Boston @ Detroit preview

Last Meeting ( Mar 31, 2019 ) Boston 3, Detroit 6

The Boston Bruins find themselves experiencing an unfamiliar feeling after falling short in their last contest, a result that the Detroit Red Wings unfortunately know all too well. The Bruins aim to get back on track Friday when they visit the reeling Red Wings, who have lost four in a row and 12 of their last 13 (1-11-1).

David Pastrnak scored a power-play goal in the first period on Tuesday to extend his career-high point streak to 13 games (15 goals, 15 assists), but Boston failed to secure a point for the first time in 10 contests (8-0-2) following a 5-4 setback to bitter rival Montreal. The 23-year-old Czech joined Hall of Famers Phil Esposito (1973-74) and Bobby Orr (1974-75) with 30 points in 15 or fewer games and became the first Bruin to score 15 goals in 15 contests since Peter McNab in 1976-77. While Boston resides atop the Atlantic, Detroit is mired in the basement with a league-worst minus-33 goal-differential. "Yeah. It's frustrating. Call it what you want, it's frustrating right now," Red Wings alternate captain Dylan Larkin said following Wednesday's 5-1 setback to the New York Rangers. "It's tough to try and find an answer when it's night after night."

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, NHL Network, NESN (Boston), Sportsnet Ontario, TVAS, FS Detroit

ABOUT THE BRUINS (11-2-2): Jake DeBrusk missed practice on Thursday and will not travel to Detroit after sustaining a lower-body injury against the Canadiens. "He played through the game (on Tuesday) with a lower-body injury and woke up yesterday not feeling great. So he had it checked out and he's continuing to get it checked out," Boston coach Bruce Cassidy said of the 23-year-old DeBrusk, who scored in each of his two previous games prior to facing Montreal. Peter Cehlarik was recalled from Providence of the American Hockey League for the third time this season and skated on the second line with David Krejci and Danton Heinen in Thursday's practice.

ABOUT THE RED WINGS (4-12-1): General manager Steve Yzerman isn't standing pat in the face of setbacks, as Detroit acquired Robby Fabbri from St. Louis in exchange for fellow center Jacob de la Rose following Wednesday's game. Fabbri has struggled to stay healthy during his career after being selected by St. Louis in the first round (21st overall) of the 2014 NHL Draft, although the 23-year-old Ontario native will see a familiar face in former Guelph teammate Tyler Bertuzzi. Valtteri Filppula scored in the second period on Wednesday to give him five points (two goals, three assists) in his last six games after being held off the scoresheet in each of his previous seven.

OVERTIME

1. Detroit ranks dead last in the NHL in penalty killing (35-of-51, 68.6 percent).

2. Boston RW David Backes (upper body), C Par Lindholm (upper body) and LW Joakim Nordstrom (infection) have been ruled out for Friday's contest.

3. The Red Wings have been outscored by a 55-24 margin over the second and third periods this season.

PREDICTION: Bruins 3, Red Wings 1