Preview: Bruins at Blackhawks

BRUINS (42-30-6) at BLACKHAWKS (50-21-7)
12:30 p.m. ET; NBC, TVA Sports, NHL.TV

Bruins team scope

The Boston Bruins are one point behind the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators for second place in the Atlantic Division and lead the Tampa Bay Lightning by four points for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference having played one more game than each. The Bruins have outscored their opponents 13-4 during a four-game winning streak that followed a four-game losing streak. "You want to build confidence this time of the year," coach Bruce Cassidy said. "We hit a lull, it was well-documented, last week. I thought we played some good hockey during those losses, didn't go our way. We kind of gutted it out defensively the last three or four games and kept it out of our net and made a conscious effort to do that." Goaltender Anton Khudobin will start after Tuukka Rask started the past three games, including a 5-2 win against the Florida Panthers on Saturday. Khudobin has won his past five starts. "You've got to keep winning," defenseman Torey Krug said. "The other teams are going to continue to win. If we keep doing this, then we don't have to look at the standings and look for help elsewhere."

Blackhawks team scope

The Chicago Blackhawks will try to gain on the Washington Capitals in the race for the Presidents' Trophy after Chicago clinched the Central Division and the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference when the Minnesota Wild lost 3-0 at the Nashville Predators on Saturday. The Blackhawks are three points behind the Capitals with Washington holding one game in hand. Chicago has won two in a row after defeating the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-1 on Friday. "We're happy with the way we played, but that's the way we have to play to be successful," coach Joel Quenneville told the Chicago Sun-Times. "I still think our best hockey's got to be ahead of us to have all the success we're looking for. But our top guys, when they're our best players, we'll always be in a good place." Forward Marian Hossa has four goals in his past six games and 26 total after scoring 13 last season. "I knew I had it in me after last year," Hossa told CSN Chicago. "To not be able to put the puck in [last year] even though I had as many chances, maybe, as this year, but it didn't go in. It's nice to prove to myself, that you still got it." This is Chicago's final regular-season home game.

Bruins projected lineup

Brad Marchand -- Patrice Bergeron -- David Backes
Drew Stafford -- David Krejci -- David Pastrnak
Matt Beleskey -- Ryan Spooner -- Jimmy Hayes
Dominic Moore -- Riley Nash -- Noel Acciari
Zdeno Chara -- Brandon Carlo
Torey Krug -- Adam McQuaid
Colin Miller -- Kevan Miller
Anton Khudobin
Tuukka Rask
Scratched: Joe Morrow, John-Michael Liles
Injured: Tim Schaller (lower body), Frank Vatrano (upper body)

Blackhawks projected lineup

Nick Schmaltz -- Jonathan Toews -- Richard Panik
Artemi Panarin -- Tanner Kero -- Patrick Kane
Ryan Hartman -- Marcus Kruger -- Marian Hossa
John Hayden -- Dennis Rasmussen -- Tomas Jurco
Duncan Keith -- Niklas Hjalmarsson
Johnny Oduya -- Brent Seabrook
Brian Campbell -- Trevor van Riemsdyk
Corey Crawford
Scott Darling
Scratched: Michal Kempny, Michal Rozsival, Jordin Tootoo, Andrew Desjardins, Vinnie Hinostroza
Injured: Artem Anisimov (lower body)

Status report

Hayes played two shifts Saturday before leaving with a lower-body injury.... Vatrano will miss his third straight game. … The Bruins recalled forward Sean Kuraly from Providence of the American Hockey League on an emergency basis. ... Anisimov will begin skating Monday. He is expected to be ready for the playoffs. ...

Who's hot

Kane has 17 points (five goals, 12 assists) in his past 12 games and was named the NHL's third star of March. ... Panarin has 13 points (eight goals, five assists) in his past 12 games. ... Marchand has 14 points (seven goals, seven assists) in his past 10 games. ... Pastrnak has 20 points (seven goals, 13 assists) in his past 18 games.