Dallas @ Boston preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 3, 2019 ) Boston 2, Dallas 1

The Boston Bruins have not lost three consecutive games in regulation since early December and will aim to keep that streak intact when they host the Dallas Stars on Thursday night. After ripping off 11 victories in the previous 12 games, the NHL-leading Bruins were pierced for a combined 14 tallies in back-to-back defeats to Vancouver and Calgary.

Boston, which did not allow more than three goals during its recent 11-1-0 run, drew the ire of coach Bruce Cassidy for what he perceived as a lack of effort in Tuesday's 5-2 home loss to the Flames. "Clearly not good enough," Cassidy said. "I thought some guys came to play and some guys didn't. Didn't break a sweat, some of them, it looked like." The Bruins opened the season with a 2-1 win at Dallas, which has recovered from a dismal 1-7-1 start and is within four points of first-place St. Louis in the Central Division. "We're coming out of the gate strong. We're bending a little bit, but we're not breaking," coach Rick Bowness said after the Stars improved to 7-1-1 in their last nine with a 4-1 victory at Carolina on Tuesday. "We're surviving, we're getting the big saves. Special teams the last couple of games have been a lot better, so it's a combination of things."

TIME: 7:30 p.m. ET. TV: NBC Sports Network, Sportsnet 360, Sportsnet East, Sportsnet Ontario

ABOUT THE STARS (37-20-6): Bowness put together a new line of Roope Hintz, Jason Dickinson and Denis Gurianov and the trio responded in a big way at Carolina, combining for three goals and seven points. Captain Jamie Benn labeled Dickinson the team's "unsung hero" for his ability to play multiple positions as well as on the power play and penalty kill. "Time builds confidence, and we're seeing that with him," Benn said of Dickerson, who had a goal and assist Tuesday. "When you have confidence, you feel like you can't be stopped."

ABOUT THE BRUINS (39-13-12): Cassidy offered little positive feedback on his team with the exception of the fourth line of Sean Kuraly, Par Lindholm, and Chris Wagner, who combined for one goal on Wagner's second tally in as many games. Newcomer Nick Ritchie, acquired in a trade with Anaheim on Monday, did not register a shot on goal and was a minus-2 in his Boston debut. Brad Marchand extended his point streak to seven games (two goals, eight assists) with a short-handed tally and has eight goals and 17 points in 14 meetings versus Dallas.

OVERTIME

1. Dallas enters Thursday's matchup riding an eight-game road point streak (6-0-2).

2. Bruins F David Pastrnak has a league-high 45 goals but has scored only twice in 10 games against Dallas.

3. Stars C Tyler Seguin, Boston's No. 2 overall pick in 2010, has goals in back-to-back games.

PREDICTION: Bruins 3, Stars 2