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Boston Bruins will try to win three straight games for the first time this season when they travel to Vancouver and GM Place to take on the Canucks.
Boston has won back-to-back games for the first time in 2008-09, as it halted a three-game slide (0-1-2) on Saturday with a win over Atlanta before knocking off Edmonton, 1-0, in overtime on Monday.
Dennis Wideman scored on the power play 3:18 into the extra session after the Oilers' Shawn Horcoff was called for hooking. Wideman and Marc Savard worked the puck in the offensive zone, with Savard sending a pass to Wideman, who faked a one-time shot off the pass before skating in and snapping a shot glove side for the win.
Tim Thomas made 27 shots in posting his first shutout of the season and eighth of his career. Thomas has faced the Canucks just once in his career, posting a 2-0 shutout win on December 21, 2006. He made 39 saves in that one, which was also the last time these two clubs met.
Though the Bruins, who are 3-1-2 on the road this season, have won two of their last three versus the Canucks, they haven't won in Vancouver since October 16, 2002.
The Canucks rebounded from a 2-4-0 road trip to win for the second time in as many home games on Saturday with a 6-3 win over the Oilers. Mason Raymond and Jannik Hansen both scored twice, while Kyle Wellwood scored the first of three unanswered goals in the third period for Vancouver.
The Canucks ended 4-for-6 on the power play and are scoring at a 17.9 percent clip on the man advantage this season.
Roberto Luongo stopped 25-of-28 shots faced for the Canucks and will face Boston tonight for the first time since March 27, 2006 when he was with Florida. Luongo is 10-8-0 with three ties, a 2.51 goals against average and four shutouts in 22 lifetime games versus the Bruins.
The Canucks began a stretch of eight home tests in their next 10 games on Saturday. Vancouver plays its next two on the road following tonight's outing before returning for a six-game homestand.
However, they will do so without Rick Rypien, as the center is out indefinitely due to a sports hernia. However, defenseman Sami Salo could return from a groin injury tonight. Salo hasn't played since October 19, missing the last two games.
