Need to Know: Bruins at Blues

ST. LOUIS –– The Boston Bruins close out their two-game road trip on Thursday with an 8 p.m. ET matchup against the St. Louis Blues at Enterprise Center.

​Boston fell 2-1 to the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday at Lenovo Center, and is looking to get back in the win column.

“It’s always for me, maybe because I’ve played a lot of playoff series here, it’s always an interesting building [and team] for me because they can really hurt you. That’s where we just have to be prepared,” head coach Marco Sturm said of the Blues. “Losing our game last game – we’re back on track here, and we want to finish the road trip here .500. That means we need a good effort and a big two points tonight.”

The lineup will remain the same, other than Connor Clifton entering on the backend for Frederic Brunet. Clifton last played on Oct. 10 in the 5-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers at TD Garden. Per Thursday morning’s line rushes, he is expected to be on the third pair with Mason Lohrei.

“You just want to hold onto that confidence. I was pretty happy with the six games I played to start the year, so I just want to pick up where I left off,” Clifton said. “Just wait for a chance to get back in. Obviously, the fellas are winning, and we’re up there rooting them on. So at the end of the day, I knew I was going to get another chance to play. It’s tonight, and I’ve been working and ready to go. Excited.”

The 31-year-old defenseman had one point in his first six games while averaging 20:38 of ice time per night.

“I think that when I am playing my best, I’m not thinking. I’m not holding onto the puck, I’m making that first pass, I’m in the face of the opposition, I’m breaking pucks out, finishing hits, that sort of thing,” Clifton said. “I just take it one shift at a time and just want to play steady back there for Sway, who has been great for us.”

Brunet, the 23-year-old rookie defenseman, has posted four points (one goal, three assists) in 10 games this year. Sturm wants this to be a learning moment.

“I think it’s part of the process, going with young players, especially with [Brunet] – he’s done a really good job. Really good job,” Sturm said. “But we noticed the last two, three games, he kind of got stuck a little bit. We just want to reset him. I think it’s going to be good for him. It’s part of the process, and I believe in that.”

Wait, There’s More

• Jeremy Swayman will start in net for Boston. The goaltender last played on Tuesday against the Carolina Hurricanes and made 28 stops on 30 shots. Swayman has a 2.19 goals-against average and .921 save percentage through 10 games.

• Pavel Zacha scored Boston’s only goal on Tuesday; it was on the power play. Elias Lindholm extended his point streak to three games with the assist. It was Zacha’s third goal of the season. The 29-year-old forward has five points in the last five games, and is centering the first line between JJ Peterka and David Pastrnak.

• Charlie McAvoy leads all Bruins defensemen with six points (one goal, five assists) through seven games. The alternate captain remains on the first pair with Hampus Lindholm, as well as the first power-play unit. McAvoy leads Boston with an average of 25:00 of ice time per night.

Opposing View

• The Blues are coming off a 2-0 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday at Enterprise Center. St. Louis also got shut out on Saturday when it fell 4-0 to the Carolina Hurricanes; the team has not scored in two games. The Blues have won two of their last five games and are in sixth place in the Central Division.

• Mason McTavish and Dylan Holloway are tied for the team lead in points with 10 each. McTavish has six goals and four assists through 12 games; Holloway has three goals and seven assists. McTavish is projected to center the second line between Pavel Buchnevich and Jonatan Berggren while Holloway is expected to be on the third line with Dalibor Dvorsky and Connor McMichael.

• Former Bruin Brandon Carlo is in his first season with the Blues after he was traded to the team in June from the Toronto Maple Leafs. The 29-year-old defenseman has one assist in 12 games while averaging 17:11 of ice time per night. Carlo is projected to be on the first pair with Philip Broberg, who leads St. Louis blueliners with six points (two goals, four assists).