Following Wednesday night’s debacle in Toronto which resulted in the Bruins allowing a season high six goals allowed, many expected Claude Julien’s group to respond with a better effort the following night in Montreal.

6-1, Canadiens.

After a five-game winning streak without Zdeno Chara, the Bruins were dominated on back-to-back nights North of the border, allowing 11 goals over two games with only two goals for. An extended home swing where the battered Bruins play five out of the next six games at home presents an opportunity to quickly move past the last six periods of play.

David Krejci resumed skating on his own Friday morning, the first time since November 6, before the team skate but still remains doubtful for Saturday’s matinee against Carolina. Kevan Miller took another step in the right direction as he joined the team on the ice Friday morning and skated in light contact drills but remains out. After being recalled on an emergency basis on Thursday morning, Alexander Khokhlachev was assigned back to Providence.

Once again the Black and Gold will continue to grind their way through a seemingly never ending rash of injuries as they welcome in Eric Staal and the upbeat Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday afternoon.

Saturday marks the first meeting between the two teams this season, while the Bruins have dominated the head-to-head matchup over the last two seasons, taking five-of-six games.

Who to watch for Bruins: Dennis Seidenberg

There’s no other Bruins player who looked more out of place than the German Hammer on Thursday night against Montreal. Seidenberg led all Bruins players in time-on-ice with 20:30, who was on ice for three Canadiens goals, including one massive giveaway that resulted in a Montreal goal.

With a veteran like Seidenberg, there’s no concern on whether or not the seasoned defenseman will bounce back on Saturday, you can pretty much guarantee it. Playing without Zdeno Chara, Seidenberg knows his importance looms large for a Bruins team hemorrhaging goals right now.

Last season, Seidenberg appeared in only the first matchup of the season against the Hurricanes, logging over 21-minutes and registering an assist on November 18, 2013 in a Boston 4-1 victory. Seidenberg, who saw his plus/minus total drop to +2 after Thursday night, has four points and a team leading 35 blocked shots on the season.

Who to watch for Hurricanes: Jeff Skinner

After missing the start of the season due to a concussion, Skinner struggled to find a groove at the start of the season. When healthy, Skinner is one of the NHL’s elite forwards and can be nuisance for coaching staffs to plan against.

After a hot start to last season which Skinner potted 23-goals in the first 43 games, Skinner finished with his second career 30-goal season with 33 total. In a return from a concussion, the former Calder Memorial Trophy winner registered only two points in four games and a -5 rating overall. However, over his last four games played, Skinner’s tallied 4-points and a much improved +2 rating.

Over his career in 12 games played against Boston, Skinner’s struggled defensively overall to the tune of a -9 rating while only finding the back of the net three times. A key component of Carolina’s game will be to exploit the Bruins’ beat up defensemen with their speed on the outside and firing as many shots on goal as possible. A player like Skinner, owner of 274 SOG in 2013-2014 in 71 games played, can certainly help Carolina accomplish that task.

Game day Edge: Back to Basics on Defense