Bruins, Blackhawks to wrap up back-to-back (Mar 10, 2018)
CHICAGO -- With the way the Boston Bruins are playing right now, coach Bruce Cassidy isn't overly concerned with style points.
And when the Bruins look to extend their season-best six-game winning streak Sunday against the Chicago Blackhawks, Cassidy has learned during his team's recent run of success that it is capable of winning in a variety of ways.
"I think this time of year, you're playing teams in different circumstances," Cassidy told reporters Saturday after the Bruins' 7-4 victory over the Blackhawks in the first of back-to-back games against Chicago. "Teams will get loose and some are tight. Teams that are loose, our guys feel like they can win those games."
Boston (43-15-8) extended its win streak when the Bruins scored four straight third-period goals to first erase a one-goal deficit and then take the lead for good.
But after winning all six games during its recent homestand, Sunday's matinee matchup at the United Center will begin a stretch when the Bruins will play eight of their next nine games away from home.
After surging late Saturday against Chicago on two third-period power-play goals 76 seconds apart, Boston will take a heavy dose of confidence into Sunday's back end of the home-and-home series.
"We're comfortable in all sorts of games and obviously, when things need to be tightened up, we do that as well," Boston's Brian Gionta told reporters after he drew the Bruins even early in the third period with their first power-play goal to begin the late rally. "It shows our adaptability."
Chicago, meanwhile, has been adjusting all season in which various twists and turns -- namely the loss of injured goalie Corey Crawford in December -- has removed the Blackhawks from serious playoff consideration.
With Saturday's setback, the Blackhawks (29-32-8) lost their second straight game and have now dropped five of their last eight heading into Sunday's rematch.
Chicago will be without forward Anthony Duclair, who suffered a right leg injury and will miss 1-to-2 weeks, Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville told reporters Saturday, after Duclair needed to be helped off the ice following a collision with Boston's Brad Marchand.
"I think it was a dirty play," Chicago defenseman Erik Gustaffsson told reporters, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
The Blackhawks surrendered a 4-3 lead in the third period when Boston produced two penalty-play goals in a game when the Bruins scored four times while skating with a man advantage and also added a short-handed goal.
"For 40 minutes, we were decent," Quenneville told reporters after the loss.
And as Chicago faces a future that will not include the playoffs for the first time since 2008, Quenneville's players realize the best they can do now is finish as strong as possible.
"Obviously, the 'W' -- that's the standard and we expect to win in every game," rookie Matthew Highmore told reporters after scoring a goal to give Chicago its 4-3 lead in the second period. "But we've got to keep continuing to build as a group and start putting it together. We do it from time to time, (but) we just (need) a full 60 minutes."
