Tonight on NBCSN, it’s the Boston Bruins hosting the Minnesota Wild starting at 7:30 p.m. ET. Following are some game notes, as compiled by the NHL on NBC research team:
• Boston and Minnesota meet tonight for the first time since Feb. 19, 2012 (2-0 MIN win), and the 13th time overall. The Wild are 10-1-1 all-time against the Bruins, and have never lost in Boston (6-0-0), having allowed a total of six goals and shut out the Bruins twice at TD Garden. Minnesota’s .875 points% vs. Boston is its best against any opponent, while the Bruins’ .167 vs. the Wild matches their worst (1-5-0 vs. Hamilton Tigers, defunct in 1925).
• Boston’s eight-game win streak is the team’s longest since a 10-game run from Nov. 1-23, 2011. The Bruins, the NHL leaders with a +1.05 goal differential (3.18 goals/game; 2.13 GA/game), have outscored opponents 32-12 during the streak. The longest win streak in Bruins history lasted 14 games, from Dec. 3, 1929-Jan. 9, 1930.
• Minnesota has won only 12 of 32 road games this season (12-15-5); only Buffalo has fewer road wins (7-21-3). Boston, winner of four straight at TD Garden, leads the league with 27 home wins (27-7-2).
• Claude Julien picked up his 300th win as Bruins head coach on Friday, and now has 301 wins (second in franchise history, behind Hall of Famer Art Ross – 361). Since taking over as coach before the 2008-09 season, Julien has wins at TD Garden vs. all but three teams: St. Louis (0-4-0), Colorado (0-3-0) and the Wild (0-2-0).
• Bruins G Tuukka Rask reached 30 wins (30-14-4) for the first time in his career on Friday. The NHL’s shutouts leader (6) is just 1-1-4 vs. the Central Division this season, however, despite his 1.75 GAA, .943 save%.
• Bruins winger Jarome Iginla leads all NHL players – active or retired – in career goals (35) and points (65) in 70 games vs. the Wild. All of those were registered while Iginla was a member of the Calgary Flames. (Elias Sports Bureau) The 36-year-old – who tonight will become the 55th player to reach 1,300 NHL games – has 10 goals and 14 assists over his last 18 games. (Prior to that, he had 13 goals and 16 assists in his first 49 games this season.)
• Boston’s Torey Krug scored his 14th goal of the season Saturday vs. Carolina, two nights after a healthy scratch vs. Phoenix. Krug leads all rookie defensemen with 14 goals and 36 points. Saturday’s goal moved him past Bobby Orr for the third-highest goal total by a Bruins rookie d-man – only five of whom have ever reached double digits in goals:
• Darcy Kuemper is expected to be in Minnesota’s net for his fourth straight start and 20th in the Wild’s last 21 games. Kuemper is 6-1-2 with a 1.62 GAA and .940 save% in his last nine starts; at 12-4-4, he is tied for second in wins among rookie goalies (Frederik Andersen, ANA – 16; Antti Raanta, CHI, Eddie Lack, VAN – 12).
• Minnesota captain Mikko Koivu (127-308=435 points, 586 GP) is 2 points shy of tying Marian Gaborik (219-218=437, 502 GP for MIN) for most in Wild history. Gaborik was the Wild’s first-ever first-round draft pick (3rd overall, 2000); Koivu was their second (6th overall, 2001).