The Ottawa Senators and the Boston Bruins, two Atlantic Division rivals, are meeting for the second time this season on Thursday.
In their previous encounter at the end of October, Ottawa dominated Boston with a 7–2 victory. After Morgan Geekie opened the scoring for the Bruins, the Senators responded with seven consecutive goals. Drake Batherson and Tim Stützle each recorded two goals and an assist in that game.
Boston has gained momentum since that loss, collecting 16 points to Ottawa’s 14. The Montreal Canadiens currently lead the division with 19 points. The Bruins are chasing their fifth consecutive win, showing a strong rebound after losing seven of eight games earlier in the season.
Boston is coming off a 4–3 shootout victory over the New York Islanders on Tuesday.
Marat Khusnutdinov scored the tying goal for Boston with less than five minutes left in regulation and later became the only player to score in the shootout.
Ottawa, meanwhile, has had a busy stretch of games. They lost 4–3 in overtime to Montreal after previously edging out the Calgary Flames in a shootout. Despite being limited to just 17 shots on Saturday, the Senators nearly pulled off another win when Tim Stützle scored a go-ahead goal in the third period, but the Canadiens tied it with under three minutes remaining.
The Ottawa Senators face the Boston Bruins for a second matchup this season, with Boston seeking to extend its winning streak and Ottawa aiming to regain stability after recent close games.