Bruins visit Isles in first stop of long trip

Hockey Betting Lines

03/06/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Boston Bruins closed out their pre-Olympic break schedule with excellent play on the road, something the team hopes carries over when it opens up a season-long seven-game trek with this afternoon's matchup with the New York Islanders from Nassau Coliseum.

Boston won all four tests of a away swing from February 7-13 to put itself back into the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race, but dropped a 4-1 home decision to rival Montreal on Tuesday in its first outing back from the NHL's extended hiatus for the Winter Olympics. The Bruins were able to bounce back on Thursday, however, by claming a 3-2 shootout victory over visiting Toronto on Miroslav Satan's goal in the third round.

Satan, who also accounted for the game's first goal in the first period, beat Maple Leafs goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere on a nifty deke to the backhand to put Boston ahead in the deciding phase, and netminder Tim Thomas stoned all three Toronto skaters he faced -- including former Bruin Phil Kessel -- during the shootout in his first start since February 2.

Thomas had 24 saves in regulation and overtime while subbing for Tuukka Rask, who sat out the contest due to a knee injury suffered in the Montreal game.

"I didn't take any extra pleasure because it was Phil," said Thomas when asked about stopping his ex-teammate in the shootout. I needed to get a win, our team needed to get a win. It's been a long time since we had a win at home."

The Bruins had lost 10 in a row (0-7-3) at TD Garden since a 4-0 shutout of Atlanta on December 30. The team's last win at home occurred at Fenway Park on New Year's Day, when Boston edged Philadelphia in the Winter Classic.

With Rask termed as day-to-day, Thomas will likely get a second straight start between the pipes today. The previously-struggling 2008-09 Vezina Trophy recipient owns a 7-4-1 record with a 2.00 goals against average in 12 career starts versus the Islanders, although he saved just 16-of-19 chances in a 4-3 overtime loss at Nassau Coliseum on December 12.

Boston may have leading scorer Patrice Bergeron back in the lineup this afternoon after the talented center took part in the team's morning skate on Thursday. The 24-year-old is dealing with a groin pull he sustained while competing for Canada in the recent Olympics and missed the Bruins' first two tilts after the Vancouver Games.

The Bruins, who have compiled a respectable 14-10-5 record on the road this season, enter today's play in seventh place in the Eastern Conference with 67 points, one more than Atlanta, Montreal and the New York Rangers.

The Islanders started off strong after the league stoppage, besting Western Division co-leader Chicago by a 5-3 count Tuesday at the Coliseum, but couldn't sustain the momentum in a 6-3 road loss to Atlanta two nights later. The Thrashers erupted for four first-period goals, three of which came in the game's initial 10 minutes.

New York netminder Dwayne Roloson was pulled just 9:16 in after surrendering three goals on only seven shots, while backup Martin Biron stopped just 12- of-15 chances the rest of the way.

"In that first period, it felt like everything they shot went in," said Islanders head coach Scott Gordon.

Tim Jackman and Rob Schremp each pumped in a power-play goal for the Islanders, who will play four of their next five games at home and are presently six points out of a playoff spot in the East.

New York has won two of its three previous meetings with the Bruins this season, but Boston is 7-1-1 over the last nine bouts in the series and has gone 3-0-1 at the Coliseum during that stretch.

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