Rangers try to get on track vs. Bruins

The Boston Bruins can now get back to their regularly scheduled programming.

That means an Original Six matchup Sunday against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden.

The Bruins played host to the St. Louis Blues, the team that beat them in Game 7 of last spring's Stanley Cup Final, on Saturday night. Boston came away with a 3-0 victory as David Pastrnak scored his league-leading 11th goal of the season and goaltender Tuukka Rask made 26 saves.

Anders Bjork and Brandon Carlo also scored for Boston (7-1-2, 16 points).

"I was saying that unless they brought the Cup to this game, I don't think it has anything to do with it," Rask said. "Different year, different teams, so ... but you know, two good teams, so it was a great Saturday night game."

Bruins captain Zdeno Chara set the tone on the opening shift, leveling St. Louis' Oskar Sundqvist in front of the Blues' bench. Chara and St. Louis' Brayden Schenn, who tried to defend Sundqvist, were assessed roughing penalties.

Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said that play had an impact on the game.

"I think it does when it's Z," Cassidy said. "Against a physical opponent, we knew they're going to come out and bang -- and they did. I think it's important for us to initiate and not retaliate. I think we did that."

Bruins center David Krejci, who missed his fourth straight game Saturday because of an upper-body injury, has already been ruled out against the Rangers.

"Tuesday is looking good for him," said Cassidy, referring to a matchup with San Jose. "We'll get a better idea Monday, but right now that's the track he's on."

The Rangers have had a couple of days off after snapping a five-game winless streak (0-4-1) with a 6-2 victory against Buffalo on Thursday. The Sabres entered the game with a league-leading 8-1-1 record.

"Listen, you can look at the goals, and the power plays, and this or that or the nice plays," said Rangers forward Ryan Strome, who scored twice. "But it's the little things."

Rangers players reportedly had "heated discussions" during practice the day before the Buffalo game and coach David Quinn called a team meeting.

"I give our leaders a ton of credit. They took the bull by the horns," Quinn said. "There certainly was some heated discussion ... and they all looked in the mirror and realized what we needed to do.

"But you can have all the meetings," Quinn said, "you've still got to apply it."

They did that Thursday, as goaltender Henrik Lundqvist made 31 saves for his second victory of the season and the 451st of his career.

"We've been talking about it the last couple days, to take pride in the little things all over the ice," Lundqvist said. "Everybody wants to make big plays and score and make a difference, we're trying really hard, but you need to start in the right end, and that's the little things -- getting pucks out, take a hit, make that little play. And then we'll set it up for something big."

--Field Level Media