Minnesota @ Boston preview

Last Meeting ( Apr 4, 2019 ) Boston 3, Minnesota 0

The Boston Bruins are the lone NHL club that has yet to lose in regulation at home while the Minnesota Wild are the only team in the league with 10 regulation defeats away from home. Judging by those numbers, the Bruins have to like their chances of extending their 12-game point streak at TD Garden when they host the Wild on Saturday night.

The Bruins improved to 8-0-4 at home with a 3-2 victory over Buffalo on Thursday night and also have history on their side against Minnesota, winning the past four meetings and posting a pair of shutouts last season. “At the end of the day all that matters is that you get the points," forward Brad Marchand said after the latest win. "The regular season is long and you are not going to play your best very night. You have to be able to win when you are not playing your A-game." The Wild already have played a league-high 14 games away from home and won only four times (4-10-0) and now have to play their next three on the road. “We're not going to look at the standings," goaltender Alex Stalock said after Thursday's 3-2 victory over Colorado. "We just have to play our butts off and put ourselves in the best spot we can for a post-holiday run.”

TV: 7 p.m. ET, FS North (Minnesota), NESN (Boston)

ABOUT THE WILD (9-11-2): Starting netminder Devan Dubnyk is away from the team due to a family issue and will not accompany Minnesota on its road trip, putting Stalock in line to make his third straight start. Stalock surrendered three goals in winning his last two starts against Colorado and Buffalo but he is winless in four appearances against the Bruins, posting an 0-2-1 mark with a 2.42 goals-against average. "Obviously there's no tougher test than going to the Garden right now the way that team is playing," Stalock said.

ABOUT THE BRUINS (14-3-5): No. 1 center Patrice Bergeron returned to the lineup Thursday after sitting out two games, but his linemates have thrived with and without him. David Pastrnak has scored four times during a three-game streak to push his NHL-leading total to 20 goals while Marchand converted twice as they became the first pair of teammates with 15 goals in their team's first 22 games in 10 years. Charlie Coyle, acquired from Minnesota prior to last season's trade deadline, has six points in his last six games.

OVERTIME

1. Bruins D Torey Krug (upper body), out the past five games, could return to the lineup Saturday.

2. Wild F Zach Parise has four goals in his last four games but only eight in 34 contests versus Boston.

3. Marchand has eight goals and as many assists in 10 games this month and five points in his last two versus the Wild.

PREDICTION: Bruins 4, Wild 2