Road-weary Wild open new trip in Boston

The road has been unkind to the Minnesota Wild this season, and it doesn't get any easier with a trip to Boston to face the Bruins on Saturday.

The matchup kicks off a three-game East Coast trip for the Wild, who are tied for the league lead with 14 road contests. Minnesota has gone 4-10-0 in those games as it still sits in the Central Division basement.

The Bruins, meanwhile, lead the Atlantic Division and are the only team undefeated in regulation at home (8-0-4). Boston has won four straight in the series against Minnesota.

The Bruins won for the third time in four games when they withstood a relentless attack from the Buffalo Sabres in a 3-2 victory Thursday. Tuukka Rask bailed out Boston with 36 saves, including a highlight-reel stop with the blocker in the third period while Buffalo was on the power play.

"I don't think I've ever made a save like that," said Rask, who has been in net for each of Boston's last three wins. "It could be (the save of the year). I don't often make highlights like that too often because I try to be in position to make saves. It's fun to make a save like that."

The Bruins were led offensively by familiar faces: Brad Marchand scored two goals to reach 15 on the season, and David Pastrnak extended his league lead to 20 with the game-winner on the power play early in the third period. The duo was boosted by the return of top-line center Patrice Bergeron, who earned an assist in his first game back after missing two contests with a lower-body injury.

Bergeron enjoyed a maintenance day at practice Friday, while defenseman Torey Krug was a full participant and has been deemed probable Saturday after missing five games with an upper-body-injury.

"I'll put him at probable, a strong probable," Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said.

The Wild also were victorious Thursday night, beating the Colorado Avalanche 3-2 at home on a Jason Zucker goal midway through the third period. Like Boston, Minnesota has won three of four and is showing signs of moving on from its woeful 1-6-0 start.

"We're not going to look at the standings," said goaltender Alex Stalock, who made 25 saves against the Avalanche while starter Devan Dubnyk is away from the club for a family issue. "We just have to play our butts off and put ourselves in the best spot we can for a post-holiday run."

Dubnyk won't join the Wild on their road trip. Kaapo Kahkonen was recalled from the American Hockey League on an emergency basis.

Minnesota did not practice Friday as it prepares to play the Bruins, New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils in a four-day span. The team's current four-game points streak is its longest of the season.

"The maturity is starting to show," Wild defenseman Ryan Suter said. "We're starting to play the right way at the start of games and playing if they score to get the momentum back. It's a good sign for us."

--Field Level Media