BRUINS (11-6-2) at PANTHERS (9-10-0)

TV -- NESN (HD); FS-Florida (HD)

Last 10 -- Boston 4-4-2; Florida 5-5-0

Season series -- The teams are playing for the second time in seven days. Boston won 4-0 last Wednesday at TD Garden. The Bruins won both trips to South Florida last season.

Big story -- It's a homecoming for Boston forward Nathan Horton, who was sent to the Bruins by the Panthers during the summer after putting up 295 points during his six seasons in Florida. Horton has been a big part of the Bruins' good start with 18 points in 19 games, though he was held off the scoresheet in Monday's 3-1 loss at Tampa Bay. The Panthers overcame a 2-0 deficit at home against Pittsburgh but lost 3-2.

Team Scope:

Bruins -- The Bruins know they can't keep spotting opponents big leads. They trailed 3-0 at home against Los Angeles on Saturday and got the game to a shootout before losing 4-3, but trailed 3-0 Monday night against Tampa Bay and were outshot 31-15 through 40 minutes. Boston outshot Tampa Bay 12-5 in the third period but could manage only one goal in a 3-1 loss.

"We've done that a few times this year where it would take 40 minutes to get ourselves going," coach Claude Julien said. "It catches up to you. Forty minutes of no show and 20 minutes of desperation."

Panthers -- Florida's special teams haven't been very special lately. The Panthers are 0-for-25 on the power play in their last six games, including 0-for-5 in the loss to Pittsburgh, and allowed the Penguins to score twice in three advantages.

"The power play cost us the game again," defenseman Bryan McCabe said of the loss to Pittsburgh. "They get two, we get zero, had a bunch of opportunities. It's got to win us a game at some point. Right now, it's costing us games."

Who's hot -- Boston might opt to play Tuukka Rask, who stopped all 41 shots by the Panthers last week, over Tim Thomas, who's 10-1-1 with a 1.49 goals-against average. … Panthers goalie Tomas Vokoun has allowed just 10 goals in his last five games, though he's just 3-2-0 in that span.

Injury report -- Boston center Marc Savard (concussion) is participating in non-contact practice, while forwards Marco Sturm (right knee surgery) and Trent Whitfield (Achilles surgery) are still on IR. … Florida defenseman Bryan Allen and forward Jason Garrison left Monday's game with a lower-body injury and didn't skate Tuesday. Forward Rostislav Olesz (broken finger) won't be back for at least a couple of weeks, and Steven Reinprecht missed Monday's game with a groin injury. Steve Bernier (broken orbital bone) and Byron Bitz (sports hernia) are recovering from surgery.

Stat pack -- The Panthers are the only team in the NHL that has not played an overtime game this season. … Boston has won five of its last six visits to South Florida.

Puck drop -- Julien used the day between games in the Sunshine State to conduct an unusually brisk practice at the BankAtlantic Center.

"We've had some pretty intense ones. But today was tough," rookie center Tyler Seguin told the Bruins' website on Tuesday. "There were a lot of battle drills and it was [focused] mainly on stuff that we need to work on that we didn't do last night in our game."

"I think everyone in here is a competitive pro athlete," explained Seguin of the high intensity battle drills between teammates. "Obviously, you're not going to go and [hit] someone from behind, but...we're still going to be hard on each other. But, in the end, we're just trying to make each other better."