Canucks at Bruins preview: Jake DeBrusk heating up as NHL’s best road team hits Boston

It was a breakout day for the former Bruins winger, who signed a seven-year deal in July paying him $5.5 million per season. The goals were the first in seven games for Vancouver’s top-line left wing.

“I think it’s more so my game kind of building,” he told reporters. “I knew I was going to break through.”

“I think he’s coming,” coach Rick Tocchet said. “I think there’s certain things [like] getting used to the system, getting used to a few things [like] how we want things done.”

All five of DeBrusk’s goals have come in those eight road games, where Vancouver has outscored opponents, 29-17, despite their minus-1 goal differential (61 scored, 62 allowed) overall. The five-on-five numbers in that stretch have been stellar — 3.21 goals scored per 60 minutes, second in the NHL, and a league-best 1.47 goals allowed.

The latter specifically should offer the league’s lowest-scoring team some pause. Boston has topped two goals just once in its last seven games, and scored more than three just once in 13.

Here’s the preview.

When: Tuesday, 7 p.m.

Where: TD Garden, Boston

TV, radio: NESN, WBZ-FM 98.5

Line: Boston -125. O/U: 5.5.

CANUCKS

Season record: 10-6-3. vs. spread: 9-10. Over/under: 10-8, 1 push

Last 10 games: 6-4-0. vs. spread: 6-4. Over/under: 6-3, 1 push

BRUINS

Season record: 10-9-3. vs. spread: 5-17. Over/under: 9-12, 1 push

Last 10 games: 5-3-2. vs. spread: 1-9. Over/under: 2-7, 1 push

TEAM STATISTICS

Goals scored: Vancouver 61, Boston 51

Goals allowed: Vancouver 61, Boston 70

Power play: Vancouver 20.3%, Boston 12.8%

Penalty minutes: Vancouver 176, Boston 259

Penalty kill: Vancouver 78.6%, Boston 77.9%

Faceoffs won: Vancouver 50.1%, Boston 51.7%

Stat of the day: DeBrusk’s move from Boston to Vancouver, where he joined former teammate Danton Heinen, was countered by both Nikita Zadorov and Elias Lindholm coming east following single seasons with the Canucks.

Notes: Both Boston and Vancouver are playing the first games in back-to-backs amid three games in four nights . . . Captain Brad Marchand’s game-winner against the Red Wings was Boston’s first goal at 5-on-5 in a three-game span . . . Vancouver defenseman Quinn Hughes has assisted on seven of the team’s 12 power-play goals, his 19 points (4 goals, 15 assists) leading the team and tied for fourth in the NHL . . . Vancouver center J.T. Miller won’t play Tuesday amid an indefinite leave of absence he began last week . . . Brock Boeser (upper-body injury) has missed the previous seven games, but returned to practice Monday in a regular jersey and is expected to play . . . Former Nashville netminder Kevin Lankinen has held it together for the Canucks as Boston College product Thatcher Demko recovers from an April knee injury, opening 9-3-2, but Lankinen has allowed 19 goals (.861 save percentage) in his last five starts.