Boston Bruins Season 21/22

[CorkyM]

I think they’re on their way. 

[Brewin Flames]

Game # 35

 

Bos 4 Preds 3 OT

 

Hall's OT goal lifts red-hot Bruins over Predators, 4-3

 

0:30

 

 

 

0:09

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0:30

 

 

 

 

 

Josi gets a good look and ties it up for the Preds

David Pastrnak tries to flip the puck out of the Bruins' zone but turns it over resulting in a tying goal for Roman Josi.

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ByAP

Updated: 12 minutes ago

 

BOSTON -- — Taylor Hall scored off a rebound of David Pastrnak’s shot 1:41 into overtime, lifting the red-hot Boston Bruins to a 4-3 win over the Western Conference-leading Nashville Predators on Saturday.

 

Pastrnak took a shot from the right circle and the puck slipped behind Saros, where Hall poked it in for the game-winner.

 

Brad Marchand, Craig Smith and Mike Reilly also scored for the Bruins, who won their fifth straight and are 8-1 since New Year’s Day. Linus Ullmark made 26 saves.

 

Colton Sissons, Luke Kunin and Ramon Josi each had a goal for Nashville, which has only lost three times in regulation in its last 18 games (13-3-2). Juuse Saros made 40 saves for the Predators.

 

Marchand’s power-play goal — a rising wrist shot over Saros’ glove into the top right corner from the right circle — had pushed Boston ahead 3-2 just 3:50 into the third period, but Josi tied it after a turnover by Pastrnak.

 

Marchand reached 20 goals for the ninth straight season and for the second time this week had a bloody nose and scored. On Monday, he suffered a broken nose in a win at Washington but scored twice after the injury.

 

In the second period on Saturday, Marchand took what appeared to be an inadvertent elbow from Josi to the nose along the boards, sending the Boston forward dazed to the ice. He had gauze stuffed up his nostrils on the bench but returned for his next shift.

 

Trailing 2-0, the Predators scored late in the opening period and tied it when Kunin slipped a low wrist shot by Ullmark 7:32 into the second period.

 

Sissons had sliced Nashville’s deficit in half when he skated across from the left circle into the slot before firing a wrister into the net.

 

Smith gave the Bruins a 1-0 lead 3:20 into the game against his former team when he beat Saros with a wrister over the glove from the right circle.

Reilly collected a cross-ice pass from Erik Haula, cut across the crease and lifted a backhander into the net 4:17 later.

 

IN AND OUT

 

Predators defenseman Mark Borowiecki returned after missing the previous game with an undisclosed lower-body injury and winger Yakov Trenin was back after missing two games due to COVID-19 protocol, but Filip Forsberg was sidelined in protocol for his fourth straight.

 

For Boston, defensemen Matt Grzelcyk and Connor Clifton both remain in protocol and were out. Forwards Nick Foligno and Trent Frederic both remained sidelined with undisclosed injuries, but defenseman Derek Forbort returned from protocol.

[Brewin Flames]

Game # 36

 

Bos 1 Canes 7

 

Kotkaniemi scores twice, Hurricanes roll past Bruins 7-1

 

 

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ByAP

7 hours ago

 

BOSTON -- — The Hurricanes looked lost in a shutout loss against Columbus last week without defenseman Jaccob Slavin.

In his return, they showed the Bruins just how much he was missed.

 

Jesperi Kotkaniemi scored twice during Carolina's five-goal first period, Slavin added a goal and two assists after a two-game absence on the COVID-19 list, and the Hurricanes snapped Boston's five-game winning streak with a 7-1 victory Tuesday night.

 

Teuvo Teravainen, Seth Jarvis, Derek Stepan and Andrei Svechnikov also scored for the Hurricanes, who have won two straight and seven of nine. They earned the win playing in their first road game in 17 days because of COVID-19 postponements.

 

The six-goal loss was Boston’s worst of the season.

 

Frederik Andersen had 31 saves for Carolina.

 

“It’s easy when the team plays that well to step back into it," Slavin said. "Just play simple and the way I play.”

 

The Hurricanes’ early barrage caused the Bruins to pull goaltender Tuukka Rask in favor of Linus Ullmark after Rask allowed five goals on 12 shots in the first period. It marked the first time Boston had allowed five goals in the opening period since March 3, 2008, at Washington.

 

Ullmark played the rest of the way for Boston, stopping 20 shots. Patrice Bergeron had the lone goal for the Bruins, who were 1 of 5 on power plays.

 

Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour said he’s having trouble finding superlatives to describe what Slavin provides on a nightly basis when he’s on the ice.

 

“I think you get to a point where you just expect it," Brind’Amour said. "It doesn’t seem like he missed a beat.”

 

Boston started the night on an emotional high retiring the No. 22 of Willie O’Ree, the NHL’s first Black player, in a pregame ceremony.

 

The Hurricanes had all the energy when the puck dropped, skating through Boston’s defenders with little resistance at times and capitalizing on the Bruins’ lackadaisical puck handling.

 

“We just didn't have it tonight and they were clearly much better than us,” Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said. “Everyone watching could tell they were more competitive in every area of the ice.”

 

Both teams got boosts to their lineups, returning key defensemen off the COVID-19 list.

 

For Boston, Matt Grezelcyk was back after a two-game absence, along with Connor Clifton. But it was Slavin’s return that had the biggest impact.

 

Teravainen got Carolina on the board with his 11th goal of the season just 3:44 into the first period, ripping a snap shot into the net from the right faceoff circle off a feed from Slavin and Tony DeAngelo.

Kotkaniemi added another goal less than three minutes later off feeds from Svechnikov and Nino Niederreiter.

 

The Bruins briefly stopped the bleeding after one of the Hurricanes’ few mistakes in the period.

 

Svechnikov was called for interference on Boston’s Curtis Lazar and sent to the penalty box. Patrice Bergeron capitalized with his 12th goal of the season off assists from Charlie McAvoy and David Pastrnak.

 

It ended Carolina’s streak of 35 consecutive penalty kills — one shy of their record — which dated back to early December.

 

The Hurricanes bounced back 13 seconds later when Slavin pushed the cushion to 3-1 with his wrist shot in close.

 

Then with under four minutes left in the opening period, Jarvis corralled an errant Bruins pass, broke free along the boards and fired a shot into the right side of the net past Rask.

 

Just 56 seconds later, Jordan Martinook skated in hard, gathered a loose puck behind Boston’s net and flipped it to a cutting Stepan who put it away for the Hurricanes’ final goal of the period.

[Brewin Flames]

Game # 37

 

Bos 4 Caps 3

 

McAvoy's late goal lifts Bruins to 4-3 win over Capitals

 

 

 

 

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By AP

Updated: 5 hours ago

 

 

BOSTON -- — Charlie McAvoy scored a power-play goal with 45 seconds left in the third period, lifting the Boston Bruins to a 4-3 win over the Washington Capitals on Thursday night.

 

David Pastrnak had two goals and Jake DeBrusk also scored for the Bruins, who cashed in on a late opportunity when Washington's Nic Dowd was called for tripping with just 2:34 left in the third.

 

DeBrusk set up McAvoy for a wrist shot from the slot that gave the Bruins the lead for good after Washington rallied from deficits of 2-1 and 3-2.

“I was pleased. Start to finish, I thought we dug in and played hard," Boston coach Bruce Cassidy said. "It was a physical game. I thought we were the better team.”

 

The Bruins were coming off a 7-1 loss at home Tuesday night to the Carolina Hurricanes, who scored five goals in the first and put an emphatic end to Boston's five-game winning streak.

 

“I thought it was a resilient effort by us," McAvoy said. "We showed good character.”

 

Erik Haula had two assists for Boston, and Linus Ullmark stopped 14 shots.

 

Evgeny Kuznetsov, Lars Eller and Nicklas Backstrom scored for Washington. Alex Ovechkin assisted on Kuznetsov's goal, extending his point streak to six straight games. Vitek Vanecek stopped 29 shots for the Capitals.

 

“It was a tight game. It was physical. It was battle-heavy,” Washington coach Peter Laviolette said. “But at the end of the day, it’s tough we lose it in the last two minutes of the game.”

 

DeBrusk, who set up the winner with a pass to McAvoy in the slot, was credited with a goal 9:41 into the third period after the puck hit off Kuznetsov in front of the crease and got through Vanecek’s pads, barely trickling over the goal line.

 

There was no initial call and Bruins fans screamed until there was a stoppage for a video review, which confirmed the puck crossed the line. Patrice Bergeron was initially credited with the goal before an official scoring change after the game gave it to DeBrusk.

 

“He was flying. He was all over the ice,” McAvoy said of DeBrusk. “He was really pushing the pace. When he has his legs, he’s a very dangerous player.”

Backstrom tied it again 36 seconds later with a wrist shot.

 

Kuznetsov beat Ullmark with a high wrist shot from the left circle 4:07 into the game.

 

It was the first of just five shots the Capitals got on goal in the first period. Pastrnak answered for Boston 50 seconds later after dropping a pass back for Taylor Hall at the blue line for a quick pass right back to Pastrnak in the slot for a quick shot that tied it at 1.

 

Pastrnak got free on a breakaway and put Boston up 2-1 with a power-play goal 8:37 into the second period. Matt Grzelcyk set it up with a long pass from deep in the Boston zone to Pastrnak, who had gotten behind Washington’s defense.

 

Eller jumped on a turnover at the blue line and got a wrist shot past Ullmark to tie it at 2 late in the second.

 

Backstrom said it's going to be difficult for the Capitals to win games with just 17 shots on goal.

 

“We’ve just got to start shooting a little bit more,” Backstrom said. “There was too much just passing it around.”

 

INJURIES

 

 

Bruins winger Brad Marchand appeared to injure his right shoulder in the second period when he was hit from behind into the boards by Garnet Hathaway, who was called for interference on the play. Marchand did not return. ... Boston’s Anton Blidh needed a few minutes and a hand from a trainer to get back on his skates after getting leveled on a hit by Wilson with 4:33 left in the first. Blidh also did not return. ...

Edited January 21, 2022 by Brewin Flames

[Brewin Flames]

Game # 38

 

Bos 3 Jets 2

 

Pastrnak's power-play goal lifts Bruins over Jets, 3-2

 

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By AP

Updated: 9 hours ago

 

BOSTON -- — David Pastrnak scored a tiebreaking power-play goal early in the third period to give the surging Boston Bruins a 3-2 win over the travel-weary Winnipeg Jets on Saturday.

 

Charlie Coyle and Oskar Steen also scored for Boston, which is 10-2 since New Year’s Day. Tuukka Rask made 21 saves for the Bruins in his third start after re-signing this month following offseason hip surgery.

 

Andrew Copp and Jansen Harkins each had a goal for the Jets, who played their seventh of eight games on the road to open 2022 because of COVID-19-related postponements. Connor Hellebuyck stopped 29 shots.

 

Winnipeg plays the final game of its lengthy trip Sunday afternoon in Pittsburgh.

 

“It's a frustrating loss for sure. The schedule is going to get harder and harder," Jets center Pierre-Luc Dubois said. "We have a back-to-back in 22 hours, which I’ve never had in my life, except maybe in juniors.”

 

Boston’s leading scorer, Brad Marchand, surprisingly returned to the lineup Saturday after leaving Thursday’s game with an apparent right shoulder injury when he was hit from behind into boards by Washington’s Garnet Hathaway, a check that Boston coach Bruce Cassidy felt was a “cheap” play.

 

Cassidy said on Friday that Marchand would be out at least one game.

 

The winger got a huge ovation when he was announced in the starting lineup.

 

“It's been a little bit of whirlwind," Marchand said. "I didn't expect to play today either. I have to give our training staff a ton of credit. They threw everything at it. This morning it felt a little better and I jumped on the ice and it felt OK.”

 

In the third period, and with Adam Lowry off for interference, Pastrnak one-timed Matt Grzelcyk’s pass into the net from the left circle for his 10th goal in the last 10 games.

 

“We rely on him for that shot and he came through for us,” Cassidy said.

 

The Jets had a 6-on-4 advantage for the final 1:27 of the game with their goalie pulled and Boston's Tomas Nosek off for high-sticking.

 

“We know how to play winning hockey over the years,” Cassidy said of the third period. “We have guys that have been here and done it.”

 

The Jets are 3-3-1 in their current road trip to start 2022. They hope to finish the stretch above .500 on Sunday.

 

“It would be a nice way to close out the trip and go home to Winnipeg and play in an empty building,” Jets forward Blake Wheeler said.

 

In the first period, Harkins’ wrister from the left circle ticked off Rask’s glove into the net, making it 1-0 at 2:46.

 

Steen collected a loose puck in front and tied it with about 8 minutes left in the first, but Mark Scheifele’s cross-ice pass hit off Copps’ skate and then caromed into the net off the skate of Bruins defenseman Urho Vaakanainen with only 26 seconds left in the first.

 

Coyle tipped in Derek Forbort’s shot from the point, tying it at 2 just 2:31 into the second.

 

MAYBE ANOTHER DAY

 

Winger Steven Fogarty was set to make his Bruins debut before Marchand felt he was good to play. The 28-year-old Fogarty has played 27 games in his NHL career, scoring one goal in his time with the Rangers and Sabres. He was recalled from club’s AHL affiliate in Providence, Rhode Island, where he scored eight goals in 26 games this season.

 

The team’s pregame TV broadcast even highlighted Fogarty’s upcoming debut during warmups.

[CorkyM]

Looking much better. On their way to the playoffs. 

[Brewin Flames]

Game # 39

 

Bos 3 Ducks 5

 

Terry scores team-leading 23rd goal, Ducks beat Bruins 5-3

 

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By AP

Updated: 7 hours ago

 

BOSTON -- — Troy Terry scored his team-leading 23rd goal, Ryan Getzlaf had a goal and set up another, and the Anaheim Ducks cooled off the Boston Bruins with a 5-3 victory Monday night.

 

Isac Lundestrom, Derek Grant and Greg Pateryn also scored for the Ducks, who won for the fourth time in 11 games. John Gibson made 23 saves and Hampus Lindholm had three assists.

 

“We came out with a little of an in-your-face attitude,” Getzlaf said.

 

David Pastrnak scored his 20th goal for Boston, with 12 coming in 13 games this month. Taylor Hall added a power-play goal and Erik Haula scored late for the Bruins, who had gone 10-2 since New Year’s Day.

 

Boston netminder Tuukka Rask struggled, stopping 22 shots. It was his first time making two straight starts since re-signing with the team after offseason hip surgery.

 

Rask has played poorly in two of his four starts.

 

“Obviously, you don't expect it. You're a proud player and you set your expectations high,” he said. “Obviously, I haven't been good enough.”

 

Boston coach Bruce Cassidy thinks it will take a while for Rask to get his timing back.

 

“He's not where he needs to be,” Cassidy said. “I think that's evident and we didn't think he would be. You need seven, eight games.”

 

Anaheim coach Dallas Eakins missed his second consecutive game after he tested positive for COVID-19. Assistant coach Geoff Ward ran the team.

It was the Ducks' second straight win after losing four straight.

 

“When you're sick of losing, you find a way to win hockey games,” Ward said.

 

With Oskar Steen off for boarding — a penalty that was switched from a major to a minor after a video review — Grant gave Anaheim a 1-0 edge when he tipped Getzlaf’s shot from the right point midway into the opening period.

 

Rask gave up a soft short-handed goal when Lundestrom skated down the right wing, cut toward the net and slid a seemingly harmless backhand that slipped between the goalie’s pads 1:28 into the second.

 

“Just a terrible goal,” Rask said.

 

Pastrnak then one-timed Tomas Nosek’s cross-ice pass by Gibson from the left circle, slicing it to 2-1 at 7:47. Getzlaf fired a wrister over Rask’s right shoulder from the left circle just more than three minutes later.

 

There was a slight smattering of “We Want Swayman!” from the crowd that echoed around the balcony, referring to promising young goaltender Jeremy Swayman, who was sent to the AHL when the Bruins re-signed Rask.

 

“Tuukka's been off for a while. I don't think there's any scouting reports right now," Getzlaf said.

 

Hall redirected Brad Marchand’s pass into the net from the edge of the crease with just more than four minutes left in the second.

Terry and Pateryn put it away with third-period goals.

 

Game notes

Pastrnak reached 20 goals for the sixth consecutive season. 

[Brewin Flames]

Game # 40

 

Bps 3 AVS 4 OT

 

Makar, Avs rally past Bruins 4-3 for 17th straight home win

 

Cale Makar nets the game winner in overtime as the Avalanche defeat the Bruins.

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ByAP

Updated: 2 hours ago

 

DENVER -- — Gabriel Landeskog tied the game with 36.5 seconds left in regulation and Cale Makar scored a power-play goal 3:01 into overtime as the Colorado Avalanche rallied past the Boston Bruins 4-3 on Wednesday night for their 17th straight home victory.

 

With Mike Reilly serving a tripping penalty, Makar took a feed from Nazem Kadri and sent a shot past Linus Ullmark to give the Avalanche their eighth consecutive win overall.

 

Colorado, which overcame the loss of star Nathan MacKinnon to a bloody injury in the first period, broke a tie with the 1975-76 Bruins for the fifth-longest home winning streak in NHL history. The record is 23, set by Detroit during the 2011-12 season.

 

“Not fun seeing one of your best friends and obviously your top player on the ice bleeding like that,” Landeskog said. “We didn’t want to give up. We wanted to keep going. We got the big two points, keeping this thing going at home.”

 

The Avalanche last lost at home on Nov. 3 to Columbus 5-4 in overtime and have so far lived up to preseason expectations as a Stanley Cup favorite. They're 13-0-1 this month and have an NHL-best 30 wins.

 

“With the way our team is built and realizing what contract situations and what the team is going to look like in the next few years, you never know,” Landeskog said. "We feel this is our chance and this is our year. We want to take advantage of it.”

 

Kurtis MacDermid and Samuel Girard also scored for Colorado. Kadri assisted on the final three goals to give him 39 this season, and Darcy Kuemper made 29 saves.

 

“That's our biggest win of the year,” coach Jared Bednar said.

 

The Avalanche trailed 3-1 before Girard scored with 8:14 left in the third period. Bednar pulled Kuemper for an extra skater with just more than two minutes left and Kadri sent a nifty cross-ice pass to Landeskog, whose wrist shot beat Ullmark.

 

“That’s what the extra attacker is out there for. They’ve got an extra guy and they made a good play,” Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said. “Let’s face it, good seam pass, under pressure. Considering the situation, a lot of guys would just wire that at the net.”

 

Charlie Coyle and Brad Marchand scored just over a minute apart in the second to put Boston up 3-1, with Coyle's goal coming on a 5-on-3. Jake DeBrusk also scored, Charlie McAvoy had two assists and Ullmark stopped 35 shots.

 

“They’re a good team for a reason. They’re not just going to sit back and let us have that in the third,” Coyle said. “I think we expected a push. We wanted to keep playing the same way. They came hard and it’s unfortunate. Linus played such a great game and he deserved better from us in that third.”

 

The opener of Boston’s three-game trip started with a big hit and plenty of blood. Taylor Hall’s open-ice shoulder shot on MacKinnon caused MacKinnon’s own stick to snap back into his face. Blood gushed from his nose to the ice as MacKinnon lay face down.

 

MacKinnon, a five-time All-Star, was able to skate off on his own but didn’t return. Bednar said MacKinnon was treated at the arena and when he left to go home before the end of the game he was feeling better. He'll be evaluated Thursday.

 

Hall was originally given a five-minute major that was reduced to two minutes after a video review.

 

“I believe they probably made the right call with the two (minutes),” Bednar said. “But it's the type of hit, whether it's really solid or just a glancing blow, it's the kind of hit the league is trying to get rid of.”

 

RASK SITS

 

Tuukka Rask, who has allowed 14 goals in four games since rejoining the Bruins after July hip surgery, was the backup goaltender.

 

“Anybody coming back at any level, it’s going to take a little bit of time,” Cassidy said. “We’re not at the point yet where we’re going to blow everything up.”

[Brewin Flames]

Game # 41

 

Bos 2 Yotes 1

 

Bruins win 17th straight over Coyotes 2-1

 

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By AP

Updated: 4 hours ago

 

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- — Linus Ullmark stopped 30 shots, David Pastrnak had two assists and the Boston Bruins stretched their winning streak over the Arizona Coyotes to 17 straight games with a 2-1 win Friday night.

 

Erik Haula and Charlie McAvoy each had goals to help Boston bounce back from blowing a two-goal lead in a loss to Colorado.

 

“We had some sustained pressure in the O-zone," Haula said. "Not necessarily as hard as we would like to be in the first period. We got better as the game went on. Ultimately, we did enough to get the two points.”

 

Arizona was much better after falling apart late in lopsided losses to Pittsburgh and the New York Rangers.

 

Scott Wedgewood was sharp in second start in 12 games, finishing with 36 saves. Nick Schmaltz led Arizona's bounce back from Boston's first goal, scoring late in the first period.

 

The Coyotes missed on several scoring opportunities, particularly late, and still haven't Boston since 2010 in the Czech Republic. They've lost four straight overall.

 

“It's tough to get good offense going against them and we did tonight,” Coyotes coach Andre Tourigny said. “It's something to be proud of, but we have nothing to show for it.”

 

Boston blew a 3-1 lead in its last game, losing 4-3 in overtime to the Avalanche on Wednesday after giving up a goal with 36 seconds left in regulation.

 

The Bruins got out to another early lead when a puck caromed off Coyotes defenseman Anton Stralman right to Pastrnak in the left circle. Pasternak quickly flipped it to Haula, who beat Wedgewood from the slot.

 

Schmaltz tied it late in the first period, beating Ullmark stick side from the left circle after a deke by Shane Gostisbehere briefly froze Boston's goalie.

 

“I knew they were going to over commit,” Gostibehere said. “I had a good shot and thought if I pump faked, other things would open. I didn't see Nicky right away, but when I walked to the middle I saw him.”

 

McAvoy put Boston back up on power play late in the second period, scoring from the right circle on a shot Wedgewood couldn't see through traffic.

 

Wedgewood made some tough saves when Boston went on consecutive power plays midway through the third period, then had a sprawling stop on a shot by Haula in the slot on a 4-on-4.

 

Ullmark was just as good in the final two minutes after Arizona pulled Wedgewood, making several tough saves in traffic.

 

“It’s a lot more fun winning games on a daily basis, feeling like I have the opportunity to win every night,” Ullmark said. “There’s no games where you feel out of it. The guys are going to go out there and play their utmost overall 60 minutes.”

 

MARCHAND’S DIG

 

Bruins center Brad Marchand was asked about Arizona possibly playing at Arizona State’s new 5,000-seat arena for a few years and got in a dig about the Coyotes’ attendance.

 

“The only way they get 5,000 fans at their games now is if they give 4,500 away for free so wouldn’t change much,” Marchand tweeted on Thursday.

 

The fans at Gila River Arena didn’t seem to mind or even know about Marchand’s dig. Then again, most of them were wearing Bruins gear.

 

 

[Brewin Flames]

Game # 42

 

Bos 1 Dallas 6

 

Seguin, Benn lead Stars to 6-1 win over Bruins

 

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By AP

Updated: 6 hours ago

 

DALLAS -- — Tyler Seguin had two goals and an assist, Jamie Benn had a goal and two assists, and the Dallas Stars beat the Boston Bruins 6-1 on Sunday night.

 

Alexander Radulov, Luke Glendening and Roope Hintz also scored for Dallas, which has won five of its last six. Jake Oettinger stopped 28 shots.

 

“It's easier to play with confidence and swagger if you lead 3-0 or 4-0,” Oettinger said. “Still, it's up to the goalies to make big saves.”

 

Craig Smith scored at 5:49 of the third to end the Stars’ bid for their first shutout of the season.

 

“It was probably the best game we've played this year, at both ends,” Dallas coach Rick Bowness said.

 

Boston starting goalie Linus Ullmark allowed four goals on 15 shots before he was replaced by Jeremy Swayman after Benn’s goal at 7:39 of the second period. Swayman finished with 12 saves.

 

One day shy of his 30th birthday, Seguin started the scoring with an unassisted goal at 6:54 of the first after skating furiously into the Boston zone.

 

From the top of the right faceoff circle, Denis Gurianov sent the puck toward the net. It hit a Boston stick, and Seguin caught up to send the puck past Ullmark.

“Seguin is getting his legs underneath him. He had been skating really well on our road trip. He's more confident with his legs and his game," Bowness said. "That was the best (Radulov) has skated all year. You could see it coming."

 

The 35-year-old Radulov got his second of the season with 4:37 left in the first to make it 2-0. Esa Lindell sent the puck ahead for Radulov, who continued to the front of the net and slid a forehand inside the left goalpost.

 

“While I didn't score, I was still pushing,” Radulov said. “I knew at some point I was going to turn it on and go my way. I'm just happy for the team win. It doesn't really matter who's getting the goals.”

 

Radulov played just 11 games in 2020-21 and has missed six games this season because of injuries.

 

Glendening and Benn scored 1:08 apart in the second period against Ullmark to make it 4-0.

 

“Loved it,” Benn said of the goals by current linemate Seguin and Radulov, the third skater on their line in years past.

 

Benn himself had not scored in the previous 11 games.

 

“I was just trying to chip in,” he said. “We've all got to be much better than the first half.”

 

Sunday's game was the first for both teams in the second half of the season.

 

Hintz scored a power-play goal at 4:55 of the third period before Smith got the Bruins on the scoreboard less than a minute later. Seguin's second of the night with 1:07 left capped the scoring.

 

Before Smith's goal for Boston, the best chance came early in the second period when Charlie McAvoy passed to Steven Fogarty just to the left of the net with Oettinger out of position. The goalie sprawled back toward the net and made a pad save.

 

“I didn't know he was out of position,” Fogarty said. “It was a great pass by (McAvoy) but I put it right into (Oettinger).”

 

Oettinger said he didn't see it, but "knew I had to get back and take away the lower half of the net. Luckily, I caught it.”

 

Oettinger was drafted out of Boston College and said he went to a lot of Bruins games: "Obviously, they've been one of the best teams in the league for the last 10 years.”

[Brewin Flames]

Game # 43

 

Bos 3 Seattle 2

 

Pastrnak scores twice, breaks tie as Bruins down Kraken 3-2

 

 

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By AP

Updated: 7 hours ago

 

BOSTON -- — David Pastrnak started February like he ended January.

 

The Bruins winger scored twice, including a tiebreaking power-play goal in the third period, to lift Boston to a 3-2 win over the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday night.

He now has 14 goals since the start of the new year, including four game-winners.

 

“It’s just getting a little bit lucky. I’ve just been working hard,” Pastrnak said. “I haven’t changed much, honestly.”

 

Taylor Hall added a goal and an assist to help Bruins win for the second time in three games heading into the All-Star break. Linus Ullmark had 25 saves.

 

But Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said he was disappointed with his team's energy after surrendering a two-goal lead in the third period for the second time in four games.

“End of the day, they got it back," he said. "We got some saves and got the win.”

 

Joonas Donskoi and Mason Appleton scored for Seattle, which has lost two straight — both by a goal. Chris Driedger stopped 23 of 26 shots for Seattle is his first game since entering the COVID-19 protocol in mid-January.

 

“Another one-goal loss." Donskoi said. "Tight game, but it’s frustrating.”

 

Down 2-0, the Kraken came out firing in the final period, needing just 42 seconds to trim the gap to a goal when Donskoi flipped in a sliding wrist shot for his first goal of the season off assists from Ryan Donato and Alex Wennberg.

 

Seattle then tied it up with 12:30 to play when Appleton had his shot from the point deflected into the net off assists from Adam Larsson and Colin Blackwell.

Seattle had to pull back its attack about three minutes later when Mark Giordano went to the box for tripping Steven Fogarty.

 

Boston took advantage on the power play and Pastrnak’s long shot from the circle found its way past Driedger to put the Bruins back in front.

The Bruins didn’t have a chance at a power play until the 18:22 mark of the second period.

 

Yanni Gourde checked Urho Vaakanainen hard from behind and pushed him into the end boards behind the Boston net, slamming his head into the glass. The impact sent the Bruins defenseman down in a heap.

 

He got up after a few minutes bleeding and holding a towel to his face has he skated off the ice. He did not return. Cassidy said after the game that Vaakanainen was screened for a concussion.

 

It was initially called a five-minute major before being downgraded to a boarding minor after a review of the play. Boston came up empty on that opportunity.

 

But with just under 11 minutes to play and Seattle’s Marcus Johansson in the penalty box for tripping, Taylor Hall weaved through traffic and passed to Brad Marchand. He then fed it to Pastrnak, whose slap shot from the left circle deflected off a skate and into the net to put the Bruins in front 1-0.

 

It was the Bruins’ 11th power play goal in 10 games.

 

Hall stayed alert and it paid off for him late in the second period when Seattle’s Riley Sheahan had trouble steadying the puck in front of the Kraken net. Hall was able to sneak his stick in for the takeaway and flipped in a snap shot past Driedger to make it 2-0.

 

Hall said he wants to prove to Cassidy in the second half of the season that the can be contribute more.

 

“I believe I have another level to get to as a two-way player. Hopefully after the (All-Star) break I can get to that," Hall said. "When the situation arises, I know I can make plays and I can add a lot of value on those plays.”

[Brewin Flames]

Game #44

 

Bos 2 Pens 4

 

Sidney Crosby scores 499th, Penguins rally past Bruins 4-2

 

---

By AP

Updated: 6 hours ago

 

BOSTON -- — Sidney Crosby scored his 499th career regular-season goal as the Pittsburgh Penguins rallied from a two-goal deficit and beat the Boston Bruins 4-2 on Tuesday night.

 

Danton Heinen scored twice in a span of 28 seconds in the second period and Crosby added another score with 7:07 left in the frame, moving him within one goal of joining Washington’s Alex Ovechkin as the only active players to score 500 goals in the regular season.

 

Tristan Jarry stopped 43 shots for the Penguins, and Bryan Rust scored into an empty net with 1:29 left in the third as Pittsburgh snapped a four-game winless streak.

 

“It wasn’t the prettiest game by any stretch, but we’ve got a resilient group. We find ways to score goals and I think we’re just a scrappy group,” Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan said.

 

David Pastrnak scored twice for the Bruins, who outshot the Penguins 45-25 but couldn’t get anything past Jarry after the first period. Jeremy Swayman finished with 21 saves.

 

Jarry kept the Penguins close with six of his 15 saves in the final two minutes of the period, including a stop on Brad Marchand from just outside the crease during a flurry of shots coming from the Bruins as they tried to take a 3-0 lead.

 

“He was terrific. He made some big saves all night long. I thought he was locked in all night,” Sullivan said. "He’s a terrific goalie when he’s playing the game and he’s seeing the puck and he’s locked in the way he is.

 

Pittsburgh quickly erased the 2-0 deficit on a pair of goals by Heinen. Heinen got a backhand around Swayman 4:18 into the second, then scored again from the right circle on a wrist shot that Swayman got a piece of but couldn’t control. The puck bounced up and behind Swayman’s head, then he knocked it in with his glove hand.

 

Crosby put Pittsburgh up 3-2 at 12:53 of the second after Rust hit the side of the goal with a shot, then took the puck behind the net for a quick pass to Crosby for a one-timer and a power-play goal for Pittsburgh.

 

After dominating the first period, the Bruins spent much of the next two chasing the Penguins.

 

“I think we kind of shot ourselves in the foot,” Pastrnak said. “I think we were the better team but we made a lot of mistakes. Pittsburgh is a great team and a lot of skills and they were able to capitalize on our every mistake."

 

Pastrnak scored his 23rd of the season 2:01 into the game. Patrice Bergeron, who had just been denied on a blocker save by Jarry, saved the puck from going out at the blue line and got it back to Hall, who dropped it down to Pastrnak for a one-timer.

 

Pastrnak scored again with 4:26 left in the first when he batted a rebound out of the air for his 24th after a hard wrist shot from Taylor Hall handcuffed Jarry.

 

MORE TO COME

 

Boston winger Brad Marchand is likely looking at his eighth career suspension and second this season.

 

Marchand received a match penalty with 25 seconds to play after throwing a punch at Jarry’s head, then poking the goaltender’s mask with his stick as a linesman was escorting him away from the fray. Marchand sat for three games for slew-footing a Vancouver player in late November.

 

“Obviously lack of discipline on Brad’s part in that situation,” coach Bruce Cassidy said. “Brad’s a leader on our team and he needs to control his emotions."

[Brewin Flames]

Meh....went from elation to disgust

 

Talk of Rask retirement, bergy concussed, Marchand snaps...sad game all around.

 

 

[Brewin Flames]

Game # 45

 

Bos 0 Canes 6

 

Aho, Andersen lead Hurricanes past Bruins 6-0

 

---

ByAP

Updated: 5 hours ago

 

BOSTON -- — Sebastian Aho scored twice, Frederik Andersen made 34 saves and the Carolina Hurricanes shut out the short-handed Boston Bruins 6-0 on Thursday night.

 

Andrei Svechnikov had a goal and two assists, Vincent Trocheck, Brett Pesce and Jordan Staal also scored, and Teuvo Teravainen had three assists to help Carolina complete a season sweep of Boston with another rout. The Hurricanes outscored the Bruins 10-1 in the first two games before capping the sweep with their second shutout of the Bruins in the three meetings.

 

“The score doesn’t matter," Aho said. "It’s just the two points, and obviously we’ll take it.”

 

Carolina, which led 1-0 after the first period, blew it open with three more goals in the second.

 

Coach Rod Brind'Amour credited Andersen with giving the Hurricanes an early boost by shutting down two Bruins' power-play opportunities in the opening minutes.

 

“If they get a power-play goal, the game is way different,” Brind'Amour said. "That was a huge part of the game. He was great, and then we were able to settle down and get playing.”

 

The Bruins lost for the third time in four games and were already reeling from the loss of three top players — their leading scorer, team captain and winningest goalie in franchise history — over the previous 48 hours.

 

Brad Marchand, who leads Boston with 49 points, served the first of a six-game suspension for going after Pittsburgh goalie Tristan Jarry late in a 4-2 loss Tuesday night.

 

Captain Patrice Bergeron missed the game with a head injury suffered against the Penguins after colliding with Sidney Crosby and slamming the back of his helmet against the boards.

 

“They’re key drivers for our team, so it’s going to hurt,” coach Bruce Cassidy said. “How are we going to weather it? We’re certainly going to need a little more pushback from guys that are expected to bring it and some other veteran guys that might not but have to step up in their absence.

 

"And we were lacking both tonight in huge quantities.”

 

On Wednesday, Tuukka Rask announced he was ending his bid to return from offseason hip surgery and retiring from playing.

Linas Ullmark got the start in goal Thursday night and got roughed up, allowing six goals on 43 shots.

 

Nick Foligno came closest to scoring for Boston, getting the puck past Andersen 22 seconds into the third period but not before bumping him in the crease. The goal was waved off on the ice and withstood a video review after a challenge by Boston.

 

Svechnikov jumped on a turnover in the slot and beat Ullmark with a wrist shot 2:35 into the second period, putting Carolina up 2-0 after assisting on Trocheck's goal in the first. Aho tipped in a shot 8:01 into the second and added a power-play goal 1:58 into the third for a 5-0 lead.

 

LONG TIME

 

Staal added a goal late in the third period and finished with a goal and an assist. It was only the third goal of the season for Carolina's team captain and his first since Oct. 29.

 

Staal said it was a long drought “but we were winning a lot of hockey games.” The Hurricanes lead the Metropolitan Division and are second in the Eastern Conference with 67 points (32-10-3).

 

Brind’Amour said regardless of the scoring drought, Staal's commitment and leadership have never wavered.

 

“He’s the leader of our group,” Brind’Amour said. “He was able to get one tonight, that’s great. But let’s look how we played tonight. That’s a direct reflection of your captain.”

[Brewin Flames]

No Bergy, No Marchand, and tukka's retirement announcement may have killed the room...

 

I knew the bruins were going to be blown out in this one...

[Brewin Flames]

Game # 46

 

Bruins 2 Sens 0

 

Swayman, Bruins shut out Senators

Gets first NHL win since Jan. 2; Murray makes 35 saves for Ottawa

by Patrick Donnelly / NHL.com Independent Correspondent

 37 minutes ago

•  

Jeremy Swayman made 30 saves in a 2-0 win for the Boston Bruins against the Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa on Saturday.

 

It was Swayman's first NHL win since Jan. 2 and second shutout of the season after making 42 saves in a 2-0 win at the Nashville Predators on Dec. 2.

Trent Frederic and Curtis Lazar scored for Boston (27-16-3), which had lost its previous two games.

 

Matt Murray made 35 saves for Ottawa (16-24-4), which is 5-5-0 in its past 10 games.

 

Frederic gave the Bruins a 1-0 lead 45 seconds into the first period. Charlie Coyle made a move around Senators center Tim Stutzle along the right boards and passed to Craig Smith for a one-timer before Frederic scored on the rebound.

 

Lazar made it 2-0 at 13:26 on a rebound at the top of the crease after Murray saved Anton Blidh's wrist shot off the rush.

 

Lazar, who skated his first 176 NHL games with Ottawa, scored his first goal in eight games against the team that drafted him No. 17l in the 2013 NHL Draft.

Boston outshot the Senators 22-8 in the period.

 

Blidh appeared to make it 3-0 at 8:08 of the third period from behind the net on a rebound from a chance for Lazar, but Ottawa successfully challenged for goaltender interference on Lazar.

 

The Bruins and Senators each went 0-for-2 on the power play.

Edited February 12, 2022 by Brewin Flames

[Brewin Flames]

Game# 47

 

Bos 1 NYR 2     

 

Miller scores in 9th round of SO, Rangers beat Bruins 2-1

 

 

---

By AP

Updated: 6 hours ago

NEW YORK -- — K'Andre Miller scored the deciding goal in the ninth round of a shootout and the New York Rangers beat the Boston Bruins 2-1 on Tuesday night for their third straight win.

 

Filip Chytil scored the tying goal in the third period to help New York, playing its first game in two weeks, win for the eighth time in 11 games. Igor Shesterkin stopped 31 shots to win for the 10th time in 11 starts and improve to 23-5-2 on the season.

 

“I was happy with the effort,” Rangers coach Gerard Gallant said. “The team played hard. ... Shesty made some good saves. Their guy was good, too.”

Charlie Coyle scored in the first period for Boston, which has lost six of nine (3-4-2). Jeremy Swayman, coming of a 2-0 win at Ottawa on Saturday night, made 33 saves.

 

“Both goalies were very good tonight,” Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said. “Shesterkin has established himself. Our hope is to get Sway to that level.”

Mika Zibanejad and Artemi Panarin scored on the Rangers' first two attempts of the tiebreaker. 

 

Jake DeBrusk scored on Boston's first try and Coyle tied it in the third round. The next 12 skaters were denied until Miller scored from the left side on his first career shootout attempt.

 

The 22-year-old defenseman was surprised when he was told he was getting a chance.

 

“Coach kind of turned to me when their guy was out (there)," Miller said. "I was like, ‘Really? You want me to go? Am I hearing this right?’ But it was a fun opportunity and I'm glad I made the most of it."

 

Despite the loss, Swayman was pleased with how he played.

 

“Every guy in this league is able to score in the shootout. That's why they are here in the NHL,” he said. “(This) is a huge rivalry. My dad grew up in Brooklyn so it was pretty cool being in The Garden for the first time knowing he was here when he was younger. I can't wait to come back and get two points.”

Shesterkin made a sprawling save on David Pastrnak on a 2-on-1 rush 1:09 into overtime.

 

Boston's Craig Smith ran into the goalie with 2:12 left, drawing an interference penalty, and Alexis Lafreniere was whistled for roughing for retaliating against Smith.

 

Swayman denied a breakaway by Panarin with 59 seconds left and Shesterkin had a glove save on Taylor Hall at the other end less than 10 seconds later.

 

The league's spotters then ordered Shesterkin pulled from the game with 40.5 seconds to go to get checked for a concussion, with the frustrated goalie slamming his stick against the boards as he skated off.

 

“I honestly did lose control of it when I got sent off,” Shesterkin said through a translator. “You saw me hitting the boards with my stick. That won't happen again. I promise.”

 

Alexandar Georgiev came on but did not face a shot the rest of the period, and Shesterkin returned for the shootout to cheers from the Madison Square Garden crowd.

 

“I don’t understand the protocol," Shesterkin said. “With 40 seconds left, let me finish. There was a questionnaire. I answered the questions. I got out in time to make all those saves in the shootout. ...

 

Obviously each save gives you more confidence. Even if you let one through, you have to push those thoughts away and get ready for the next shot.”

Chytil tied it 1-all at 6:45 of the third, swooping in to get the rebound of his own shot and putting it in from the right side for his fifth of the season and first since Jan. 15. It ended Swayman's shutout streak of 131 minutes, 57 seconds.

 

With fans still buzzing after the goal, Shesterkin stopped a backhander by Hall on a breakaway at 8:37 to get the crowd roaring again.

 

After managing just two shots on goal in the first period, the Rangers picked up their intensity after the intermission, outshooting the Bruins 15-9 in a scoreless second.

 

Shesterkin made a pair of nice stops late in the middle period with a save off his chest on Jack Studnicka's shot from center point with 5:09 left, and then denying DeBrusk on the rebound.

 

Miller had two great chances from the left circle in the closing seconds of the period, but Swayman stopped both shots.

Boston outshot New York 8-2 in a brisk first period that featured only six whistles.

 

The Bruins got on the scoreboard first, taking advantage of a turnover by Barclay Goodrow in the neutral zone. Coyle knocked in the rebound of a shot by Smith at 3:39 for his 11th.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 16, 2022 by Brewin Flames

[Brewin Flames]

Game # 46

 

Bos 1 NYR 4

 

Barzal, Dobson lead Islanders to 4-1 victory against Bruins

 

ByAP

6 hours ago

 

NEW YORK -- — Noah Dobson and Mathew Barzal each scored and had an assist, helping the New York Islanders snap a three-game skid with a 4-1 win over the Boston Bruins on Thursday night.

 

Ilya Sorokin made 26 saves, Jean-Gabriel Pageau also scored, and the Islanders kicked off a two-game homestand with a victory after a disappointing four-game road trip (1-3-0). Brock Nelson also added an empty-net goal and an assist.

 

“It was playoff game for us,” Barzal said. “We knew tonight was huge after dropping one in Buffalo and where we are at in the standings. Obviously, we know who we are chasing. That was a big win for us and felt for the most part we played championship-caliber hockey. …

 

"We really think that we can pull it together and string some wins together and make a push.”

 

Taylor Hall scored the Bruins’ lone goal and Linus Ullmark made 25 saves, but Boston fell for the fourth time in five games (1-3-1).

 

Dobson notched the go-ahead goal when his wrist shot from the point banked off the post, then Ullmark’s leg and into the back of the net at 5:50 of the third period. Anthony Beauvillier and two Bruins defenders were stationed at the top of the crease and prevented Ullmark from tracking the puck. Nelson registered an assist on the play.

 

“That’s the way we need to play in those tight games,” Dobson said. “We've got to find a way to get a big goal, then lock it down when we need to. It was a good effort in the third, for sure.”

 

Barzal extended the Islanders’ lead to 3-1 by burying a rebound at 13:32 of the third period. Kieffer Bellows fired a hard and low wrist shot to force a scramble in front that Barzal was able to take advantage of as he registered his 12th goal.

 

The goal followed an impressive Islanders penalty kill after Cal Clutterbuck took an ill-advised offensive zone penalty that could have shifted momentum in the Bruins' favor.

 

“They did all the things they typically do when they are on,” Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said of the Islanders. "We did have a chance on the power play — it let us down tonight. It would have been a timely goal for us, but it didn’t happen.”

 

Boston captain Patrice Bergeron returned to the lineup after missing three games with a head injury.

 

Pageau notched his seventh of the season to even the score at one 11:30 into the middle frame. While on the power play, Barzal drew the attention of the Bruins defense and left a drop pass for Dobson, who blasted a slap shot on net. Pageau alertly found and buried the loose puck.

 

Following the equalizer, Sorokin made back-to-back saves on Brandon Carlo and Hall to keep the game tied at 1.

 

Hall opened the scoring with a sharp-angled wrist shot at 17:26 of the first period. The veteran forward flew past Casey Cizikas and squeezed the puck through a small opening on the short side to give the Bruins a 1-0 lead. Craig Smith and Mike Reilly assisted.

 

“I don’t care what their record is, they are such a hard team to play against,” Hall said of the Islanders. “When they are on, when they have four lines going like they did tonight, it’s a tough matchup.”

 

Nelson capped the scoring with 1:13 left.

 

“We had some firmness on our forecheck,” Islanders coach Barry Trotz said. “We didn’t give them easy exits, we had good gaps. We forced them to earn every inch on the ice, that’s a good Islanders game from us.”

[Brewin Flames]

Game # 47

 

Bruins 3 Sens 2 OT

 

Pastrnak scores in OT, Bruins beat Senators 3-2

 

---

By AP

Updated: 5 hours ago

 

OTTAWA, Ontario -- — David Pastrnak scored on a one-timer off a cross-ice feed from from Taylor Hall at 2:42 of overtime, and the Boston Bruins beat the Ottawa Senators 3-2 Saturday night.

 

Jake DeBrusk and Brandon Carlo also scored to help the Bruins snap a two-game losing streak. Jeremy Swayman made 29 saves.

 

Pastrnak was held without a point in his previous four games and then was shut down for three periods in this game.

 

“Listen, every player wants to score in overtime, and I think he needed that,” Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said. “He’s getting frustrated with his opportunities, or lack of. For a goal scorer, you don’t want to go too long.”

 

Tim Stutzle and Nick Holden had goals for the Senators, and Anton Forsberg finished with 30 saves.

 

Tyler Ennis almost tied the game for the Senators early in the third period on the power play, but Ennis hit the post with an open net and Swayman made a glove save on Ennis' follow attempt seconds later.

 

Eventually, Holden did tie it 2-2 for Ottawa as his shot from the slot beat Swayman with a crowd in front with 3:54 remaining to force overtime.

 

“I thought we were better getting into shooting lanes," Cassidy said. "Not as many pucks travelled to the net, obviously. The last goal their (defenseman) beat us up the ice so that’s not a shooting lane issue, but I thought we did a better job with that.”

 

The Senators got off to a much better start then one week earlier when they were outshot 22-8 in the first period by the Bruins, who scored 45 seconds into the game. In the scoreless first period Saturday, the Senators were only outshot 11-9.

 

“A lot of things I was happy with. I thought we turned the puck over too much, but compete level was really high,” Senators coach D.J. Smith said. “That was probably one of the most physical games in the last month maybe. Big hits. Fighting for the puck. There wasn’t a lot of room out there. It was a real game tonight.”

 

The Bruins eventually opened the scoring at 2:37 of the second when DeBrusk backhanded the puck out of the air and put a one-hopper past Forsberg for a 1-0 lead.

 

The Senators tied it just over four minutes later as Stutzle got the rebound off Artem Zub's point shot that was tipped by Austin Watson and had an empty net to shoot at with Swayman out of position.

 

Later in the period the Senators had three great scoring chances as they kept the puck in the Bruins' end for almost the entirety of a two minute 4-on-4. Stutzle, Brady Tkachuk and Nick Paul all nearly gave the Senators the lead during that stretch but were unable to beat Swayman.

 

“There were a lot of great efforts tonight,” Tkachuk said. “That’s a good team and they’ve been a good team for a bunch of years now, so it was fun to be part of that.”

 

Carlo, who was a game time decision after cutting his wrist in the morning skate, gave the Bruins a 2-1 lead with just over a minute to play in the period. Forsberg dove out to try and cover the puck at the top of the crease but pushed the puck right onto the stick of Carlo, who had an empty net to shoot at.

 

Luckily the cut, while deep, didn’t cause severe damage.

 

“I just fell on the ice right in front of the net and as I was going down I caught my forearm I guess you would say,” Carlo said. ”Luckily it was a nice clean cut in the right spot and didn’t reach all the way to the muscle, so that was good.”

[Brewin Flames]

Game # 48

 

Bos 5 Avs 1

 

Pastrnak scores twice, Bruins power past Avalanche, 5-1

 

 

---

By AP

Updated: 2 hours ago

 

BOSTON -- — David Pastrnak's scoring slump is a thing of the past.

 

A game after ending a four-game scoreless drought, the Bruins’ top scorer had two goals to help the Boston Bruins roll past the Western Conference-leading Colorado Avalanche 5-1 on Monday.

 

Patrice Bergeron, Jake DeBrusk and Charlie Coyle also scored for Boston, which has won two straight. Jeremy Swayman had 28 saves and Taylor Hall added three assists.

 

“I think that was the best game of this year if you're talking full game, 60 minutes,” Pastrnak said. “We just stayed in the moment. We were really energized. It was a great win for us and two big points.”

 

It was a makeup for their Dec. 23 matchup that was postponed because of a league-wide outbreak of COVID-19 cases.

 

Pastrnak, who broke out of a four-game scoring slump with a game-winning overtime goal to lift Boston past Ottawa on Saturday, now has a team-leading 27 goals on the season.

 

Coach Bruce Cassidy said Hall in particular has stepped up since Brad Marchand was suspended Feb. 9, taking his place on Boston's top line. Hall has five points over the past three games.

“Especially the play-making part,” Cassidy said. “He's made a lot of nice plays with those extra minutes.”

 

Nathan MacKinnon had the lone goal for Colorado, which had its two-game win streak snapped. Darcy Kuemper finished with 40 saves.

 

“I just thought they were the quicker, more determined team," Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. “It wasn’t our most competitive effort.”

 

Gabriel Landeskog said a stretch that’s had the Avs play four games in six days wasn’t an excuse for their lethargic start.

 

“Sometimes you have bad games or tough games," he said. "I’m not gonna blow this out of proportion. We can play better and be better,” he said. “We’ll bounce back on track.”

 

Boston held a 21-9 edge in shots on goal during the opening period, but needed a little luck to take an early 1-0 lead.

 

Charlie McAvoy took away the puck from Avs star defenseman Cale Makar along the boards in the Colorado zone and flipped it toward the slot.

 

The pass went between Bergeron and Samuel Girard and ricocheted to a cutting Pastrnak, who ripped his snap shot past Kuemper with 2:30 remaining in the period.

 

The Bruins pushed it to 2-0 with 11:59 left in the second after Bergeron gathered a pass from Hall, had his initial shot saved by Kuemper, then stretched his stick to flip in his own rebound. It was Bergeron’s 13th goal of the season.

 

Colorado finally got on the board via the power play. The Avalanche took advantage and MacKinnon got his slap shot into the roof of the net past Swayman off assists from Mikko Rantannen and Makar.

 

But the Bruins responded quickly, scoring two goals over the next 2:44.

 

First, Pastrnak fired in a slap shot from the top of the slot through traffic to make it 3-1.

 

Just over a minute later, DeBrusk was the trailer following a Bruins takeaway and was the recipient of a pass from Curtis Lazar in front of the net. DeBrusk’s first wrist shot was stopped, but he wrapped the rebound past Kuemper for his second goal in two games.

 

[Brewin Flames]

So satisfying.....

 

 

Edited February 22, 2022 by Brewin Flames

[Brewin Flames]

Game # 49

 

Bos 3 Seattle 2 OT

 

Jake DeBrusk scores twice as Bruins top Kraken 3-2 in OT

 

---

By AP

Updated: 3 hours ago

 

SEATTLE -- — Jake DeBrusk's response to being elevated onto the top line for the Boston Bruins was his first multigoal game in more than two years.

DeBrusk scored his second goal of the game 33 seconds into overtime and the Bruins beat the Seattle Kraken 3-2 on Thursday night.

 

“I’ve gotten some puck luck the last little bit, so it’s been trending in the right direction,” DeBrusk said. “So I was really excited.”

 

Boston opened a lengthy road trip with its third straight win and welcomed Brad Marchand back from suspension. DeBrusk scored off a fluky bounce in the first period and beat Seattle goaltender Philipp Grubauer on the short side from a tight angle on the first shot of the extra period.

 

DeBrusk was added to the line with Marchand and Patrice Bergeron for the first time this season ahead of Thursday's game. His last two-goal game came on Jan. 9, 2020, against Winnipeg.

 

David Pastrnak scored his 28th of the season and 20th in the last 23 games early in the second period to give Boston a 2-1 lead.

 

Marchand returned after sitting the past six games, the result of roughing and high-sticking on Pittsburgh goalie Tristan Jarry on Feb. 8. It was the second suspension this season for Marchand, who spoke after the morning skate on the need to stay out of trouble, knowing the punishments could be more severe going forward.

 

In this game, Marchand was a model citizen. He played nearly 22 minutes, had seven shots and avoided any trips to the penalty box.

 

“I was happy with his game,” Boston coach Bruce Cassidy said. “Obviously, look at the details of it tomorrow when we go through the video part of it, but on the surface I thought he looked good.”

 

Boston goalie Linus Ullmark made 25 saves.

 

Mark Giordano and Jordan Eberle scored for Seattle. Grubauer made 36 saves, the second-most this season, and was terrific until giving up DeBrusk’s overtime goal.

 

Seattle has lost six straight.

 

“We played our (butts) off tonight for 60 minutes, bottom line. Tough way to a lose a hockey game,” Seattle coach Dave Hakstol said. “Proud of our effort.”

 

Seattle took a 1-0 lead on Giordano’s second short-handed goal in the last three games. Seattle spent most of the first period on the penalty kill after committing four penalties, including a four-minute double minor on Adam Larsson for high sticking.

 

Seattle survived being short-handed, but Boston was able to pull even on a fluky bounce. Erik Haula’s pass from behind the net deflected over the goal. Seattle’s defenseman Jeremy Lauzon tried to swat it out of midair, but didn’t make clean contact and the puck fell into the crease, and DeBrusk poked it into the net.

Lauzon was selected by Seattle from Boston in the expansion draft.

 

“I told him I owed him a couple of beers,” DeBrusk said. “He's a good friend of mine.”

 

Boston took a 2-1 lead on Pastrnak’s one-timer off a clean cross-ice pass by Charlie McAvoy, but the Kraken caught the Bruins in a change and Eberle finished off a 3-on-1 with a backhanded flip at 13:19 of the second to pull Seattle even.

 

It was Eberle’s 15th of the season and just his third since Dec. 6.

 

“The big picture is we’ve lost six row. I mean that’s unacceptable,” Eberle said. “But we got to find a way to keep with it. ... We’re playing better. We just got to find a way to play on our toes. We've got to be aggressive.”

[Brewin Flames]

Game # 50

 

Bruins 3 Shaeks 1

 

Marchand's 2 goals, assist lead Bruins past Sharks, 3-1

 

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By AP

Updated: 2 hours ago

 

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- — Brad Marchand had two goals and an assist, and the Boston Bruins beat the San Jose Sharks 3-1 on Saturday night for their fourth straight win.

 

Patrice Bergeron also scored for Boston, which beat San Jose for the ninth straight time. The Sharks’ last win against the Bruins came on March 15, 2016.

 

“It’s always nice when you score, but I think I was mostly just happy with the way that I felt,” Marchand said following his second game back from a six-game suspension. “When you play a lot of minutes, missing two weeks is tough. So I was really happy with how things felt in the (two) games.”

 

Timo Meier scored for the Sharks, who lost for the eighth time in their last nine games.

 

“They’re a tough team to play against,” San Jose defenseman Brent Burns said. “A lot of skill, great at knocking pucks out of the air.”

 

Marchand opened the scoring in the first period on a 2-on-1 break, receiving Jake DeBrusk's pass and beating James Reimer.

 

Meier scored the equalizer on the power play in the second for his team-leading 24th goal of the season.

 

Marchand responded early in the third with his second goal of the night and 23rd of the season. Bergeron added his 14th with 40 seconds remaining, putting the game out of reach.

Reimer made 34 saves, keeping San Jose in the game despite being outshot 37-16.

 

“Just (proud of) how we stuck with it,” Marchand said. “Sometimes it’s tough when you’re playing really well and you get a goal scored against you when we easily could’ve had four or five. But just the composure of the group, where earlier in the year maybe we would’ve folded. But we just kept going at it.”

 

Jeremy Swayman recorded 15 saves for the Bruins, including a pair of key stops in the final minutes as San Jose mounted a furious rally, attempting to force overtime.

 

“I just think we got a little bit hungrier on the puck there for that 10-minute push,” Sharks center Logan Couture said. “It was unfortunate we didn’t have that for the start of the game, but some really good looks down the stretch.”

 

Swayman's best save came with 3:09 remaining when he lunged to his left and robbed Tomáš Hertl with his glove hand.

 

"I knew they were going to push," Swayman said. “I think we all kind of felt that coming. That’s the game of hockey. Teams come in waves.

 

When you’re not seeing a lot of rubber, it’s definitely tough to make sure you’re focused. But that’s what I want to emphasize and I want the team to have confidence in me when it’s not a lot of shots, and no matter what, I’m going to be ready.”

[Brewin Flames]

Game # 51

 

Bos 7 LA 0

 

DeBrusk's hat trick sends streaking Bruins past Kings 7-0

 

 

---

By AP

Updated: 4 hours ago

 

LOS ANGELES -- — Jake DeBrusk got his first career hat trick early in his first four-point game, and Patrice Bergeron added a goal and two assists in the Boston Bruins' 7-0 rout of the Los Angeles Kings on Monday night.

 

Erik Haula scored two goals and Jeremy Swayman made 34 saves in his fifth career shutout for the Bruins, whose fifth straight victory matched their longest winning streak of the season. Boston has earned a point in seven of its last eight games, capped by this blowout of an opponent with a five-game winning streak on its home ice.

 

“We were due for one of these nights where pucks go in the net,” Boston coach Bruce Cassidy said. “I don’t look at that as (an indictment of) them. They had an off night. We had a good night. For us, when we’re in these road trips, I thought it was probably one you circle in the middle of the trip. (When another) team is playing really well, you measure that game a little more.”

 

DeBrusk scored his three goals in the first 21 minutes, and Bruins fans littered the LA ice with hats after his tip-in was upheld by video review.

 

DeBrusk requested a trade in November from his only NHL organization, yet he has been thriving ever since he was moved onto Boston’s top line. He has seven goals and an assist during a five-game point streak.

 

“It’s one of those things where it’s just the game of hockey, and you need bounces, whether it’s passes or goals or whatever,” DeBrusk said of his recent puck luck.

 

“But an inch here, an inch there, it’s in the net or it’s not in the net,” he added. “It kind of makes you giggle, but it’s a very rewarding feeling, because it’s one of those things where I personally had to wait for probably around three years to feel this kind of trend.”

 

Brad Marchand, David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy had two assists apiece for the Bruins, who are unbeaten halfway through their six-game West Coast trip.

 

Taylor Hall also scored as Boston blasted the previously streaking Kings, who lost in regulation for only the second time in 13 games since Jan. 20. That was also the most recent time Jonathan Quick lost in regulation before Boston chased him with five goals on 19 shots.

 

“The first goal, I think Quickie would love to have that one back," said assistant coach Trent Yawney, who filled in for Todd McLellan for the third straight game.

 

McLellan, who is sidelined by COVID-19, talked with Yawney earlier in the day about the Kings' sliding play late in their last victory.

 

“Even the third period against the Islanders, I could see it start to creep in a little bit, and we knew it was around the corner,” Yawney said.

 

"I didn’t know if it was going to be tonight, but it was coming, because we were getting away with some things that we weren’t getting away with earlier, but you end up with a win. Now we've just got to reset again and start all over.”

 

Cal Petersen replaced Quick in the second period and allowed both of Haula's goals in the third. The Kings were shut out for the first time in 30 games since Dec. 6, while Swayman got his second shutout of February.

 

“We’re upset," Kings forward Alex Iafallo said. "We’re going to have to look at ourselves in the mirror and learn from our mistakes, but it was a good run. So at the same time, we've got to stay positive.”

 

JAKE'S START

 

DeBrusk opened the scoring just 1:01 after the opening faceoff with a goal on assists from fellow first-liners Marchand and Bergeron. He then capitalized on an egregious turnover by Los Angeles' Mikey Anderson, intercepting the puck in the high slot and skating in on Quick.

 

DeBrusk completed his hat trick 53 seconds into the second period with an artful deflection of Bergeron's high shot.

 

YOU MISS 100% OF THE SHOTS YOU TAKE

 

Los Angeles’ streak of outshooting its opponents still reached 21 games with a late flurry of shots on Swayman. The Kings’ streak is now tied for the second-longest in NHL history, one game behind the record of 22 by the New York Rangers in late 1971.

[Brewin Flames]

Last night's highlights.....