The Bruins’ eight-game point streak came to a grinding halt Tuesday in a 2-1 loss to the defending Stanley Cup champion Hurricanes.
In visiting former coach Jim Montgomery and the Blues, Boston looks to get back on track.
The Hurricanes, currently atop the NHL standings, did enough to overcome a 28-save performance by Jeremy Swayman and recovered nicely after Pavel Zacha scored on the man advantage 1:31 into the contest. It was Zacha’s first tally in five games.
“I think [Nikita Zadorov] said it in the locker room, like, ’We’re such a great team, and you’re not going to win them all,’” said Bruins defenseman Mason Lohrei. “Obviously, [Carolina is] a really good team, too, but I think when we were at 5-on-5, when we were playing our game, I think we controlled good parts of that game. You’ve just got to take the positives, and we’ll move on and be ready to win in St. Louis.”
The Bruins couldn’t muster much offensively, generating a season-low 16 shots. A stifling forecheck resulted in careless play, as the Bruins were credited with 15 giveaways and Carolina had seven takeaways.
“We had way too many turnovers,” Sturm said. “And again, not everyone was willing to play that style that you have to play against a playoff team and a champion like that. But when we do it, we just have to be patient enough.”
Here’s a preview of Thursday’s clash.
When: Thursday, 8 p.m.
Where: Enterprise Center, St. Louis
TV: NESN. Radio: WBZ-FM 98.5.
Line: St. Louis -115. O/U: 6.0.
BRUINS
Season record: 9-3-1. vs. spread: 11-2. Over/under: 5-7, 1 push
Last 10 games: 7-2-1. vs. spread: 9-1. Over/under: 4-5, 1 push
BLUES
Season record: 5-6-1. vs. spread: 5-7. Over/under: 7-5
Last 10 games: 4-5-1. vs. spread: 4-6. Over/under: 6-4
TEAM STATISTICS
Goals scored: Boston 49, St. Louis 35
Goals allowed: Boston 28, St. Louis 37
Power play: Boston 22.0%, St. Louis 21.9%
Penalty minutes: Boston 164, St. Louis 94
Penalty kill: Boston 80.4%, St. Louis 84.4%
Faceoffs won: Boston 53.4%, St. Louis 49.7%
Stat of the day: The Bruins earned a pair of 5-2 wins against the Blues last season.
Notes: St. Louis has been shut out twice in a row, the first time that’s happened since November 2018. ... On Tuesday, the Blues fired 46 shots — 15 more than their previous season high — but none got past the Canadiens’ Jacob Fowler, a former Boston College standout. ... The Blue have two or fewer goals in seven of their first 12 games. ... Alexey Toropchenko, a bruising 6-foot-6-inch, 227 pound forward, suited up for St Tuesday for the first time since suffering an upper-body injury in the season opener.
Cam Kerry can be reached at cam.kerry@globe.com.