Bruins vs. Red Wings Preview and Predictions

By Gracenote for Scores and Stats
by Gracenote on 12/12/2017

The Boston Bruins and Detroit Red Wings are like crossing ships in the night, with the former sailing in the right direction in the Atlantic Division while the latter rapidly is taking on water. Winners of two in a row and eight of 10 overall, the Bruins look to add to the woes of the reeling Red Wings on Wednesday when the Original Six rivals meet at Little Caesars Arena.

Tuukka Rask carries a 4-0-0 mark with a 1.09 goals-against average and .955 save percentage in his last five games into Wednesday's tilt. The 2014 Vezina Trophy winner turned aside 93 of 102 shots in four encounters with Detroit last season, sporting a 3-0-1 mark with one shutout to improve to 9-5-2 in his career against the Red Wings. Detroit hasn't been helping itself in many facets of its game, as it has scored just one goal in four of its last six games and dropped nine of 10 overall (1-5-4). "It's frustrating, but we have to be professionals and continue to grind away, stick with the process and, hopefully, things will start turning our way," veteran goaltender Jimmy Howard said.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBCSN

ABOUT THE BRUINS (14-9-4): Ryan Spooner practiced in full for the second straight day on Tuesday as he recovers from a lower-body injury that has seen him return to the lineup and exit in short order on multiple occasions. "I guess the long and short of that (is) he's still day-to-day," coach Bruce Cassidy said after Tuesday's practice. "We'll decide Wednesday. We don't want to go backwards again. We've had a couple of starts and stops with that one." Kevan Miller's status is questionable, albeit for a different reason, as the defenseman and wife Haley welcomed the birth of the couple's first child on Tuesday.

ABOUT THE RED WINGS (11-13-6): Captain Henrik Zetterberg ended a 22-game goal drought by netting his team's lone tally in a 2-1 overtime loss to Florida on Monday. The veteran Swede isn't the only one having his difficulties, as defenseman Danny DeKeyser has been held without a point and is a minus-11 in 10 contests following a return from a 17-game absence with a broken bone in his ankle. "It's been taking me a little bit to get going to where I want to be. (Against Florida) I felt good, I thought my legs were better, I was moving a bit better on the ice, just felt stronger," DeKeyser said.

OVERTIME

1. Boston D Torey Krug, who is a former Michigan State standout, has three goals and six assists in 17 career encounters with Detroit.

2. Detroit D Mike Green has been held off the scoresheet in five straight contests and remains one point shy of 450 for his career.

3. The Bruins have scored a power-play goal in each of their last three games after going 3-for-34 in the previous 12, while the Red Wings are 0-for-13 with the man advantage in December.

PREDICTION: Bruins 3, Red Wings 2