(Sports Network) - The Boston Bruins will try to halt their first losing streak of the season when they host the rival Montreal Canadiens in an Original Six clash tonight at TD Garden.

The Bruins had alternated losses and wins since beginning the season with a home setback against Washington. Boston has now dropped back-to-back contests for the first time this year, losing consecutive regulation decisions against the New York Rangers and Detroit Red Wings.

Both of the recent defeats have come via shutout, as the Rangers posted a 1-0 victory Sunday in New York and Detroit downed the visiting Bruins, 2-0, on Tuesday. Boston has gone 132 minutes, 58 seconds without scoring a goal and has been shut out in consecutive games for the first time since March 17-20, 2007.

The Bruins have been blanked in three straight games just once in their history, and that was during the 1927-28 campaign.

Chris Osgood stopped all 29 shots he faced to post his first shutout of the season and lead Detroit over Boston at Joe Louis Arena.

Tim Thomas made 24 saves in defeat for the Bruins. Boston's No. 1 netminder and the reigning Vezina Trophy winner has lost his last three starts despite allowing a total of five goals in those outings.

"I see a lot of good things, even though we made a couple of mistakes that cost us," Thomas noted. "We want to put the puck in the net. We're still getting chances, sniffing right around the edge, but it's not going in for us."

The Bruins have lost a great deal of their offensive firepower due to injuries, as forwards Marc Savard and Milan Lucic have missed the last several games. Neither player is expected back until at least later this month. However, winger Byron Bitz is questionable for tonight after missing the last two games with a groin injury.

Forward David Krejci will miss tonight's test as he is the latest NHL player to contract the H1N1 virus. Krejci, who has one goal and four assists for Boston this year, will be isolated from the rest of the team until he is symptom and fever free for 24 hours.

"Like most people, we are taking many precautions to try to prevent our players and staff from contracting the H1N1 virus," said Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli. "Our medical staff is working with David to get him healthy as soon as possible, and our players and staff will continue to take precautions with hopes of preventing the spread of the virus to others in the organization."

Boston is 4-4-0 as the host this year and is kicking off a four-game homestand tonight.

The Canadiens come into tonight having lost three of their last four games and were dealt a close setback Tuesday against visiting Atlanta. Colby Armstrong's goal late in the third period and 34 saves from Ondrej Pavelec staked the Thrashers to the wild 5-4 victory at Bell Centre.

Brian Gionta scored twice with Mike Cammalleri and Tomas Plekanec tallying once for the Habs, who rallied from a 3-1 deficit but ultimately fell short.

Montreal goaltender Carey Price allowed all five goals on 30 shots and fell to 0-6-0 in his last six starts. Jaroslav Halak has won five of his last six contests and could get the start tonight.

"We battled hard to get back into it, but an untimely goal there wrecked the momentum," said Gionta. "We had to find a way to stop them, and we weren't able to do it. There were too many back-door plays and that's because of defensive breakdowns. We're missing our assignments."

Montreal is 2-5-0 as the guest this year and has lost five straight on the road since posting consecutive wins in Toronto and Buffalo to begin the season.

Tonight marks the first of six meetings between the Habs and Bruins this year. Boston took five of six from Montreal in 2008-09, winning five straight since the Canadiens notched their last win in the series on October 15 of last season. The Habs have tasted defeat in their last three trips to Beantown.