Music: {allcanada} OILERS (18-32-6) at BRUINS (34-16-3)

Friday, January 31, 2014

{allcanada} OILERS (18-32-6) at BRUINS (34-16-3)

Saturday, February 1, 2014

1:00 PM ET

OILERS (18-32-6) at BRUINS (34-16-3)

TV: SNET-W, NESN

Last 10: Edmonton 4-5-1; Boston 6-3-1

Season series: This is the second and final game between the Edmonton Oilers and Boston Bruins. Jarome Iginla scored twice and Chad Johnson made 39 saves as Boston won 4-2 in Edmonton on Dec. 12. David Perron had both goals for the Oilers.

Big story: Setting an NHL record should probably entitle you to the next start in goal, so the Bruins can't be surprised if they're staring down Ben Scrivens at the other end after the Oilers netminder made 59 saves in a 3-0 win Wednesday against the San Jose Sharks to extend Edmonton's win streak to three games. The previous high for saves in a shutout had been 54 by the Phoenix Coyotes' Mike Smith.

Team Scope:

Oilers: Dallas Eakins might want to start tweeting out his starting goalie more often. The Edmonton coach used his Twitter account to announce Thursday morning Scrivens would make his fourth start since being acquired from the Los Angeles Kings. Scrivens has now stopped 118 of 121 shots (.975 save percentage) in the past three.

This is the start of a four-game road trip leading into the Olympic break for the Oilers, who shoot for their longest win streak since taking five in a row from March 26-April 3, 2013. New defenseman Mark Fraser, acquired Friday from the Toronto Maple Leafs, is likely to be in the lineup. Eakins said Fraser is "highly competitive and has a growl to him."

"It would be nice to be in a playoff spot or be fighting for one going into the trip," forward Taylor Hall said in the Edmonton Sun. "But we're in the situation we're in, we put ourselves in this spot, so we have to have as much fun as we can, knocking off teams and getting wins."

Bruins: This will be the second Saturday matinee in as many weeks for Boston, which throttled the Philadelphia Flyers 6-1 in the previous one to start a stretch of three consecutive games in which they put half a dozen goals on the board.

The Bruins' streak of four straight wins overall was snapped Thursday, however, by their Original Six rival the Montreal Canadiens. Tuukka Rask got pulled midway through the second period and a first-period goal by Dougie Hamilton was the only offensive highlight as they missed a chance to extend their four-point lead over the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Atlantic Division.

"We thought we were ready, but obviously we weren't," forward David Krejci said. "It is what it is. We lost. We didn't like the way that we lost, but we've got to move on, forget about this game, and try to get ready for Saturday."

Who's hot: Oilers forward Jordan Eberle has five goals and three assists in his past seven games. Hall has one goal and eight assists during a six-game point streak. … Bruins forwards Loui Eriksson and Carl Soderberg assisted on Hamilton's goal against the Canadiens, giving them three-game point streaks (one goal, two assists apiece).

Injury report: Edmonton forward Matt Hendricks (head) left the game Thursday after a first-period fight and did not return. Hendricks said it was a precautionary move and he hopes to play Saturday. Defenseman Andrew Ference (head) has missed the past three games but will return against his former team if he's medically cleared. Forward Ales Hemsky (foot), who has missed the past seven, could return during the road trip. … Boston defenseman Adam McQuaid (lower body) has missed the past five games.

Team Stats