5 Keys: Bruins at Senators, Game 2

OTTAWA -- The Boston Bruins will look for their second straight win on the road to take a 2-0 lead in their Eastern Conference First Round series of the Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre on Saturday (3 p.m. ET; NBC, SN, TVA Sports).

Brad Marchand scored the winning goal late in the third period in Game 1, putting the pressure on the Senators to salvage a split at home.
Here are 5 keys for Game 2:

1. Will Bruins defense step up?

Bruins defenseman Colin Miller won'r play Game 2 after leaving Game 1 early in the second period after a hit from Senators defenseman Mark Borowiecki. Joe Morrow, who hasn't played since Jan. 22, will take his place. "Joe's been with us all year so we're comfortable if we have to make that move," coach Bruce Cassidy said. The Bruins already are without defensemen Torey Krug (lower body), whose 51 points led the Boston defense, and Brandon Carlo (upper body). Defenseman Charlie McAvoy, playing his first NHL game, had an impressive debut in Game 1, playing 24:11 with poise and confidence. The Bruins, down to their ninth defenseman, will need McAvoy to be good again in Game 2.

2. Senators hurting on defense

Marc Methot, a top-pair defenseman for the Senators, may miss his second straight playoff game. He missed Game 1 and the final nine games of the regular season with a finger injury. "There's a whole bunch of stuff going on, but at the end of the day I just want to be able to be an effective player and help the team and not hurt anybody by coming back prematurely," Methot said. Defenseman Erik Karlsson, who has a lower-body injury, played 24:04 in Game 1, but he wasn't as dynamic as usual.

3. Which Senators team will show up?

Will it be the one that didn't allow a shot on goal in the second period, or the one that turned over the puck nine times during the two shifts that led to the Boston goals in the third period? The Senators' puck management and zone exits will be something to watch for in Game 2. Ottawa had 14 giveaways in Game 1; Boston had 5.

4. Bruins must play better

Boston was outplayed for much of Game 1, including going about 25 minutes without a shot on goal. Marchand said it would be tough for the Bruins to win the series playing the way they did in Game 1. "A lot of areas [need improving], but definitely the way we need to take care of the puck," he said. "You saw in the second period, especially, we played right into their hands and that's when they are at their best. You've got to give them credit. They are a really good team and they create a lot with very little. It's going to be a tough series."

5. David Krejci remains out

The Bruins will again be without Krejci (upper body), their second-line center, and will have to find a way to replace his offense. "He wasn't very good today," Cassidy said of Krejci's health after practice Friday. "We were hoping he'd skate. It didn't happen. Not playing for four days (if he comes back for Game 3 on Monday), it's going to be difficult. We hope he'll come around, but I guess I should say it's not looking good for him." The Bruins got some secondary scoring in Game 1 from Frank Vatrano, who had a goal in his first NHL playoff game.

Bruins projected lineup

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

Senators projected lineup

Zack Smith -- Kyle Turris -- Mark Stone
Clarke MacArthur -- Derick Brassard -- Bobby Ryan
Mike Hoffman -- Jean-Gabriel Pageau -- Tom Pyatt
Viktor Stalberg -- Tommy Wingels -- Alexandre Burrows
Fredrik Claesson -- Erik Karlsson
Dion Phaneuf -- Cody Ceci
Mark Borowiecki -- Chris Wideman
Craig Anderson
Mike Condon
Scratched:Ben Harpur, Chris Kelly, Chris Neil, Ryan Dzingel, Colin White, Jyrki Jokipakka, Chris DiDomenico
Injured:Marc Methot (finger)

Status report

Karlsson (lower body) skated Friday, but left practice early. ... Stalberg wasn't on a regular line at practice Friday and spent time on the bench. ... Kelly and Dzingel, who were each scratched for Game 1, got turns on regular lines at practice. ... Colin Miller (lower body) skated briefly, but left practice. ... The Bruins recalled goalie Malcolm Subban from Providence of the American Hockey League on Friday on an emergency basis. They assigned goalie Zane McIntyre to Providence.

Who's hot

Pasternak has seven points (two goals and five assists) in his past eight games. … Rask is 5-0-1 with five goals against and two shutouts in his past seven games. ... Hoffman has 13 points (five goals, eight assists) in his past 14 games. … Anderson is 3-1-0 with four goals against and one shutout in past four starts.