BOSTON -- There is something about the New Jersey Devils and their knack for showing up on TD Garden ice when the Bruins need to make a statement.

Just last March 22, the Devils were hot on the Bruins' tail and entered a showdown at the Garden trailing the Eastern Conference leaders by three points. The Bruins had dropped four of their last six and were staring at a one-week break before their next game.

What followed was one of the Bruins' best 60-minute efforts of the season, as Tim Thomas made 41 saves in a 4-1 win. With the victory, Boston clinched the Northeast Division title and went on toward the No. 1 seed for the East playoffs (the Bruins won six in a row and eight of 10 to close the regular season).

With the Devils in town for Thursday's game (7 p.m.), the stakes are a little different, as the early-season standings are muddled and both Boston and New Jersey are below the midpoint of the conference rankings. The Bruins' intentions, however, are the same -- they have to not only put forth a full night's work but play their patented brand of tough-nosed hockey. So far, Boston has been inconsistent, with wins and losses alternating each outing.

"Well, they are that kind of a team that always plays really disciplined-style hockey. They don't give you much. They always work extremely hard," said Bruins captain Zdeno Chara about why the Devils seem to bring out the best in the Bruins. "And they battle for every puck, and if you're not ready to play them, it's going to be a long night."

After playing three games in four nights (and winning twice) last week, the Bruins had their unofficial "bye week" leading up to Thursday's match. The Bruins, who won two of the four games against New Jersey and earned five of a possible six points last season, should benefit from one day off and three days of practice leading up to this contest. The Devils, on the other hand, played at home last night -- and lost 4-1, against Buffalo.

"Practice time is never a bad thing at this time of year," coach Claude Julien said after his team's optional morning skate at the Garden. "But at the same time, it'd be nice to get on a bit of a roll here and get some consecutive games here. We've had a lot of time off. But I guess in a way it's good because of the type of training camp we had.

"We feel like right now our game is slowly coming and we've got to make sure we show that tonight, and maybe these three days of practice helped us fine-tune our hockey club."

Added Chara: "Well, we got some rest. We had some tough games and it was a pretty busy schedule. But we got some good days to rest and good practices and basically we were getting ready for the next segment."

Things will pick up from here, with the Bruins playing 16 games in the next 31 days through the end of November.

By after Thanksgiving, we'll know exactly where the Bruins stand and where general manager Peter Chiarelli might have to improve his club. If the Bruins can once again use the Devils to launch a winning streak, the next four weeks will be heavenly.

No goalie grudge match

Those hoping to see a potential Olympic preview with goalie Tim Thomas opposing New Jersey superstar Martin Brodeur will be disappointed. Word after the Devils' morning skate was that backup Yann Danis will get the nod. Brodeur started the Devils' first 10 games.

Full squad

The Bruins are expected to have the same lineup from their win in Ottawa Saturday. & Of the Bruins' nine goals against New Jersey last season, six were scored by players not in the lineup Thursday. Michael Ryder, David Krejci, and Dennis Wideman accounted for those three other scores.

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