The Boston Bruins are simply having an excruciating time finding the back of the net.

For the second straight game, the Bruins had their chances but managed to score just one goal. After a couple of defensive lapses in the first period, they lost a 2-1 decision to the New York Rangers on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden.

“I like the effort for the most part of our group,” interim head coach Joe Sacco told Andy Brickley on NESN’s postgame. “I thought that the guys tried to execute the game plan. I feel like we’re trying to make a better play all the time right now in situations where we can put the puck to the net and create some more opportunities for us that way.

“But, you score one goal the last two games, it’s tough. It puts a lot of pressure on your team’s defense. We’re still defending fairly well, but we’ve got to find a way to be more consistent offensively.”

The Bruins outplayed the Rangers for most of the game, but with the Rangers leading 2-0 at the end of the first period, Jonathan Quick did a great job of preserving the two-goal lead.

“We had a lot of chances, but we didn’t capitalize,” David Pastrnak told reporters in New York. “It’s tough because their goalie played amazing. I thought, especially in the second period, we had the opportunity to tie the game. We played really well, and the chances were there. We just didn’t capitalize.”

Here are more notes from Thursday’s Bruins-Rangers game:

— The Rangers snapped a four-game losing skid with the win over the Bruins. They had lost seven of their last eight and 15 of their last 19.

— Jeremy Swayman stopped 25-of-27 shots he faced and fell to 13-12-3 on the season.

— The Bruins fell to 8-12-2 on the season when opponents score first, 11-10-1 against Eastern Conference opponents and 5-7-0 against teams in the Metropolitan Division. Boston is 0-3-1 against New York in their last four meetings dating back to last season. The two Original Six franchises will play two more times this season — Feb. 1 in Boston and Feb. 5 in New York.

— Elias Lindholm tallied the only Bruins goal of the game, his seventh of the season. He has faced Quick in 14 games and has four career goals against the Connecticut native.

— Both clubs had one power play opportunity but were unable to capitalize on the man advantage. Neither team registered a shot on goal while skating 5-on-4.

— Quick improved to 14-6-1 against the Bruins in 21 games with the Los Angeles Kings and Rangers.

— The Bruins complete their three-game road trip on Saturday night against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Puck drop for the Original Six matchup is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET, and you can watch the game on NESN, following an hour of pregame coverage.

Ahead of Thursday night’s matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Boston Celtics could be without a pair of ailing starters.

Per the NBA’s most recent injury report, three-time Celtics All-Star small forward Jaylen Brown and one-time All-Star Boston center Kristaps Porzingis are both considered questionable to suit up.

Brown is dealing with a strained right shoulder. The 6-foot-6 wing out of the University of California at Berkeley was seen with several ice packs strapped to his shoulder at the end of Boston’s masterful 125-71 blowout victory over the lowly Toronto Raptors on New Year’s Eve.

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In that game, Brown had to play just 25 minutes, scoring 12 points on 6-of-13 shooting from the floor, grabbing nine rebounds, dishing out three assists, and swiping one steal. On the year, Brown is averaging 24.4 points while slashing .461/.332/.734 shooting splits, 6.0 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.4 steals in 28 healthy games.

Porzingis has been struggling with a left ankle sprain since his team’s 118-114 Christmas Day defeat to the Philadelphia 76ers.

The 7-foot-2 big man has been healthy for just 11 games this season, but in those contests has looked like his typical two-way self. Porzingis is averaging 18.3 points on .453/.328/.849 shooting splits, 6.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.5 blocks and 0.7 blocks a night.

Two-way Celtics players JD Davison and Anton Watson are on assignment with Boston’s G League affiliate, the Maine Celtics, as is rookie guard Baylor Scheierman.

For the Timberwolves, rookie lottery pick Rob Dillingham is sidelined with a right ankle sprain and veteran big man Luka Garza remains on the shelf with a sprained left ankle. Two-way players Jaylen Clark and Jesse Edwards are away from the team, working with the club’s NBAGL squad, the Iowa Wolves.

The two clubs, who both made the league’s final four last season (Minnesota was eliminated from the Western Conference by the Dallas Mavericks, while Boston beat Dallas in the NBA Finals), took wildly different approaches to their respective offseasons. The Celtics brought back all of their important players, while the Timberwolves traded away a pricey All-Star, power forward/center Karl-Anthony Towns, in exchange for cheaper ex-New York Knicks All-Star power forward Julius Randle and shooting guard Donte DiVincenzo. Boston has thrived in its title defense so far, going 24-9 on the year and earning the East’s No. 2 overall seed so far. Minnesota, meanwhile, is just 17-15 in the loaded West, good for just the No. 8 seed.

The action tips off at 7:30 p.m. ET at the Target Center.

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