Boston Bruins (29-22-9) at New Jersey Devils (25-27-9), 7 p.m. (ET)
(SportsNetwork.com) - The floundering Boston Bruins will try reverse their recent losing trend when they visit the New Jersey Devils for Friday's battle at Prudential Center.
Boston has posted just one win over its last eight games (1-5-2) and the February swoon has allowed Florida to creep within two points of the Bruins for the last wild card spot in the East.
Making matters worse, the Bruins recently have been beset by injury problems. The biggest blow involves David Krejci, Boston's top-line centerman, who suffered a partially torn MCL last Friday in a loss against St. Louis. On Monday, it was announced Krejci would be sidelined for the next 4-to-6 weeks, and that news came only a few days after Boston learned defenseman Kevan Miller would need season-ending surgery to repair his injured shoulder.
The club also will be without forward Gregory Campbell tonight. Campbell suffered an upper-body injury in Sunday's win at Chicago, and is expected to miss at least a week.
After Boston slammed the Blackhawks, 6-2, the club fell in regulation in Tuesday's home test against Vancouver.
The Bruins were very active offensively in the 2-1 setback, but Canucks goaltender Eddie Lack turned aside 40 shots to help put Boston back in the loss column after snapping a six-game skid on Sunday.
Daniel Paille had Boston's only goal of the game, scoring just 65 seconds into the game. Tuukka Rask gave up both goals on 28 shots in the loss.
"We had lots of shots and scoring chances, but the inability to finish is the only reason that we're sitting here tonight with a loss," said Boston head coach Claude Julien.
Boston will be on the road for just one game before kicking off a four-game stay at TD Garden tomorrow evening against Arizona.
The Devils, who are eight points behind the Bruins, had won four in a row to begin a six-game homestand before losing 3-1 to the Calgary Flames on Wednesday.
New Jersey decided to deal Jaromir Jagr to Florida on Thursday for a pair of draft picks and the trade is a good indication the club doesn't like its chances of making the playoffs.
Jagr had 11 goals and 18 assists in 57 games this season for the Devils, placing him third on the team in points. Jersey received a second-round draft pick in 2015 and a conditional third-round draft pick in 2016 from the Panthers for the 43-year-old winger.
The Devils lost Wednesday after Sean Monahan scored the game-winning goal early in the third period, It was New Jersey's fifth setback in nine games and dropped the Devils to 15-9-7 as the host,
Mike Cammalleri provided New Jersey's lone marker and Cory Schneider stopped 23-of-25 shots in the loss.
"It's tough to lose that one," said Schneider. "We can't let this one sit with us."
Schneider is expected to start tonight for the Devils, who will visit Columbus on Saturday. New Jersey's No. 1 netminder is 1-2-0 with a 3.08 GAA in three lifetime starts versus Boston.
The Bruins have dominated the Devils in recent years, claiming 14 of the past 17 encounters. Boston has taken two straight and three of four from New Jersey, but the Devils did halt a four-game home slide in the series when it won a 3-2 regulation decision on April 13 of last season.
Rask is expected to start tonight for Boston and is 4-2-2 with a 1.51 goals against average in his career against New Jersey.