Chicago @ Boston preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 1, 2019 ) Boston 4, Chicago 2

The Boston Bruins are among three teams battling for second place in the Atlantic Division, but they like their chances down the stretch after snapping out of a recent funk. Boston has won four of five and is riding a seven-game point streak (4-0-3) as they prepare to host the sizzling Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday night in a matchup of Original Six rivals.

The Bruins posted a pair of overtime wins over the weekend, squeezing past the Los Angeles Kings and Colorado Avalanche to remain wedged between Toronto and Montreal in the division. "We are starting to find our stride. We have won games 4-0, 5-2,” forward Noel Acciari said. “We are also winning games 1-0, 2-1. I think that shows just how our team is and what we can do when we are on.” Chicago, meanwhile, has been dominant during its seven-game winning streak, outscoring the opposition 37-20 after thumping Detroit 5-2 on Sunday. "We're a tough team to contend with when we're playing the right way," said forward Dylan Strome, named the league's Third Star of the Week. "We've got four good lines, and everyone brings something different to the table."

TV: 7 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network, TVAS, Sportsnet East/Ontario/Pacific, NBCS Chicago, NESN (Boston)

ABOUT THE BLACKHAWKS (23-24-9): There was good news all around on the goaltending front for Chicago on Monday as top netminder Corey Crawford went through his first full practice since suffering a concussion on Dec. 16 and rookie Collin Delia agreed to terms on a three-year contract. "I feel great, back to normal," Crawford said. "I would jump in the net right away, but honestly, we haven't really discussed that at this point. We're just trying to figure out days when we can practice with the team and getting the timing back." Cam Ward had four wins and Delia three during the winning streak.

ABOUT THE BRUINS (31-17-8): Center Patrice Bergeron capped what was a whirlwind past few days by being named the league's Second Star of the Week on Monday. Bergeron elevated his play when the spotlight was brightest, scoring a pair of goals on the night he became the fifth player in franchise history to appear in 1,000 games before adding the OT game-winner against Los Angeles and setting up the decisive tally in Sunday's win over Colorado. Linemate Brad Marchand also is on a tear with four consecutive multiple-point games and has five goals and nine assists in 12 career contests versus the Blackhawks.

OVERTIME

1. Blackhawks F Patrick Kane has 11 goals and 20 assists during a 14-game point streak.

2. Bruins G Tuukka Rask is 5-2-1 with a 2.36 goals-against average versus Chicago.

3. Strome had two goals and seven points in three games last week while linemate Alex DeBrincat has 15 points during an eight-game streak.

PREDICTION: Blackhawks 4, Bruins 3