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Pittsburgh

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Boston

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Preview

BOSTON (Interstat) — The Pittsburgh Penguins and Boston Bruins, two franchises with recent championship pedigrees seeking consistency this season, will meet Sunday at TD Garden in a key Eastern Conference matchup. The Bruins (24-21-0) enter riding the high of a dominant 10-2 victory over the New York Rangers on Saturday, a performance that showcased their explosive potential. Center Marat Khusnutdinov was the catalyst, erupting for four goals and an assist. He has been a bright spot, recording six points (4 goals, 2 assists) in his last five games. Pittsburgh (21-22-0), meanwhile, looks to rebound from a frustrating 2-1 home loss to Calgary on Saturday. The Penguins had won four of their previous five before that defeat. Their success has been closely tied to the play of goaltender Arturs Silovs, who is expected to start. Silovs has been sturdy, posting a .923 save percentage over his last seven appearances, giving Pittsburgh a chance nightly. The teams are separated by just five points in the standings, adding weight to the contest. Boston’s offense, which leads the league in goals per game over the past month, will test Silovs and a Penguins defense that has been uneven. Pittsburgh will counter with a veteran core led by Evgeni Malkin, who had an assist in the loss to Calgary, and will need to generate more than the 25 shots they managed Saturday. Historically, games between these clubs are tightly contested. According to National Statistical’s game simulator, that trend should continue with a projected final score of Boston 3, Pittsburgh 2. The Bruins’ schedule intensifies after this game, with a four-game road trip looming. Pittsburgh begins a three-game homestand next week before embarking on a challenging four-game Western Canada swing. Puck drop is set for 1 p.m. EST Sunday at TD Garden.

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