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The Boston Bruins visit the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday after winning their past two games, including an overtime victory and a shootout win. Boston is 11-4-1, while Pittsburgh is 5-8-2 overall but 4-1-1 at home; Matt Poitras and Evgeni Malkin are among the players whose availability is uncertain.
The Boston Bruins visit the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET, looking to make it three consecutive wins after a pair of close, late-decided games. Boston is 11-4-1 this season; Pittsburgh is 5-8-2, though the Penguins have a 4-1-1 record at home.
Boston’s latest victories came in different kinds of finishes. On Saturday, the Bruins rallied to beat Chicago 5-4 in overtime: Morgan Geekie scored with 12 seconds left in regulation to tie the game, and Elias Lindholm supplied the winner in extra time. On Monday, Boston beat Vegas 3-2 in a shootout, with David Pastrnak scoring the decisive goal by faking to the backhand.
Pittsburgh is coming off a 3-2 loss to Vegas on Tuesday. The Penguins allowed two third-period goals in that defeat. The Boston Globe’s preview also notes that Pittsburgh has conceded last-minute third-period goals in two of its three most recent losses, a detail that gives the finish of Thursday’s game added relevance but does not determine how it will unfold.
Boston has scored 57 goals and allowed 38, compared with Pittsburgh’s 48 scored and 51 allowed, according to the supplied team statistics. The Bruins’ power play is listed at 20.0 percent and their penalty kill at 76.4 percent; Pittsburgh’s figures are 18.2 and 82.1 percent, respectively. The game is set for PPG Paints Arena, with NESN carrying the television broadcast and WBZ-FM 98.5 the radio broadcast. The listed line is Boston -110, with an over/under of 6.5.
Boston Tests Its Form on the Road
Thursday offers Boston a chance to extend its winning streak to three and maintain the strong start reflected in its 11-4-1 record. The Bruins have shown they can win close games, but the two recent results required overtime and a shootout. A third straight victory would add to their early-season momentum; a loss would end the streak, though not erase the record they have built.
The matchup also presents a contrast between Pittsburgh’s overall record and home results. The Penguins have struggled across the season to date, but their 4-1-1 mark at PPG Paints Arena suggests the road setting may be a tougher test for Boston than Pittsburgh’s overall record alone indicates. The available statistics provide a snapshot, not a guarantee of how the game will go.
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Recent Results and Scoring Leaders
Boston enters the game with a 7-2-1 record over its last 10, according to the Globe preview. Pittsburgh is 3-6-1 over that span. The Bruins’ recent wins have both gone beyond regulation, while the Penguins’ most recent result was decided in the third period after Vegas scored twice.
On the Bruins, James Hagens has six goals, tied for first among NHL rookies and second on the team, according to the report. Pastrnak leads Boston with eight goals. Those figures help identify two of the Bruins’ scoring options, but the source does not provide projected lines or a full game-day lineup.
Boston’s Matt Poitras suffered a broken nose after taking an elbow to the face from Vegas’ Braeden Bowman. He attended Wednesday practice wearing a bubble shield on his helmet. Pittsburgh forward Evgeni Malkin, who missed Tuesday’s game with a lower-body ailment, returned to practice Wednesday as a full-contact participant after skating Tuesday.
““[We] expect that he’ll keep going in the right direction.””
— Penguins coach Dan Muse, as quoted in The Boston Globe preview
Two Forward Statuses Still Pending
Poitras’ availability for Thursday is not confirmed in the supplied report. Wearing a protective bubble at Wednesday practice does not establish whether he is cleared to play. The report also does not state whether his injury will require further evaluation or how the Bruins might adjust their lineup if he is unavailable.
Malkin’s status is also unresolved. He took part in a full-contact practice, and Muse expressed optimism, but the coach did not confirm his availability. The source material provides no confirmed starting goalies, final line combinations or later game-day updates. Those details should not be treated as settled.
Final Checks Before Puck Drop
The next confirmed milestone is Thursday’s 7 p.m. ET faceoff at PPG Paints Arena. Updates on whether Poitras and Malkin are available would clarify the forward groups before the game; the supplied report does not give a specific time for those decisions.
Boston will try to extend its streak against a Penguins team with a stronger home record than overall mark. The result will show whether the Bruins can carry their recent close-game form onto the road, while Pittsburgh will look to respond after its loss to Vegas.
Key Questions
When and where is Bruins at Penguins?
The game is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 5, at 7 p.m. ET at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh. NESN is listed as the television broadcaster and WBZ-FM 98.5 as the radio broadcaster.
Can Boston make it three wins in a row?
Boston enters with two consecutive wins, a 5-4 overtime victory over Chicago and a 3-2 shootout win over Vegas. Whether the streak reaches three depends on Thursday’s result.
Will Matt Poitras play?
The supplied report does not confirm his status. Poitras suffered a broken nose and practiced Wednesday wearing a bubble shield.
Is Evgeni Malkin expected to play?
Penguins coach Dan Muse was optimistic after Malkin returned to full-contact practice, but his availability was not confirmed in the report.
What are the teams’ records?
Boston is 11-4-1. Pittsburgh is 5-8-2 overall and 4-1-1 at home, according to the preview.
Source: bostonglobe.com
