Boston Bruins Season 21/22

[Brewin Flames]

Game # 13

 

Boston 5 Habs 2

 

Coyle, McAvoy lead Bruins to 5-2 win over Canadiens

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ByAP

Updated: 6 hours ago

BOSTON -- — Charlie Coyle had an attempted clearing pass carom into the net off his head for his first of two goals, Charlie McAvoy also scored twice, and the Boston Bruins beat the Montreal Canadiens 5-2 on Sunday night in the 750th meeting between the longtime rivals.

 

It was the first time they faced each other in nearly two years — 641 days to be exact — because of altered divisions and scheduling changes by the NHL last season due to the coronavirus pandemic.

 

“It's always more. It's not one of 82 (games),” Boston coach Bruce Cassidy said of the rivalry. “Yes, it's one of 82 tomorrow. ... It's still the Montreal Canadiens and we want to beat them every time we step on the ice.”

 

Jeremy Swayman stopped 27 shots for Boston, improving his career record to 8-0-0 at TD Garden. Taylor Hall added an empty-netter as the Bruins improved to 6-1 at home.

 

Joel Armia and Michael Pezzetta had the Canadiens’ goals, and Sam Montembeault made 36 saves. Montreal fell to 1-6-1 on the road.

 

Canadiens defenseman Jeff Petry, positioned in front of the crease, attempted to clear the puck into the corner, but it hit Coyle before bouncing into the net 5:58 into the third period. McAvoy had tied it just over three minutes earlier.

 

“I'll take more of those to be honest,” said Coyle, who explained that puck bounced off his visor. “I got a pretty good bounce there. It was a big goal. There was a few laughs and stuff, it doesn't happen very often."

 

Coyle added an insurance goal at 9:05, sending the fans into a loud, mocking chant of “Ole Ole Ole” — a staple when the Canadiens are playing well at home.

 

“It's special,” Swayman said of the rivalry. “You really don't understand it until you're on the ice playing in it.”

 

Pezzetta scored his first of the season, beating Swayman with a shot that caromed into the net off the skate of Boston defenseman Connor Clifton, making it 2-1 late in the second period.

 

But McAvoy slipped a wrister in from the slot for a power-play goal, tying it 2:14 into the third.

 

“It was nice to get one, but unfortunately it was in a loss, so it doesn't feel good,” Pezzetta said.

 

Both teams came out a bit sluggish Sunday, probably because they each had to travel to Boston after playing Saturday. Armia made it 1-0 by beating Swayman with a wrister from the right circle at the end of a 3-on-1 break 8:09 into the first.

 

Coming into the game with a 0-2-1 record with a 3.69 goals-against-average and only an .885 save percentage, Montembeault held Boston off the board until McAvoy charged in to score on a rebound 8:27 into the second.

 

“I thought he had a great game. He played awesome,” Pezzetta said of Montembeault. “He made some great saves and kept us in the game. It's definitely not on him.”

Edited November 15, 2021 by Brewin Flames

[Brewin Flames]

Game # 14

 

Boston 5 Flyers 2

 

Forbort scores twice to help Bruins beat Flyers 5-2

 

 

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ByAP

Updated: 6 hours ago

PHILADELPHIA -- — Derek Forbort had two goals to lead the Boston Bruins to their third straight victory, 5-2 over the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday night.

 

Tomas Nosek, Craig Smith and David Pastrnak also scored for the Bruins, who hadn’t played since Sunday’s 5-2 victory over Montreal.

 

Derick Brassard scored both goals for the Flyers. Philadelphia lost consecutive games for the first time this season, having won the previous six times following a defeat.

 

Linus Ullmark made 29 saves for the Bruins, who tied their season high with 44 shots.

 

The teams traded goals, hard hits and punches in a highly entertaining second period.

 

Forbort scored his first of the game 30 seconds into the period when his slap shot from long range deflected off the stick of Flyers defenseman Justin Braun and over goalie Martin Jones’ right shoulder to make it 2-0.

 

“The first one was pretty lucky,” Forbort said.

 

Brassard scored 52 seconds later from in front after getting set up from behind the net by Cam Atkinson to pull the Flyers to 2-1.

Then, things started to get a little chippy.

 

“It seems like there’s always some emotion against Philadelphia,” Boston coach Bruce Cassidy said. “I think that goes back to the ’70s. Two teams that like to play that way. Obviously the game has changed, but you still have a bit of that element.”

 

Philadelphia’s Rasmus Ristolainen laid a big hit on Taylor Hall near the penalty box at center ice, and Boston responded aggressively. Marchand was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct soon after in a scrum behind the net with Ristolainen, and Philadelphia took advantage.

 

Brassard finished a tic-tac-toe passing sequence with Ivan Provorov and Claude Giroux and tied it at 2 with a power-play goal with 10:35 left in the period.

 

The intensity continued, culminating with Boston’s Charlie McAvoy winning a lopsided fight with Joel Farabee in which the Boston defenseman landed several hard right hands.

 

“I was just a little heated,” McAvoy said. “In the thick of it, it was something that happened. Hopefully, it lifted our team.”

 

Said Cassidy: “I’m sure that got us going. I know it does.”

 

Forbort finished the scoring in the period to give him the first two-goal game of his career, firing a wrist shot from the slot past Jones’ glove side with 3:33 left to put the Bruins ahead 3-2.

 

It was the fourth of the season and just the 12th in 345 career games for Forbort, who deflected any praise.

 

“It was just a good all-around play by the fellas,” he said.

 

Smith scored his first of the season 1:28 into the third to give Boston a two-goal cushion, and Pastrnak made it 5-2 with 7:13 to play.

“They have world-class players,” Brassard said. “They’ve been doing it for so many years.”

 

Nosek finally converted for the Bruins in a dominant first period, scoring on their 20th shot to give them a 1-0 lead with 1:35 left in the first. Anton Blidh passed from behind the net to Nosek, who settled the puck and fired high over Jones with a backhand.

 

Jones had been stellar to that point, particularly during consecutive Boston power plays midway through the period that included 12 seconds of 5-on-3 time. The Flyers’ backup goalie made seven saves during the successful penalty kill.

 

POWER UP

 

Philadelphia’s sagging power play had been 3 for 38 over 12 games before Brassard’s second goal.

 

 

ON POINT

 

Brad Marchand had an assist on Forbort’s first goal, upping his team-leading total to 20 and giving him points in eight straight games.

 

TRAINER’S ROOM

 

Bruins: Smith returned to the lineup after missing two games with an undisclosed injury.

Edited November 21, 2021 by Brewin Flames

[Brewin Flames]

Game # 15

 

Boston 0 Flames 4

 

Former Bruin Vladar stops 27 shots, Flames beat Boston 4-0

 

 

Flames blank Bruins 4-0

The Flames put up four unanswered goals in their win over the Bruins.

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ByAP

Updated: 6 hours ago

BOSTON -- — Former Bruins goalie Dan Vladar stopped 27 shots for his second career shutout, Andrew Mangiapane scored a short-handed goal early in the third period, and the Calgary Flames beat Boston 4-0 on Sunday night.

 

Johnny Gaudreau and Noah Hanifin, who both played collegiate hockey nearby for Boston College, each had a goal for the Flames, who posted their third straight win and improved to 9-2-2 on the road. Mikael Backlund also scored for Calgary, and Matthew Tkachuk had two assists.

 

Jeremy Swayman made 27 saves for Boston, taking first career loss at TD Garden after going 8-0-0. The Bruins had their three-game winning streak snapped, and it was just their second home loss in eight games.

 

It was the Flames’ seventh shutout in 19 games.

 

“He was solid,” Flames coach Darryl Sutter said of Vladar. “The team was really good in front of him. There wasn't a whole lot of second opportunities in front of him. Boston's a team that likes to go to the net.”

 

The 24-year-old Vladar, a third-round draft pick by the Bruins in 2015, played five games with Boston last season before he was traded during the summer for a third-round pick in 2022.

 

“It means a lot,” he said. “I came in with the mindset to just get a ‘W.’ I wasn’t trying to think about where I’m playing because obviously I’ve got a bunch of friends on the Bruins team.

 

“My mindset was not to laugh around with the guys. I wasn't even saying hi to them before the game,” he said.

 

Coming off a 5-2 victory over the Islanders in the first game at New York’s UBS Arena on Saturday night, the Flames jumped ahead when Gaudreau one-timed the rebound of Juuso Valimaki’s shot past Swayman from the right circle 1:29 into the game.

 

Gaudreau, who played three years at BC, won the 2013-14 Hobey Baker Award.

 

They made it 2-0 with a similar goal midway into the second. Swayman stopped Tkachuk’s shot but the rebound went right to Hanifin, a former defenseman for BC, flipped it in 13:51 into the period.

 

“I think it was all execution tonight,” Boston captain Patrice Bergeron said. “A lot of it was on us, not making the plays, not executing. When it's going to be a game like that, I think you have to simplify and I don't think we did that."

 

Mangiapane scored his 15th of the season at 3:08 of the third after Swayman stopped two shots by Dillon Dube on a clean breakaway. Backlund made it 4-0 just 1:10 later.

 

“You’ve got to work to get inside,” Boston coach Bruce Cassidy said. “Listen, we know what Calgary is all about, even though they’re not in our division. They’ve been through the East twice now and we’ve seen them.

 

They have seven shutouts for a reason. They work hard to keep the puck out of the net. So, you have to be willing to go in there. Not enough guys wanted to do that tonight."

 

THEY PLAYED HERE, TOO

 

Along with Vladar, Flames forwards Milan Lucic and Brett Ritchie also previously played for the Bruins. Lucic was on the Stanley Cup championship team in 2011 during his eight seasons in Boston, and Ritchie played with the Bruins in 2019-20.

[Brewin Flames]

Game # 16

 

Bruins 5 Buffalo1

 

Bruins score 4 goals in 1st period, beat Sabres 5-1

 

 

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ByAP

Updated: 7 hours ago

 

 

 

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- — Patrice Bergeron, David Pastrnak and Charlie Coyle each had a goal and an assist to lead the Boston Bruins over the Buffalo Sabres 5-1 on Wednesday night.

 

Mike Reilly and Taylor Hall also scored, Nick Foligno had two assists and rookie Jeremy Swayman made 24 saves as Boston bounced back from a 4-0 loss to Calgary on Sunday for its fourth win in five games and third straight on the road.

 

Boston’s scoring surge helped Swayman enjoy his 23rd birthday.

 

“I had the best seat in the house all night,” Swayman said. “It was fun to watch. It was a good camaraderie game. All the guys were super happy in the locker room, and I’m sure on the bench.”

 

The Bruins chased Sabres goalie Aaron Dell with four first-period goals on the 22 shots he faced. Dustin Tokarski stopped 24 of 25 shots.

Kyle Okposo scored for the Sabres, who lost their fourth in a row and are 2-8-1 following a 5-1-1 start.

 

The Bruins scored four times in 5:41 during the opening period and had a 22-8 edge in shots on goal.

 

That continued a trend for the Sabres, who gave up three goals in a 3:17 span during Monday’s 7-4 loss to Columbus and three goals in 1:37 of a 5-0 loss to Calgary last Thursday.

 

“This little stretch is exposing us to things that we need to target and become better at,” coach Don Granato said. “We will become better at it going through it.”

Bergeron and Coyle scored on wrist shots 51 seconds apart to give Boston a 2-1 lead.

 

Pastrnak drew a hooking penalty on Buffalo’s Rasmus Dahlin, and Charlie McAvoy fed Pastrnak for a power-play goal less than three minutes after Coyle put the Bruins ahead.

 

Reilly made it 4-1 with a minute left in the first when he scored on a rebound that rolled between the dropped sticks of Buffalo’s Colin Miller and Vinnie Hinostroza.

 

“We really kind of controlled the play and got some breaks around the front of the net,” Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said. “But I think you earn your breaks, too, by putting the puck to the front of the net and outworking people in the dirty area.”

 

Hall got the fifth goal on a power play late in the third period after Buffalo’s Zemgus Girgensons received a five-minute game-misconduct penalty for checking McAvoy from behind and forcing him headfirst into the boards.

 

McAvoy needed stitches to close a gash above his eye. Cassidy said the Bruins expect McAvoy to remain in the lineup, and he didn’t think it was a dirty play by Girgensons.

 

“I know that if it was our player hitting a guy like that, I would say, boy, he was in a tough spot,” Cassidy said. “He’s just trying to finish his check. But at the end of the day, I know they are trying to get those hits out. But I can’t fault Girgensons. I don’t think there was any malicious intent, personally.”

 

Buffalo briefly led after Okposo used Bergeron as a screen to beat Swayman with a wrist shot midway through the period. Bergeron tied the score with his seventh of the season 2:33 later.

 

Swayman made 14 saves in the second, including one on a penalty shot by John Hayden.

Edited November 25, 2021 by Brewin Flames

[Brewin Flames]

Game # 17

 

Boston 2 NYR 5

 

Artemi Panarin starts 3-goal third; Rangers beat Bruins 5-2

 

 

0:32

 

 

 

0:07

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0:32

 

 

 

 

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Jeremy Swayman makes incredible diving save to rob Mika Zibanejad

Jeremy Swayman makes incredible diving save to rob Mika Zibanejad

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ByAP

Updated: 12 hours ago

 

BOSTON -- — Artemi Panarin scored the first of New York’s three third-period goals with 8:25 left and the Rangers beat the Boston Bruins 5-2 on Friday afternoon, giving Gerard Gallant the best start in his first 20 games as coach in team history.

 

The Rangers have 31 points in Gallant’s first 20. Phil Esposito held the previous mark with 30 in 1986-87.

 

“I would say it's a good feeling,” Ryan Strome said of New York's 13-4-3 start. “But I also think that it's a group that's not satisfied. We're starting to feel like a winning team. Two-two in Boston in the past, we're young, we're a little fragile and I don't know what could happen.”

 

Strome, Dryden Hunt, Alexis Lafreniere and Jacob Trouba also scored for the Rangers, who won their third straight game and seventh of eight.

Igor Shesterkin made 29 saves and Julien Gauthier set up two goals. Trouba’s was an empty-netter.

 

Craig Smith and Patrice Bergeron each had a goal for Boston, which has lost consecutive home games after opening 6-1. Jeremy Swayman stopped 31 shots.

 

“They like to funnel pucks from all angles," Swayman said of giving up some rebounds. “They get good traffic in front. You've got to do whatever you can to prevent those rebounds.”

 

Panarin batted home a pass from Gauthier from the edge of the crease for the Rangers’ first lead of the game. Lafreniere scored with 3:38 to play on Gauthier’s wing-to-wing pass during a 2-on-1 break.

 

The Bruins had taken a 2-1 lead in the second when Bergeron, just outside the crease, redirected Matt Grzelcyk’s perfectly centered touch pass from the left circle into the net.

 

“It's early in the year,” Boston forward Brad Marchand said. “We have a lot of new faces in our group. It's a different year for us, a lot different than we've had in a long time where we have to build something.”

 

But New York tied it when Hunt scored off the rebound of Ryan Lindgren’s shot from the point.

 

“I think for me it's just sticking to my game and keep doing what I'm doing,” Hunt said of his time on a line with Panarin and Strome. “Obviously it's two special players.”

 

Smith had pushed Boston in front 14:46 into the game when he stole an attempted clearing pass from defenseman Trouba and slipped a wrister past Shesterkin.

 

Shesterkin kept it a one-goal deficit with a nice left-pad stop on Taylor Hall’s clean breakaway with about 90 seconds left in the period before Strome tied it 1-1 with 6 seconds remaining. Strome, positioned in the slot, collected Panarin’s pass from the left circle and slipped a shot past Swayman’s glove.

 

Boston dominated much of the play in the opening period, outshooting the Rangers, 17-5.

 

“I think it's everyone buying in,” Strome said. “I think everyone realizes not every shift is going to be an offensive shift. ... I think we've done a good job of sticking to our system and trusting each other.”

 

WHAT A STOP

 

Seconds after the Rangers tied it at 2, Swayman came diving across the crease to make a fully out-stretched stick save on Mika Zibanejad, who had a wide-open net.

 

“I was just trying to be in the right place at the right time,” Swayman said. “It was definitely a lucky save, but I'm happy with that.”

 

NICE WORK

 

Boston defenseman Charlie McAvoy carried on a Bruins tradition on Thanksgiving morning, donating and delivering hundreds of pies to local organizations.

He also purchased 300 winter hats to be distributed among shelters.

 

NO GOAL

 

Rangers F Chris Kreider had a goal overturned on video review. He elevated the puck onto the blade of his stick and flipped it off the post with it traveling behind Swayman’s back across the crease.

[Brewin Flames]

Game # 18

 

Boston 3 Vancouver 2

 

Brad Marchand, Linus Ullmark carry Bruins past Canucks 3-2

 

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ByAP

Updated: 6 hours ago

 

BOSTON -- — Brad Marchand scored the tying goal on a power play in the third period and set-up David Pastrnak’s go-ahead score, helping the Boston Bruins to a 3-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday night.

 

Anton Blidh also scored for Boston, and Linus Ullmark made 36 saves. The Bruins won for the fifth time in seven games.

 

Tanner Pearson and Conor Garland scored for Vancouver.

 

Former Bruins goalie Jaroslav Halak made 39 saves and remains winless (0-4-1) in his first season with the Canucks. The 36-year-old Halak signed as a free agent with them after playing three seasons with Boston.

 

“He can help you win in a lot of ways,” Boston coach Bruce Cassidy said of Marchand, who also dished out some big hits that sparked the team. “We saw it offensively and we’ve seen it on the penalty kill here for years. The physical part was good.”

 

With Oliver Ekman-Larsson off for boarding Blidh, Marchand shifted around defenseman Kyle Burroughs and fed Pastrnak in front of the net, where he slipped in a power-play score with 3:24 to play.

 

“I knew (Pastrnak) was going to be around there,” Marchand said. “We've scored a few goals over the years with that play. He's so good at finding that hole.”

Vancouver has lost four in a row and nine of 10.

 

“It's definitely tough,” Pearson said. “This one bites, going into the third period with the lead. That's one we need to have. ... We liked the effort, but you've got to win in this league to move on. We've got to dig a little deeper.”

 

Marchand collected a loose puck out of a scramble and tied it at 2-all less than a minute after Ullmark dropped for a pad save on Tyler Motte’s clean breakaway.

 

Marchand got a rebound near the crease, skated slightly to his right and fired a wrist shot into the net for a power-play goal 8:45 into the third.

 

Garland’s seemingly harmless wrister from the right circle slipped between Ullmark’s pads, giving the Canucks a 2-1 edge with 7:29 left in the second.

 

“It's really frustrating,” Garland said. “That's what they do. That's why they go deep into the playoffs. They wait for their chances. You hold them to nothing and all of a sudden the top line ends up with two."

 

Looking to spark his team after a loss to the Rangers on Friday, Cassidy juggled all but his top line. The Bruins seemed to respond more aggressively at the beginning of the game, but the struggling Canucks played physical, too, which led to a few scrums after whistles in the opening period.

 

Midway into the second, Cassidy briefly dropped star Pastrnak from the top line to second line.

 

Pearson scored a power-play goal out of a scramble 3:33 into the game to make it 1-0.

 

But Blidh beat Halak with a wrist shot that appeared to dip late and sailed past the goalie’s glove, tying it just 2:18 later.

 

ANOTHER FAMILIAR FACE

 

It was the second time in three home games that the Bruins faced a goaltender they had on their team last season. Last Sunday, Dan Vladar started for Calgary and shut them out.

 

OVERTURNED

 

The Canucks had a power-play goal wiped out by video review late in the opening period. Garland beat Ullmark, who appeared screened, with a slap shot from the right point, but the Bruins challenged that Nils Hoglander was offside and a review showed that he was in early.

 

Boston’s Tomas Nosek had one immediately waved off in the opening minute of the second when he clearly kicked the puck into the net while falling to the ice.

 

 

Game notes

Trent Frederic returned to Boston’s lineup after missing seven games with an undisclosed upper-body injury and centered the third line. …

 

Bruins forwards Jake DeBrusk and Erik Haula were healthy scratches. … It was the first of two regular-season meetings between the teams, with the other in Vancouver on Dec. 8

[Brewin Flames]

Game # 19

 

Boston 1 Wings 2

 

Red Wings beat Bruins 2-1 for franchise's 3,000th victory

•  

By KEN POWTAK

Associated Press

 

BOSTON (AP) Marc Staal's first goal of the season was the tiebreaker with just over eight minutes remaining in the third period, and Alex Nedeljkovic made 41 saves, leading Detroit to a 2-1 win over the Boston Bruins on Tuesday night, the Red Wings' 3,000th victory.

Filip Zadina also scored for Detroit, which won its third straight and raised the franchise's all-time point total to 7,001.

"I thought we played very good defensively," Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill said of his netminder. "We gave up shots, but we didn't give up a whole bunch of chances. When we did, he did a good job."

David Pastrnak scored for Boston, and Linus Ullmark stopped 16 shots. The Bruins had won five of their last seven games.

Boston coach Bruce Cassidy missed the contest after being placed in the NHL's COVID-19 protocol earlier Tuesday.

"We made it a little easy on the goaltender, at times, not getting in front of him enough," Boston's interim coach Joe Sacco said. "We could have done a better job of providing a screen, taking his sight lines away. Better than what we did, certainly make it a little harder on him."

With an extra Detroit skater on for a delayed penalty, Staal charged in from the right circle and banged in a rebound from just outside the crease.

"I think it was a win that wasn't the prettiest," Detroit's center Dylan Larkin said. "We defended well. (Nedeljkovic) played great. We didn't get much offensively."

Brad Marchand, the Bruins' leading scorer, served the first of a three-game suspension for slew-footing Calgary's Oliver Ekman-Larsson in Sunday's game.

Skating with a 5-on-3 power-play advantage, Taylor Hall sent a cross-ice pass to Pastrnak, who one-timed a shot from the top of the left circle, tying it 6:20 into the third.

Zadina had pushed Detroit ahead at 5:03 of the second when he slipped a backhander into the net past Ullmark's glove.

Detroit's Nick Leddy hit the crossbar with a wrist shot from the point with just over a minute left in the second.

"It's a night where you want to come away with a win," Hall said. "It's great to get that amount of shots and control the zone time, but it's the score at the end of the night that dictates how we're going to feel."

MESSAGE

Both Blashill and Larkin opened their postgame press conferences with a comment for the people of Oxford, Michigan, following a school shooting there in which three students were killed and eight others injured.

"I just want to send out my prayers to the families that were affected today," Blashill said, getting choked up. "It's a terrible, terrible thing. It just shouldn't happen. Nothing I say certainly can do anything to help those that suffered the tragedy, that lost their lives.

"I think it's insane that this is somewhat normal and it just shouldn't happen," he said.

IN, WANTS OUT

Bruins GM Don Sweeney confirmed after the morning skate that forward Jake DeBrusk, a healthy scratch in the last game, asked to be traded. But, with Marchand and forward Anton Blidh out, combined with a bit of COVID-19 outbreak at the team's AHL affiliate in Providence, Rhode Island, the forward was needed in the lineup.

THOUGHT ON TUUKKA

Free agent goalie Tuukka Rask, who's been with Bruins for 14 seasons and had offseason labrum surgery, has been working out at the team's practice facility the past couple of weeks and hopes to be back sometime in January, if things work out with the Bruins.

Sweeney said the team is very open to his return.

"There's been a general understanding. Tuukka has to make a decision on his health," Sweeney said. "When he's able to do that officially and declare himself, we'll find a common ground. We have not hidden from that. If he is indeed healthy and wants to play, he's likely to be a part of our group."

[Brewin Flames]

Game # 20

 

Boston 2 Preds 0

 

Swayman's 42 saves leads Bruins over Predators 2-0

 

 

Jake DeBrusk gives Boston the 1-0 lead over Nashville.

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ByAP

Updated: 4 hours ago

 

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- — Jeremy Swayman made 42 saves, Jake DeBrusk and Brandon Carlo scored, and the Boston Bruins beat the Nashville Predators 2-0 Thursday night.

 

Swayman’s shutout was his first of the season and third of the rookie’s NHL career. After stopping 26 shots over the first two periods, Swayman was heavily tested in the third. Among his best saves in the final frame came when he denied Matt Duchene from the slot with the Predators on a power play.

 

He also stopped Colton Sissons’ redirection with around three minutes left, preserving Boston’s second win in three games.

 

“It was fun to watch,” Swayman said of his team’s effort. “Guys were taking pride in the defensive zone and also in the offensive zone. I had the best seat in the house watching them work, play together, a lot of talk out on the ice."

 

Juuse Saros made 31 saves for Nashville, which has dropped two of three.

 

“I thought both goaltenders played very well,” Nashville coach John Hynes said “They had some looks and (Saros) came up with some big saves for us. But they found a way to put two in and we didn’t.”

 

DeBrusk scored the first goal at 14:38 of the opening period. With the Bruins on a power play, he snapped a wrist shot from the top of the left faceoff circle past Saros and just underneath the crossbar on the short side.

 

“I think that Jake played pretty good tonight,” Bruins assistant coach Joe Sacco said. “He had a good game and hopefully he can build off of that, too. Like we said before, we want Jake to help our team any way possible, and he helped it with a big goal tonight.”

 

Boston has scored four power-play goals over the last three games in 10 opportunities.

 

Carlo added on 30 seconds into the second. Former Predator Erik Haula forced a turnover inside the Nashville blue line and sent a pass to Carlo in the high slot. He skated to his right and beat Saros with a slap shot on the stick side.

 

SMITH RETURN

 

Bruins wing Craig Smith played his first-ever road game in Nashville on Thursday. Smith played the first 661 games of his NHL career with the Predators, the team that drafted him in the fourth round (98th overall) in the 2009 Draft.

 

During a first period media timeout, the Predators played a tribute video featuring Smith’s on and off ice accomplishments during his time in Nashville. At the conclusion of the video, players from both teams tapped their sticks on the ice and boards, and Smith skated to center ice thanking the cheering Bridgestone Arena fans.

 

With Brad Marchand sitting out the second of his three-game suspension Thursday, the Bruins sewed an assistant captain’s A on Smith’s jersey for the game.

 

Smith signed with the Bruins as a free agent prior to the start of last season.

 

HALL 700

 

Taylor Hall skated in his 700th career NHL game Thursday. After stints in Edmonton, New Jersey, Arizona and Buffalo, Hall is in his first full season with the Bruins.

 

ZBORIL HURT

 

 

Boston defenseman Jakub Zboril left the game at 4:46 of the second period due to a lower-body injury after being hit into the right boards in the neutral zone by Nashville’s Tanner Jeannot.

 

Zboril was helped off the ice and did not put any weight on his right leg when exiting. The Bruins announced that he would not return to the game due to a lower-body injury.

[Brewin Flames]

Game # 21

 

Bruins 2 Bolts 3 OT

 

Stamkos scores in OT to lead Lightning past Bruins 3-2

 

 

0:29

 

 

 

0:09

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0:29

 

 

 

 

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Stamkos' OT goal gives Bolts win over Bruins

Steven Stamkos scores just 91 seconds into overtime as the Lightning defeat the Bruins 3-2.

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ByAP

Updated: 5 hours ago

 

BOSTON -- — Steven Stamkos scored at 1:31 of overtime, and the Tampa Bay Lighting bounced back after blowing a two-goal lead on Saturday night, beating the Boston Bruins 3-2.

 

“In an 82-game league, it's hard to play your best. Sometimes you have stinkers,” coach Jon Cooper said after the Lightning won for the eighth time in 11 games. “Tonight was a stinker.”

 

Taylor Raddysh had his first career goal, a short-handed score in the first period, and Ondrej Palat also scored for the defending Stanley Cup champions.

Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 37 shots.

 

“He stole one for us tonight. There's no doubt about it,” said Stamkos, who recorded a point for the sixth straight game. “He was amazing tonight. He was the difference-maker.”

 

Charlie Coyle and Curtis Lazar scored after the Bruins fell behind 2-0 early in the second period. Jeremy Swayman made 22 saves for the Bruins, who outshot the Lightning 39-25.

 

“I know we had a two-goal lead,” Stamkos said. “It didn’t really feel that way.”

 

Coming off a shutout against Nashville -- his third in 22 career NHL games -- Swayman let Tampa Bay take an early lead when he got caught spread-eagled on Raddysh’s short-handed rush late in the first period.

 

“I've been waiting a little too long for it,” said Raddysh, a 23-year-old rookie playing in his 22nd NHL game, who was announced for a goal at home on Tuesday night before it was taken away and credited to Anthony Cirelli. “Back of my mind last 10-15 games.”

 

The Lightning took a 2-0 lead early in the second, capitalizing after a Boston possession in which they hit iron twice -- once on a David Pastrnak shot off the crossbar and again when Brandon Carlo got a shot past the goalie but it rolled off the post and away. On the next faceoff, Palat shot it off Tomas Nosek's skate and past Swayman.

 

The Bruins finally broke through against Vasilevskiy late in the second, when Erik Haula slid it between his legs backwards to Coyle in front of the net. In the third, Lazar picked up the puck at the left circle, skated it to the net and then backhanded it off the top shelf on the goalie’s glove side.

 

Top Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy was scratched from the game with a non-COVID illness. The Bruins recalled defenseman Jack Ahcan, along with forward Oskar Steen, from Providence of the AHL earlier in the day.

 

The Bruins were also without coach Bruce Cassidy, who was placed in the league’s COVID-19 protocol on Tuesday. Assistant Joe Sacco has run the bench the last three games.

[CorkyM]

The Bruins are a bit of a disappointment to me, anyway. But gota be a fan. They’re not as good as some, better than others. Not all that young. But……..what happened to the Islanders this year!? 

[Brewin Flames]

Game # 22 

 

Boston 1 Van 2 SO

 

Canucks beat Bruins 2-1 in SO, Boudreau improves to 2-0

 

 

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ByAP

Updated: 2 hours ago

 

VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- — J.T. Miller scored the shootout winner, giving the Vancouver Canucks a 2-1 victory over the visiting Boston Bruins on Wednesday night.

 

The Canucks winger patiently outwaited Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman, and tucked a shot in behind his right skate. Bo Horvat also scored in the shootout.

Brock Boeser scored in regulation for Vancouver, which improved to 2-0 under new coach Bruce Boudreau.

 

“I think everyone feels confident that we can go into the next one and get another (win),” said defenseman Quinn Hughes. “We’re taking it one game at a time and one week at a time and that was the message when coach came in. For the first two games, I think we’re doing really good. And the amazing thing is I think we can play better, too.”

 

Boudreau took over the team late Sunday night and has had little time to come up with a shootout strategy. He said he relied on statistics Wednesday.

 

“I wanted (Elias Pettersson) to go first. I think he was at 40% in his career,” the coach said of the Swedish center who was stymied by Swayman.

 

“And then J.T. I know loves the pressure. I know that already after about four days.”

 

Patrice Bergeron got a power-play goal for Boston on a 5-on-3 advantage early in the third.

 

Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko made 35 saves on his 26th birthday. Swayman stopped 31 of 32 shots for Boston.

The Canucks won consecutive home games for the first time this season.

 

The Canucks took a 1-0 lead into the third period despite being outshot 16-13.

 

Boston got a two-man advantage early in the third period and tied the score at 1-all.

 

Juho Lammikko was called for slashing and the Canucks were working off the penalty before Miller ran into Swayman and was called for goaltender interference.

 

Just seconds into the 5-on-3 stretch, David Pastrnak sent a shot from inside the blue line and Bergeron deflected it in from in front of the net 4:51 into the third. It was the ninth goal of the season for the Bruins captain.

 

“Obviously (Pastrnak) has that shot where they need to be in the shooting lane, so it usually opens up a bit of a passing lane for a shot tip and especially 5-on-3 and we tried to use that to our advantage,” the Bruins captain said. “We talked about it before the face off on that play that it should be there.”

 

Brad Marchand flattened Vancouver's Travis Hamonic along the boards midway through the second frame, leaving the Canucks defenseman with an apparent leg injury. Hamonic limped to the bench, not putting any weight on his right leg, and was helped down the tunnel by a trainer. He did not return, leaving Vancouver with five defensemen.

 

“I think as far as the five going there, I think we played really good and strong,” Hughes said. “And it was just about playing smart hockey with five guys there and taking short shifts and I think we did really good with that.”

 

Marchand got an interference penalty for the play and the Canucks capitalized at the 15:01 mark.

 

Miller uncorked a shot from the top of the faceoff circle and Boeser tipped it in past Swayman from low in the slot for his sixth goal of the season.

Both sides were 1 for 4 with the man advantage.

 

The Bruins briefly had reason to celebrate earlier in the second. Boston picked off a puck deep in Vancouver territory and got it up the wall to Erik Haula, who went 1-on-1 with Demko before sending a backhanded shot up over the goalie’s left pad. The Canucks challenged for offside and after a video review, officials called the goal off.

 

Bruins assistant coach Joe Sacco said the game was tight at even strength.

 

“Both teams had some opportunities but probably not as much as we would have liked, especially speaking for our group. We had some opportunities,” said Sacco, who’s filling in as head coach while Bruce Cassidy is in COVID-19 protocol. “We passed up on some shots, I thought. I’d like to see us play off the shot a little bit more at times, but some of that has to go their credit as well. They defended hard.”

 

[Brewin Flames]

Game # 23 Bruins 3 Edm 2

 

 

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) Matt Grzelcyk scored his first goal of the season in the final minutes of the third period, and the Boston Bruins snapped a two-game skid with a 3-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday night.

Brad Marchand and Jake DeBrusk also scored for the Bruins.

"We just started playing our game in the third and it took us a couple of periods to get going," said Bruins assistant coach Joe Sacco. "Our group knew that we hadn't played our best hockey after two periods and they went out and played hockey.

"We felt like we were in a situation after two and we needed to keep playing, don't sit back, stay on the attack and don't be passive. It was a better third and it was a good response after they got their second goal."

Leon Draisaitl had two goals for the Oilers, who dropped their fourth straight game.

"I think the last two games probably could have gone either way," Draisaitl said. "I thought we were the better team tonight, but that's the NHL. We've won games too where we got outplayed.

"That is the way it goes when you are slumping, you find a way to lose these kinds of games. We have to find a way to get out of it."

Connor McDavid and Tyson Barrie each had a pair of assists for the Oilers in the loss.

The Bruins got the game's first goal with 3:45 left in the first period as Patrice Bergeron sprung Marchand on a short-handed breakaway, and he made no mistake putting his 10th goal of the season past Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner.

Boston took a two-goal lead two minutes into the second period on the power play as DeBrusk was left alone in front and scored his fifth. Edmonton fans thought the Bruins should have been assessed a penalty on the play after a trip prevented the Oilers from clearing the zone.

Edmonton closed within a goal with just under two minutes to play in the middle period, taking advantage of a man advantage. Draisaitl sent a one-timer from a difficult angle that beat Bruins goalie Linus Ullmark on the short side.

The Oilers tied it with another power-play goal midway through the third as Draisaitl scored again from a sharp angle for his league-leading 23nd goal of the season. It was Draisaitl's ninth two-goal game this season.

Boston got back in front with 2:33 left in the third after several chances and sustained pressure when Grzelcyk beat Skinner.

"I knew I had a lot of space so I tried to play with my head up and tried to hit the net first and foremost, and likely it found some daylight," Grzelcyk said.

Edmonton outshot Boston 43-30.

"It always feels better when they come back from a 2-0 deficit and we score the game-winning goal late in the third," Ullmark said.

[Brewin Flames]

Game # 24

 

Boston 4 Flames 2

 

Ullmark makes 40 saves, leads Bruins past Flames 4-2

 

 

Curtis Lazar lights the lamp vs. Flames

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ByAP

Updated: 2 hours ago

 

CALGARY, Alberta -- — Linus Ullmark is on a roll, and so are the Boston Bruins.

 

Ullmark made 40 saves and Brad Marchand had a goal and an assist as the Bruins beat the Calgary Flames 4-2 Saturday night.

 

Ullmark has given up two or fewer goals in each of his last five starts, winning four of those games. He improved to 7-5-0.

 

“You have to be able to rely on your goalie to come up big if you want to be a good team,” said Marchand. “He’s got to be able to keep you in it when the other team’s putting a lot of pressure on and make the big saves on the kill like he did tonight.”

 

“He came up big, especially in the first two periods again where we were at times hemmed in our end zone a little bit too much,” Bruins assistant coach Joe Sacco said of Ullmark. “He made the quality saves when we needed it.”

 

Charlie McAvoy, Curtis Lazar, and Connor Clifton, with his first of the season, also scored for Boston. The Bruins have points in five straight games (3-0-2) and have gone seven consecutive games on the road (6-0-1) without a regulation loss.

 

Boston took five of six points on its western Canada trip.

 

“A lot of heart,” said Ullmark, who as a free agent last summer signed a four-year, $20-million deal with the Bruins. “We grinded it out and whenever we had the opportunity to put one in, we did it.”

 

Matthew Tkachuk and Sean Monahan scored for Calgary, which is winless in four games. Rasmus Andersson had two assists. Jacob Markstrom had 23 saves in the loss. He dropped to 10-6-5.

 

“(Ullmark) made some some big saves but at the end of the day, it’s on us as a team to get to the dirty areas and go to the net and get those dirty goals,” Monahan said.

 

Ullmark was the story for Boston — from the opening puck drop.

 

After stopping all 15 shots he faced in the first period as the Bruins took the lead, he had to made five saves — including dangerous chances from in close by Andrew Mangiapane and Milan Lucic — on an early second-period Flames power play that kept it 1-0.

 

The Bruins took control shortly after, surging in front 3-0 on goals 56 seconds apart from Marchand and McAvoy.

 

At 5:52, David Pastrnak gained the Flames zone, hung onto the puck as he curled back to get some separation from Andersson before getting a shot away that Marchand deftly struck out of the air and over Markstrom’s glove.

 

McAvoy made it 3-0 when he slid in from the point undetected and used Flames defenseman Nikita Zadorov as a screen to pick the top corner.

 

The Flames cut the deficit to two at 12:19 of the second on the power play. Tkachuk got the puck at the top of the crease after Andersson’s point shot didn’t get through and flipped it into the net for his 12th goal.

 

Tkachuk’s goal snapped an 0-for-15 drought on the man-advantage.

 

Boston restored its two-goal cushion three minutes into the third when Markstrom couldn’t control the rebound from Trent Frederic’s original shot and seconds later, Lazar knocked the puck in for his second of the season.

 

Lazar was back in the line-up after being a healthy scratch last game.

 

It remained 4-1 until Monahan scored with 1:36 left in the third.

 

Calgary outshot Boston 15-7 in the first period, but against the flow of play, the Bruins got the only goal off an innocent-looking rush with just over two minutes remaining.

 

After jumping into the attack and getting the puck as he skated down the side, Clifton sent a rising wrist shot from a sharp angle that eluded the glove of Markstrom.

 

 

“We believe in ourselves. We believe in the group,” Tkachuk said when asked about the mood of the team. “Stay positive, get back to having fun, and having fun winning and enjoying the grind of winning games.”

[Brewin Flames]

Game # 25 

 

Boston 1 VGK 4

 

 

By JIMMY GOLEN

AP Sports Writer

 

BOSTON (AP) Max Pacioretty had a goal for the seventh straight game, scoring twice on Tuesday night to lead the Vegas Golden Knights to a 4-1 victory over the COVID-depleted Boston Bruins.

Shea Theodore also scored for Vegas, and Jonathan Marchessault had a goal with 0.6 seconds left in the three-goal first period to send the Bruins to their locker room to the boos of the hometown crowd.

Robin Lehner made 23 saves for the Vegas, which began a four-game East Coast trip with their fifth win in six games.

"It was a good start to a tough road trip," coach Peter DeBoer said.

Hours after the Bruins put leading scorer Brad Marchand in the COVID-19 protocol, and one day after coach Bruce Cassidy returned from his positive test, the Bruins snapped a two-game winning streak.

"We obviously know what a good player Marchand is," DeBoer said, nothing that forward Craig Smith also entered the protocol, hurting the Bruins' depth.

"This season has been all about managing injuries and guys in and out of the lineup," he said. "We try to concentrate on our own team. That's all you can do."

Patrice Bergeron scored for Boston, which fell behind 4-0 and pulled Jeremy Swayman with 2:43 left but could not get any closer.

"You're going to have tough breaks some times. It's how you respond," said Swayman, who stopped 21 shots. "It's all about competing until the last whistle blows.

Theodore scored with seven minutes left in the first. Two minutes later, Chandler Stephenson made a long pass to Pacioretty, who beat Swayman to make it 2-0.

The Golden Knights got a power play with 19 seconds left in the period. As the final second drained from the clock, Marchessault's pass deflected off two Bruins and through Swayman's legs to make it 3-0.

After booing the team off the ice at the end of the first, the crowd tried to fire it up to start the second with a chant of "Let's go Bruins!" But five minutes in, Pacioretty scored again for his 58th career multigoal game. He has 12 goals in 11 games.

Stephenson had three assists, including both of Pacioretty's goals.

"You can get a sense that this is going to come and it's going to come my way," Pacioretty said. "So you've got to be ready for it."

IN THE PROTOCOL

The Bruins were the last team to play Calgary before the Flames' season was put on hold Monday due to having six players and one staffer in the COVID-19 protocol. On Tuesday, Boston put Marchand and Smith in the NHL's COVID-19 protocol. Boston recalled forwards Jack Studnicka and Oskar Steen on an emergency basis to fill out the lineup.

[Brewin Flames]

Game # 26

 

Bruins 1 NYI 3

 

Clutterbuck, Varlamov lead Islanders to 3-1 win over Bruins

 

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ByAP

Updated: 4 hours ago

 

NEW YORK -- — Cal Clutterbuck scored twice and Semyon Varlamov stopped 40 shots for his first win of the season as the New York Islanders beat the depleted Boston Bruins 3-1 on Thursday night.

 

Anthony Beauvillier also scored to help the Islanders get their second straight win at home after opening 0-5-2 at the new $1.1 billion UBS Arena. New York is 3-3-3 over the last nine games, with all the losses coming by a single goal — including one in a shootout.

 

“It goes without saying, the last little while it's been make or break,” Clutterbuck said. “We put ourselves in a tough spot. ... We're just trying to focus on the day in front of us, one day at a time.”

 

Mike Reilly scored and Linus Ullmark had 25 saves for the Bruins, who have lost consecutive games in regulation after a 3-0-2 stretch. Boston was without seven players in COVID-19 protocol — including leading scorers Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron — and played a man down with 11 forwards and six defensemen.

 

“Were we given the option to play? I don't believe so,” Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said. “It was not discussed with me. I was assuming we're playing all along, even with being down one guy. ... We were here to play.”

 

Varlamov came into the game 0-5-1 with a 3.29 goals-against average this season, but had eight saves in the first period, 21 in the second and 11 in the third.

 

“It feels great,” he said. “It’s been a long time since I won my last game. First win for me feels amazing, finally. I had a tough stretch but it’s over. I'm happy for the team, we get two points today, and I'm happy for myself.”

 

Varlamov made a left pad save to deny Taylor Hall's backhand try on the right doorstep with just over three minutes remaining.

 

The Bruins pulled Ullmark for an extra skater shortly after that, and Clutterbuck scored his second of the night to make it 3-0 with 2:17 remaining. Reilly then spoiled Varlamov's shutout bid as he beat the goalie into the right corner with 53 seconds left.

 

The Islanders were 1 for 5 on the power play after coming in 5 for 14 over their previous six games.

 

“We didn’t give up much the first two periods and then we sat back a little bit more than we needed to in the third,” New York coach Barry Trotz said. “I thought we had good poise, there wasn’t any panic on the bench.”

 

The Islanders went on their second man-advantage of the game when Derek Forbort was called for high-sticking just 6 seconds into the second period.

 

New York scored as Beauvillier got a pass from rookie defenseman Robin Salo and fired a slap shot from the top of the left circle into the top right corner past Ullmark at 1:44 to make it 2-0.

 

Beauvillier, a healthy scratch against Detroit last Saturday, got his fourth of the season and first since Oct. 30 at Nashville.

“It feels good,” Beauvillier said. “Obviously, I have been waiting to find my game lately."

 

With the Islanders on another power play, Varlamov made a glove save on a shot by Curtis Lazar on the Bruins’ best chance up to that point midway through the period. Varlamov also stopped an attempt by Hall with just over eight minutes remaining, and then two tip tries by Jesper Froden over the next 13 seconds, drawing chants of “Var-ly! Var-ly!” from the home crowd.

 

“I felt they were trying to throw everything at the net and play the rebound,” Varlamov said. “My job was to track the puck well and I try not to give up a lot of rebounds.”

 

David Pastrnak had an excellent chance with 4 1/2 minutes left as he skated in on Varlamov and made a forehand-backhand-forehand move, but the goalie made a diving save on the backhand shot to stop the puck before it crossed the line, keeping Boston off the scoreboard.

 

The Islanders controlled play for much of the first period, outshooting the Bruins 7-2 over the first 11 1/2 minutes.

 

The Islanders got on the scoreboard with 8:13 remaining in the period. After a scramble for the puck behind the Bruins net, it came out in front and Clutterbuck skated up and fired it into the top right corner for his fourth.

 

COVID-19 ABSENCES

 

The Islanders were without star C Mathew Barzal due to COVID-19 protocols for the second straight game. Barzal, who has one goal and eight assists during a six-game point streak, is still in Detroit.

 

The Bruins were missing Marchand, Bergeron, C Craig Smith, LW Anton Blidh, C Trent Frederic, C Oskar Steen and G Jeremy Swayman. C Jack Studnicka, G Kyle Keyser and Froden were called up from Providence of the AHL.

[Brewin Flames]

Game # 27

 

Bruins 4 Sabres 3 OT

 

Coyle gets OT winner as B's rally past Sabres, 4-3

 

 

1:00

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Charlie Coyle wins it in OT for the Bruins

The Boston Bruins come all the way back from a 3-1 deficit to beat the Buffalo Sabres 4-3 in overtime.

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ByAP

6 minutes ago

 

BOSTON -- — Charlie Coyle scored on a wrist shot from the slot 34 seconds into overtime and Boston completed a 4-3 comeback victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday in the Bruins’ first game in 16 days.

 

Playing for the first time since Dec. 16 after six of their games were postponed due to the NHL’s COVID-19 protocols and a league shutdown, the Bruins erased a 3-1 deficit when Nick Foligno and Taylor Hall scored early in the third period.

 

Craig Smith also scored for Boston, and Linus Ullmark stopped 21 shots. The Bruins outshot the Sabres 41-24 to snap a two-game losing streak.

 

Jeff Skinner and Vinnie Hinostroza both returned from COVID-19 protocols and each had a goal for Buffalo. Alex Tuch added a power-play score and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 37 saves for the Sabres, who have lost their last three games.

Buffalo has dropped 10 of its last 11 against Boston (1-9-1).

Also returning from protocol and back behind the bench was Sabres coach Don Granato.

 

Trailing 3-1, Foligno lifted a backhander over Luukkonen for his first goal of the season. He looked toward the ceiling in jubilation after finally scoring.

Former Sabre Hall tied it with a wrister from the slot.

 

Skinner rushed in for a rebound and slipped it by Ullmark’s glove, giving Buffalo a 2-1 lead midway of the second period. Tuch’s first goal of the season made it 3-1 in the closing minute of the second, sending the Bruins to the dressing room at the end of the period to a smattering of boos.

 

Hinostroza's goal had made it 1-0 just 6:33 into the game.

 

Buffalo kept Boston off the scoreboard despite committing a penalty in the opening minute of the first and second periods until Smith tied it by knocking in a rebound as he was falling to the ice.

 

FULL SQUAD

 

Boston coach Bruce Cassidy said his team was rejuvenated with the entire roster finally together after Coyle, the last player in protocol, returned to practice on Friday.

 

“With COVID taking you out, you’re a little more appreciative of what you have,” he said before the game. “I think there’s a little more excitement with the group being together for the first time since training camp.”

 

LINE SHUFFLE WORKS

 

Cassidy moved up Smith to the first line and dropped David Pastrnak to the second.

 

“If it’s not working, we’ll move some pieces around,” Cassidy said in the morning.

[Brewin Flames]

Game # 28

 

Bruins 5 Wings 1

 

Bruins score five straight, surge past Red Wings

McAvoy, Nosek each has goal, assist in Boston's second straight win after break

by Dave Hogg / NHL.com Independent Correspondent

 3:52 PM

•  

 

 

 

 

DETROIT -- The Boston Bruins scored five straight goals in a 5-1 win against the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena on Sunday.

 

Charlie McAvoy and Tomas Nosek each had a goal and an assist for the Bruins (16-10-2), who scored three times in 4:41 in the third period. Jeremy Swayman made 23 saves in Boston's second win in as many days after a 15-day break.

 

Alex Nedeljkovic made 32 saves for the Red Wings (15-15-3).

 

Tyler Bertuzzi gave the Red Wings a 1-0 lead at 11:28 of the first period, knocking in a loose puck at the side of the crease.

 

Patrice Bergeron tied the game at 14:47 on a one-timer off Craig Smith's pass. Bergeron scored four goals against Detroit in a 5-1 win at TD Garden on Nov. 4.

 

Erik Haula took advantage of a Red Wings line change, breaking down the left wing and beating Nedeljkovic high on the glove sign to put Boston ahead 2-1 at 7:37 of the second period.

 

Haula almost scored again late in the period but hit the post on a shorthanded breakaway.

 

McAvoy gave the Bruins a 3-1 lead at 5:59 of the third period, putting away a cross-slot pass from Taylor Hall.

 

Trent Frederic put in a rebound to put Boston up 4-1 at 7:55, and Nosek expanded the lead to 5-1 at 10:40. 

 

 

 

Edited January 2, 2022 by Brewin Flames

[CorkyM]

Three in a row, wins. Take the Devils, 5-3. But, can they keep it up? Some age. 

[Brewin Flames]

Game # 29

 

Bruins 5 Devils 2

 

Pastrnak scores tiebreaker in 3rd, Bruins beat Devils 5-3

 

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ByAP

Updated: 5 hours ago

 

BOSTON -- — David Pastrnak scored the tiebreaking goal with 5:49 left in the third period and the Boston Bruins beat the New Jersey Devils 5-3 on Tuesday night.

 

Curtis Lazar had a goal and an assist, Oskar Steen scored his first career goal and the Bruins won their third straight since returning to the ice after they had six consecutive games postponed because of COVID-19.

 

Trent Frederic also scored for Boston, and Brandon Carlo sealed it on a goal with 23 seconds to play. Linus Ullmark finished with 23 saves for the Bruins, who never trailed in ending New Jersey's three-game winning streak.

 

"We've been playing some great hockey these last three games. Hopefully we can keep going," Pastrnak said.

 

It was the first goal for Pastrnak since Nov. 30. Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy recently shuffled lines, breaking up the top trio of Pastnak, Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand while trying to balance Boston's scoring.

 

“It’s going to take a little bit of time to get chemistry, but our focus is to talk to each other and be better every game,” said Pastrnak, who played on the second line with center Erik Haula and left wing Taylor Hall.

 

Pastrnak's new linemates both got assists on his goal.

 

Nathan Bastian, Tomas Tatar and Damon Severson scored for the Devils.

 

Mackenzie Blackwood made 29 saves for New Jersey, which rallied from deficits of 1-0, 2-1 and 3-2 to tie it but could not answer after Pastrnak scored from the slot for his ninth of the season.

 

“I think we did a lot of good stuff out there. We were battling and if we keep doing this every game, we could go a long way,” Tatar said. “We are looking much better after the break than we did before. If we’re going to keep repeating the right stuff, the good results will return for us.”

 

Just 20 seconds after Bastian scored on a breakaway in the opening minute of the second period, a pair of unlucky bounces for the Devils put Boston back up 2-1 when a shot by Nick Foligno bounced off Blackwood’s right shoulder and landed on top of the net.

 

Steen reached under the crossbar with his stick and tapped the puck, which bounced off Blackwood’s other shoulder and in for a goal.

 

Another bounce put Boston up 3-2 late in the second when Lazar forced a turnover deep in New Jersey’s zone and Frederic took a backhand from behind the goal line and banked the puck off Blackwood’s hip.

 

“That’s one of those games where just a bunch of them went in. I don’t think I’ve ever had that many fluky goals going in one game,” said Blackwood, who let a soft shot by Lazar slip between his pads for Boston's first goal.

 

“There's no sense in getting too hung up on it.”

 

New Jersey tied it 2-all when Tatar scored on a rebound after Jack Hughes put a backhand on Ullmark.

 

Severson tied it at 3 when he came out of the penalty box after serving a minor for holding the stick and took a long pass from Michael McLeod for a breakaway.

 

HAMILTON OUT

 

The Devils were without defenseman Dougie Hamilton, who is scheduled to have surgery on his broken jaw Wednesday.

 

Hamilton, a first-round draft pick by the Bruins in 2011, took a puck to the face Sunday early in the Devils’ overtime win at Boston. New Jersey put Hamilton on injured reserve and did not give a timetable for his return.

 

Game notes

Steen, recalled from AHL Providence on Saturday, had three assists in four games before getting his first career goal in the second period

[Brewin Flames]

6 hours ago, CorkyM said:

Three in a row, wins. Take the Devils, 5-3. But, can they keep it up? Some age. 

 

 

Looks like the line shuffle did some good...

[Brewin Flames]

Game # 30

 

Bos 2 Minn 3

 

Kaprozov scores in 4th straight, Wild beat Bruins 3-2

 

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ByAP

Updated: 6 hours ago

 

BOSTON -- — Kirill Kaprizov scored in his fourth straight game, Matt Boldy got a goal in his NHL debut and the Minnesota Wild snapped a five-game skid with a 3-2 win over the Boston Bruins on Thursday night.

 

Boldy, who played at Boston College last season and grew up about 20 miles southwest of Boston in Millis, Massachusetts, put Minnesota up 3-1 with a goal 12:26 into the second period, and the Wild hung on for their first win since Dec. 9, over the San Jose Sharks. The Wild had five games postponed due to COVID-19 protocols since that victory.

 

Nico Sturm also scored for Minnesota and Kaapo Kahkonen had 36 saves for the Wild, who lost Kaprizov midway through the second period after he was hit from behind.

 

"He's a huge part of our team. Any time a teammate goes down it's not good, but I think that what was great was the response," Kahkonen said. "Everybody just came together even more after that."

 

Taylor Hall and Brad Marchand scored for the Bruins, whose three-game winning streak was halted. Jeremy Swayman finished with 27 saves.

Boston coach Bruce Cassidy said the Bruins responded poorly when the game got chippy and penalties started to accumulate. The Bruins were called for 11 of the 19 penalties in the game.

 

“It’s just one of those games. There was zero flow,” Cassidy said.

 

“Lot of calls, lot of infractions, so you’re leaning on your special-teams players.”

 

Minnesota had been 0-4-1 since beating San Jose 5-2 in early December. The Wild had allowed 22 goals in their previous four games, including a 6-4 loss to St. Louis on Saturday in the Winter Classic.

 

Although the Wild allowed Boston 38 shots on goal, Minnesota’s defense kept most to the outside and Kahkonen was strong on the difficult shots he faced, including two from just in front of the crease in the final seconds after the Bruins pulled Swayman for an extra skater.

 

“From our goalie out, we played a hard game. We played a heavy game. We played an intelligent game,” Minnesota coach Dean Evason said. "We did the right things tonight to put ourselves in a position to get the win at the end of the night. That’s what we’re most proud of.”

 

Boldy, recalled from the taxi squad from Iowa of the AHL on Tuesday, scored on a give-and-go with Marcus Foligno in front of Boston’s net. Boldy passed the puck to Foligno, who sent it right back for a wrist shot Boldy sent past Swayman.

 

Boldy had a group of friends and family in attendance and the cheers carried throughout the subdued arena with the Bruins down 3-1.

 

Minnesota capitalized on a double power-play after Marchand was called for holding and Brandon Carlo went off for interference at 14:49 of the second period.

 

Kaprizov one-timed a crossing pass from Mats Zuccarello at 15:25 of the second, and the Wild took a 2-1 lead when Sturm tipped in a slap shot by Jonas Brodin 1:12 later.

 

Marchand scored off a backhanded pass from Patrice Bergeron with 4:25 left in the second period to pull Boston within 3-2.

 

KAPRIZOV OUT

 

Kaprizov didn't return after the hit from behind by Trent Frederic, which Evason described as “predatorial.” Evason said he was still waiting to hear how severely Kaprizov was injured.

 

“He’s as tough and gritty as you get, right? And he doesn’t come back in that hockey game. It doesn’t look good,” Evason said.

 

Frederic was called for boarding and unsportsmanlike conduct on the play, plus five minutes for fighting Dmitri Kulikov, who went right after Frederic after the hit on Kaprizov.

 

The rather one-sided fight ended with Frederic landing several unanswered blows, but Kulikov said he was glad to stand up for his teammate.

 

“Kirill was in a vulnerable position and he still went for a hit. You don’t want to see your teammate go down like that,” Kulikov said.

 

RASK RETURN

 

The Bruins signed goalkeeper Tuukka Rask to a professional tryout contract Thursday.

 

Rask is attempting to return from offseason labrum surgery on his hip. Rask, currently a free agent, has spent 14 seasons with the Bruins and is the franchise leader in wins. Rask was supposed to play for Providence this weekend, but the AHL postponed two games against Lehigh Valley because of COVID-19 protocols.

 

Rask has been working out at the Bruins’ training facility for more than two months and said he expects to be ready after just a game or two in the minors. Providence is scheduled to host Hartford on Jan. 14.

[Brewin Flames]

Game # 31

 

Bos 5 Bolts 2

 

Pastrnak, Marchand each score twice, Bruins beat Lightning

 

 

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By AP

Updated: 5 hours ago

 

TAMPA, Fla. -- — David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand each scored twice, Linus Ullmark made 27 saves and the Boston Bruins beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-2 on Saturday night.

 

Anton Blidh had the other Boston goal, and Taylor Hall picked up two assists. The Bruins have won four of five in January.

 

“There was a lot to like,” Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said. “I think our puck battles ... I think a lot of our goals were generated winning pucks in the wall. We played a hard to play against type of style tonight.”

 

Ondrej Palat and Brayden Point scored, and Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 25 shots for the Lightning. They are 8-1-1 in their last 10 homes games.

“They were better than us tonight,” Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper said. “We were off a bit and they capitalized.”

 

Pastrnak scored twice in the opening 6:10, giving him three goals in the last three games following a nine-game drought.

 

His first goal from the blue line went off Tampa Bay defenseman Andrej Sustr at 1:11 before the right wing made it 2-0 with a low slot rebound after he kicked a loose puck to his stick.

 

“He's such a dominant player and he knows the impact that he has on our group,” Marchand said. “He wants to be a difference maker every night. He's such a special talent. He steps up in big situations all the time."

 

Vasilevskiy made a pad save on Pastrnak’s slot shot midway through the second. Pastrnak finished with seven shots on goal.

 

Ullmark had four saves, including on good chances by Nikita Kucherov and Point, during an early first period Tampa Bay power play. The Lightning could muster just one shot during a 47-second, 5-on-3 power play midway through the second.

 

“It's always fun to play the best teams in the league because you really have to be sharp and be on point with everything you're doing,” Ullmark said. “It's a test of your game and mental fortitude. We play to be the best. You want to be that you've got to beat the best.”

 

After Marchand had a nifty re-direction 26 seconds into the second, Blidh made it 4-0 with 5:06 left in the period. Marchand added a late third-period empty-net goal.

 

Palat got his fourth goal in his last three games 24 seconds into the third.

 

Point cut the Lightning deficit to 4-2 at 11:20 of the third. He has six goals and 10 points in seven games since returning from an upper-body injury that sidelined him 14 games.

 

RASK RETURN

 

Cassidy said it hasn’t been ruled out that goalie Tuukka Rask could rejoin the team without playing games in the minor leagues.

 

Rask hasn’t played in the NHL since undergoing offseason labrum surgery on his hip.

 

NUMBERS

 

It was Pastrnak’s first multi-goal game of the season and 36th overall. … Hall has a five-game points streak (four assists, six points). ...

 

Kucherov, who had two assists in his first game Thursday against Calgary after missing 32 games with a lower-body injury, had five shots on goal but finished minus-3. ... Point was also minus-3.

[Brewin Flames]

Game # 32

 

Bos 7 Caps 3

 

Marchand bloodied, scores twice in Bruins' 7-3 win over Caps

 

 

David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand combine for four goals as the Bruins beat the Capitals 7-3.

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ByAP

Updated: 5 hours ago

WASHINGTON -- — Trainers repaired the giant gash on Brad Marchand's nose, stuffed gauze up his nostrils and then he stepped back on to the ice minutes after taking a violent high stick to the face.

 

Bloody nose and all, Marchand looked like the epitome of an old-school hockey player and led the Boston Bruins back from a two-goal deficit to rout the Washington Capitals 7-3 on Monday night.

 

Marchand scored two goals and assisted on another, while longtime linemate Patrice Bergeron saved one at the other end.

 

"It certainly didn't come as any surprise to any of us," defenseman Matt Grzelcyk said of Marchand's toughness. “When you get to see that each and every day, it’s extremely inspiring for us as teammates to want to follow in his footsteps.

 

If your best players are working as hard as they do, it feels out to the rest of the group and there’s no excuse.”

 

After falling behind by two on goals by Washington's Conor Sheary, the Bruins scored six in a row to hand the Capitals their fourth consecutive defeat, which is their longest losing streak this season.

 

“We’re losing games in all types of styles right now,” Capitals forward Nic Dowd said. “I’m not going to sit here and say, ‘Oh, it’s one thing or whatever.’ We’re up, we’re down, we’re coming back, we’re losing in overtime.”

 

Marchand started it all in the first period after taking a hard high stick from Dowd, requiring significant cleanup of blood on the ice and repairs to his nose on the bench.

 

With Dowd still serving the double-minor penalty, Marchand sparked the comeback by setting up David Pastrnak for his first goal of the game on a 5-on-3 power play with 1:26 left in the first period.

 

Marchand scored on a 5-on-4 just 40 seconds later to tie it before intermission.

 

“We know what he’s all about, so we’ve seen it," coach Bruce Cassidy said. “He’s a competitive guy when he puts the skates on. And I think it demoralizes the other team a little bit. They’re trying to play him hard."

 

The second period was all Boston. After Grzelcyk gave the Bruins the lead, Bergeron made sure they'd keep it. Goaltender Linus Ullmark was in no position to make a save, so the four-time Selke Trophy winner got his body in front of a shot by Evgeny Kuznetsov from point-blank range that would have sailed into the empty half of the net.

 

Less than a minute later, Craig Smith scored to make it 4-2 Bruins and chase Capitals starting goalie Zach Fucale. On the same night he was honored for setting the record for the longest shutout streak to start an NHL career at 138:07, Fucale got the hook after allowing four goals on 16 shots in under 28 minutes of work.

 

Vitek Vanecek was no better, giving up Pastrnak's second goal on the first shot he faced and allowing one to Erik Haula on the second. Bruins winger Taylor Hall assisted on each of those goals to extend his point streak to six games.

 

Marchand scored his second midway through the third period. The Capitals didn't think the effort was because Dowd made Marchand angry.

 

“He’s probably had a ton of games with two goals where he didn’t get hit in the face,” defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk said. “I think he brings it most nights, and that’s why he’s such a good player. He plays hard and, yeah, he’s tough. When you give him the opportunities, he’s going to take advantage.”

 

Grzelcyk added four assists to give himself a five-point night on the way to the Bruins improving to 9-1-1 in their past 11 road games. The five points were a career-high for Grzelcyk, who had never had more than two in a game before.

 

“As it’s happening, you just kind of shake your head," Grzelcyk said. "I was just laughing during the game because I’ve felt good about my game most of the year and points have been a little bit hard to come by.”

 

Sheary scored twice in the first 12:32 to stake Washington to a 2-0 lead, and Alex Ovechkin assisted on T.J. Oshie's goal late in the second that cut the deficit to 6-3. Ovechkin's 52nd point of the season put him one back of Edmonton's Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl for the league lead.

 

 

Edited January 11, 2022 by Brewin Flames

[Brewin Flames]

Game # 33

 

Boston 5 Habs 1

 

Marchand has hat trick, Bruins beat Canadiens 5-1

 

 

 

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ByAP

7 hours ago

BOSTON -- — Brad Marchand skated around the ice, waiting for the cleanup crew to gather up the hats tossed over the glass to celebrate his fifth career hat trick.

 

He stopped to pick up a wide-brimmed purple number that will be signed by the team, dated and added to his collection.

 

“The hat speaks for itself," Marchand said on Wednesday night after recording his fifth career hat trick in a 5-1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens. “It just has sexy written all over it.”

 

Marchand scored twice 15 seconds apart in the first period and added a short-handed goal in the second to lead the Bruins to their third straight win and their sixth in seven games. It was the third game in a row that they have opened a four-goal lead.

 

"I do believe this is closer to who we are," coach Bruce Cassidy said.

 

Curtis Lazar also scored for Boston and Urho Vaakanainen got his first NHL goal. 

 

Linus Ullmark stopped 24 shots as he tries to hold onto his spot in the goalie rotation with Tuukka Rask, the winningest goalie in franchise history, expected to make his season debut on Thursday night.

 

Michael Pezzetta scored midway through the second period for Montreal to make it 4-1 and spoil Ullmark's shutout bid.

 

Jake Allen gave up two goals on seven shots in the first 17:11 before he was replaced by Sam Montembeault, who stopped 31 of 34 shots the rest of the way.

The teams were originally scheduled to meet in Montreal on Wednesday night and Boston on March 12. The Bruins home game was moved up, with the hope that capacity restrictions in Canada will be eased by March.

 

Oskar Steen set up the Bruins' first goal at 14:43 of the first when he fought off Nick Suzuki for the puck and put it on net, where Marchand chipped it in.

 

Marchand scored again 15 seconds later when he swiped a high rebound in as it fell to the ice — his stick barely beating Patrice Bergeron's to the puck.

 

Lazar was credited with the goal that made it 3-0 when Jake DeBrusk's shot bounced off his foot and into the net as he was being pushed around in the slot.

 

It was still a three-goal lead seven minutes into the second when Marchand started the Bruins on a short-handed break and then finished it by crashing the net on the rebound for his fifth career hat trick.

 

It was his 33rd career short-handed goal, tying him for 14th all-time with Brian Rolston and Guy Carbonneau and a dozen more than the next highest active player.

 

GOALIE CHANGE

 

Rask, who won the Vezina Trophy in 2014, was a finalist for the award in 2020 but played in only 24 games last season as the team managed his workload while he fought hip and back injuries.

 

He had surgery to repair a torn labrum in his hip and remained unsigned, saying he wouldn’t play for anyone but Boston.

 

He signed a team-friendly one-year deal on Tuesday that will pay him $545,000. He took the ice for pregame warmups to the familiar cheer of “Tuuk!”; with Boston leading 5-1 in the final minutes, the fans chanted “We want Tuukka!”

 

Cassidy said there was no thought of inserting Rask into the blowout. “He’s ice cold on the bench. I think he’d give me the stop sign,” Cassidy said.

 

“We know that he hasn’t played in months. He told us he’s ready to go, in practice, and he looks good,” the coach said. “We’ll see where it leads. Whether he pitches a shutout tomorrow or is average, we’re not going to make a judgment based on one game.”

Edited January 13, 2022 by Brewin Flames

[Brewin Flames]

Game # 34

 

Bos 3 Flyers 2

 

Rask return, Pastrnak hat trick help Bruins beat Flyers 3-2

 

 

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ByAP

Updated: 5 hours ago

 

BOSTON -- — Tuukka Rask was relaxed and relieved after his first game in more than six months.

 

Rask made 24 saves in his return from hip surgery as the Boston Bruins beat the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 on Thursday night behind David Pastrnak's hat trick.

 

“It was great to feel that I had the ability to move both ways,” said Rask, who faced very few shots early but stopped all 12 that came his way in the third period.

 

Rask, the winningest goalie in franchise history, has been rehabbing from surgery last summer to repair a torn labrum. He was solid in net Thursday and got plenty of help from his teammates.

 

Pastrnak scored all three goals for the Bruins and they held Philadelphia to 27 shots while winning their fourth straight and seventh in eight games.

 

“He didn’t have a ton of work in terms of volume. He’s used to that a little bit around here,” Boston coach Bruce Cassidy said about Rask. “That’s kind of how we play. We’re pretty good at limiting volume and D-zone stuff for the most part, trying to keep it outside."

 

Cam Atkinson and Joel Farabee scored for Philadelphia, which lost its sixth in a row. Carter Hart finished with 33 saves, keeping the Flyers close despite a listless start.

 

Boston fans greeted Rask with a rousing “Tuuuuuuuk!” when he was the last of the Bruins introduced before the national anthem. But he was mostly idle early as the Flyers didn’t get a shot on goal for the first nine minutes.

 

By then the Bruins were already up 2-0 on goals by Pastrnak, who completed his 11th career hat trick with a power-play goal late in the second period after Philadelphia had scored twice.

 

“We know they’ve played a lot of hockey as of late and we did the exact opposite of what our game plan told us to do,” Atkinson said. “We got back to it second and third. You saw that we started playing better and guys wanted the puck a little bit more. But yeah, just a slow start for us.”

 

Rask didn’t face a shot until a harmless wrister from the blue line from Ivan Provorov at 9:19 of the first period. Rask faced just six shots in the first, none of which were particularly challenging as the Bruins controlled the play and spent most of the period in the Philadelphia end.

 

“The start wasn’t the easiest. There was no shots for the first I don’t know how many minutes,” Rask said.

 

Hart had a much busier night, stopping Pastrnak from in close several times after he scored 1:51 into the game and again at 5:27 of the first.

 

Boston went on a 5-on-3 power play late in the second and this time there was no stopping Pastrnak, who one-timed a slap shot from the top of the circle past Hart, who had lost his stick a few moments earlier.

 

Pastrnak’s 16th goal of the season put the Bruins up 3-2 and started a flurry of hats coming down from the stands for the second night in a row. Brad Marchand, who assisted on Pastrnak’s second goal, had a hat trick Wednesday in a 5-1 win over Montreal.

 

“Tonight it looked like he could have had five or six goals, to be honest with you,” Cassidy said of Pastrnak, who has seven goals in his last four games.

 

“Tonight was his night. The puck was finding him and it’s good to see. We needed all three of them. Hopefully he is back feeling great about his game.”

 

Atkinson pulled Philadelphia to 2-1 on a power-play goal 8:02 into the second with a tip of a shot by Provorov from the blue line.

 

Philadelphia tied it 2-all with five minutes left in the second when Farabee’s pass to Atkinson bounced off his skate right back to Farabee, who had Rask out of position and an empty net in which to deposit the tying goal.

 

Philadelphia had 51 seconds of a 5-on-3 power play after a delay of game penalty on Brandon Carlo and a charging call against Charlie Coyle. The only shot Philadelphia got on net was a slow bouncer that Rask scooped up despite a tip in front by James van Riemsdyk.

 

The Flyers pulled Hart with more than three minutes left in the third but were unable to get another equalizer.

 

“He keeps us in every single game,” Atkinson said. “We need to be a little harder in our blue in front of him and just help him out a little more.”