperate and started throwing the puck more at the net," said Thomas. "They were going for anything instead of looking for the quality chances."

Greg Campbell, Tyler Seguin and Benoit Pouliot all scored in the win for Boston, which hasn't lost in regulation since Oct. 29. Its only defeat since was a 3-2 shootout loss to Detroit on Nov. 25 that snapped a 10-game win streak.

The Bruins have also won six in a row on the road.

"You hope it's a habit more than it's a streak, so we're trying to build those good habits and there's no reason why you can't give your best every night," said Boston head coach Claude Julien. "So, I think our guys have gotten really good at that and so far it's been great. It's gotten us back to where we wanted to be and certainly kind of erases the tough start that we had."

The Bruins have won 13 of their last 15 against the Jets franchise, including a 4-2 home victory in the first meeting between the clubs on Nov. 26, the start of Boston's current four-game win streak. Chris Kelly scored twice and Thomas came up with 40 saves.

Kane had a goal for Winnipeg.