GNT | Boston @ Pittsburgh | NBCSN | 7:30pm

[evolver115]

v

Losing the reigning Hart Trophy winner for an extended period of time is never ideal, but the Pittsburgh Penguins seem equipped with enough weapons to make the absence of Evgeni Malkin relatively painless.

The Boston Bruins are ready to test that theory.

Pittsburgh looks to win a sixth straight game Tuesday night by earning a fourth consecutive victory over visiting Boston, which has earned at least a point in 11 of its 12 road games.

Malkin suffered an undisclosed upper-body injury in Saturday's 5-4 overtime win over Toronto, and he's expected to miss at least a week.

The Penguins (18-8-0) didn't miss him the following night, when Chris Kunitz registered his second hat trick this season while adding a pair of assists in a 6-1 win over the New York Islanders.

Sidney Crosby, who leads the NHL with 45 points, had five assists to give him a league-best 33.

''I get to play with the best player in the world every night,'' Kunitz said of Crosby, who centers their line that also includes Pascal Dupuis. ''It makes going out and playing a lot of fun.''

Kunitz, who leads the league with a plus-21 rating, is having a breakout season with 17 goals and 19 assists and has scored a goal in six of his last seven games. He has 10 goals and five assists in that stretch and ranks behind only Crosby and Tampa Bay's Steven Stamkos (37) in points.

''The way Kuni's firing the puck right now, he makes all of us look good by putting the puck in the back of the net,'' Crosby said.

James Neal extended his goal-scoring streak to four Sunday and has 17 on the season, and Dupuis scored twice to extend his own streak to three.

The Kunitz-Crosby-Dupuis line has accounted for 24 goals when playing together - more than any line in the league.

''We want to make sure that we're producing,'' said Crosby, who has five goals and 15 assists during an NHL-best nine-game point streak. ''We found a way to take advantage of our chances. It's something we want to keep doing.''

Crosby has three goals and three assists during Pittsburgh's three-game winning streak over Boston, which also will be seeking to end the Penguins' four-game run at home.

The Bruins (17-3-3) improved to 9-1-2 on the road with a 3-2 shootout victory over Ottawa on Monday after falling behind by two goals early. Shawn Thornton and Daniel Paille scored in regulation, and David Krejci added the shootout winner for Boston, which has won three straight overall.

Krejci also assisted on Paille's goal.

''David's a disher and David did what he had to do. He put it right on the tape and Dan took care of the rest,'' coach Claude Julien said.

Tuukka Rask made 30 saves for his second shutout, but backup Anton Khudobin could get the start in net Tuesday in the second of a back-to-back. Khudobin is 4-1-0 with a 2.41 goals-against average and has stopped 45 of 49 shots while winning his last two starts.

Marc-Andre Fleury should get the start for Pittsburgh, but he's 2-1-0 with a 4.43 GAA over his last four starts, also getting pulled after giving up four goals in the first period of Thursday's win over Philadelphia.

Fleury, though, is 6-2-0 with a 1.75 GAA in his last eight starts versus Boston.

 

[awaz]

everybody hurt each other!

 

[DChero]

I bet vCash on the Bruins, so you know what that means..

 

[beantownmaniac]

I bet vCash on the Bruins, so you know what that means..

You're a closet fan???

 

[Darkstone42]

This game will be my early-evening break. I'm almost done with the edits to my written proposal, and then I'll update my PowerPoint afterward, then I'll practice it and study for a few hours before bed.

A little over two weeks before the big day of my final oral exam.

But some good hockey will provide a solid break and give me a chance to take my mind off the work for a bit. So the Penguins better win so I can go back to work in a good mood.

 

[DChero]

You're a closet fan???

No. I ended the Hawks streak by betting on them.

/I do usually cheer for Boston teams when they aren't facing Pittsburgh teams though.

 

[Darkstone42]

Clever boy...

 

[4thstreet]

everybody hurt each other! :cheer2:

exactly

beat the living crap out of each other!

 

[sbb122]

I'm sitting this one out tonight, will be watching from home. Pens ALWAYS win when i don't attend.

Load up your vCash on Pittsburgh...

 

[beantownmaniac]

No. I ended the Hawks streak by betting on them.

/I do usually cheer for Boston teams when they aren't facing Pittsburgh teams though.

Sorry but I'll be wearing my Orr jersey and I didn't bet on them so a win is all but in the bag. Seriously, I think that although the Pens have 1 or 2 "bigger" star players the Bruins are a deeper team in terms of 4 line talent/depth. I think the Bruins match up well with the Pens and this should be a great game barring a no show by either or both. As for rooting for Pitt teams, I'd love to see the Pirates come back but until theirs a change in ownership or philosophy on running the team, they're doomed. On the rarest of occasions, I root for the Steelers, and thanks to that fucking piece of shit Ulf I never root for the Pens and in fact get enjoyment when any of their superstars get injured. Call it Karma.

 

[DChero]

Sorry but I'll be wearing my Orr jersey and I didn't bet on them so a win is all but in the bag. Seriously, I think that although the Pens have 1 or 2 "bigger" star players the Bruins are a deeper team in terms of 4 line talent/depth. I think the Bruins match up well with the Pens and this should be a great game barring a no show by either or both. As for rooting for Pitt teams, I'd love to see the Pirates come back but until theirs a change in ownership or philosophy on running the team, they're doomed. On the rarest of occasions, I root for the Steelers, and thanks to that fucking piece of shit Ulf I never root for the Pens and in fact get enjoyment when any of their superstars get injured. Call it Karma.

Wouldn't Karma be Ulf getting injured?

No worries though. My closest friends in Atlanta are all from the Cape, so they got me into the Celtics a little bit this year. As for the Bruins, defense wins championships, right?

 

[beantownmaniac]

everybody hurt each other!

exactly

beat the living crap out of each other!

Well I'm sure the Pens will be a tough match-up............................unlike the Flyers

 

[beantownmaniac]

Wouldn't Karma be Ulf getting injured?

No worries though. My closest friends in Atlanta are all from the Cape, so they got me into the Celtics a little bit this year. As for the Bruins, defense wins championships, right?

Not if you played for Gretzky's Oilers.

 

[DChero]

Not if you played for Gretzky's Oilers.

I'm totally using that later on your fellow B's fan.

Tonight, we'll see what happens when an immovable object meets an unstoppable force. Good luck! It should be a rough one for both.

 

[beantownmaniac]

I'm totally using that later on your fellow B's fan.

Tonight, we'll see what happens when an immovable object meets an unstoppable force. Good luck! It should be a rough one for both.

I'm not saying the Oilers goalies weren't good, they thought offense first, that's all. Having at least 5 HOF players doesn't hurt, but they won one after Gretz left. It should be a great game. I'll be here for a while at least

 

[DChero]

I'm not saying the Oilers goalies weren't good, they thought offense first, that's all. Having at least 5 HOF players doesn't hurt, but they won one after Gretz left. It should be a great game. I'll be here for a while at least

Oh, I agree. I just hadn't really thought about it like that. The dead-puck era really sucked some of that excitement out for a while.

 

[beantownmaniac]

GAME ON!!!!!

 

[beantownmaniac]

CHARA WITH THE PP GOAL!!!!

 

[Darkstone42]

Crap.

 

[Darkstone42]

Also, there goes Orpik being useless on another opponent's goal.