Boston Bruins 2018/19 Season Chatter

[Brewin Flames]

Game # 64

 4  1

Acciari's Toughness Was on Full Display

Two days after puck to mouth, forward notches first multi-point game in B's win over Tampa

by Eric Russo @NHLBruins / BostonBruins.com


BOSTON - Bruce Cassidy did not hold back when describing Noel Acciari's condition on Wednesday afternoon.

"Noel had extensive dental work done this morning," Cassidy said after Acciari missed practice to deal with the aftermath of a Brent Burns clear attempt to the mouth on Tuesday night against the Sharks.

"I don't believe there's anything long term, like jaw or anything broken, but there's some teeth that are all over the place, so we'll see how he is in the morning."

Even for a hockey player, having "teeth that are all over the place" to the point that "extensive dental work" is needed probably doesn't bode well for their chances of playing the following day.

As such, Cassidy was planning to be without his fourth-line center for the Bruins' showdown with the league-leading Lightning on Thursday night.

Ultimately, alternative preparations were not needed.

Acciari reported to the rink for pregame skate and declared himself ready to play, despite two missing teeth and stitches dotting both the upper and lower parts of his lip.

"No," the 27-year-old said when asked if he ever thought about not suiting up against Tampa. "I always anticipated on playing. I mean, I'm OK with pain so…"

So…let's just say Acciari is most definitely a hockey guy.

The Rhode Island native, donning a fish bowl-style face shield, played, perhaps, the best game of his career, notching a goal - the eventual winner with 8:13 to play - and an assist to lift the Bruins to a 4-1 victory over the Lightning and extend Boston's points streak to 15 games.

"He wants to play in these games," said Cassidy, whose club finished February at 11-0-2. "He's valuable in these types of games. We need him to be a hard guy to play against when they have that much skill, so he came through for us tonight."

Acciari was a bull at both ends of the ice, landing a game-high five hits, while also firing four shots on goal - the second-highest total of his four-year career. The goal and assist, meanwhile, marked his first ever multi-point game.

"Especially in this group here, it takes a lot more than a puck to the mouth to keep a guy out of the game," said Brad Marchand, who picked up his 26th goal of the season. "You see what guys consistently play through here with broken bones and holes in their lungs and kidney stones and stuff like that…hockey players don't sit out because they have a sore thumb."

That toughness, grit, and energy is exactly why Boston's fourth line of Acciari, Sean Kuraly, and Chris Wagner is routinely called upon by Cassidy to start games - which was the case again on Thursday - and match up against the opposing team's top line.

"Coach has got a lot of confidence in us to get us out to a good start, and we just try to get the puck in deep and just kind of go to work like the line we are. We're strong on pucks and that's what we try to think of every night," said Acciari, who will require more dental work to finish patching up the damage to his chops once the swelling subsides.

After a number of high-end chances over the opening two periods, the trio finally broke through just past the midway point of the third period giving the Bruins a boost at just the right time.

With Kuraly having left the game earlier in the frame after taking a heavy hit behind the Tampa Bay net, Joakim Nordstrom slid down to take his spot and it was his heavy forecheck that helped set things in motion.

Nordstrom closed in on Lightning goalie Louis Domingue behind the net, forcing the backstop to rim the puck around the boards. Acciari, entering the zone fresh off a line change, pinched down the wall to knock the puck away from Nikita Kucherov and tap it over to Wagner, whose shot off of Domingue's pad ricocheted into the slot.

Acciari was there to bang home the rebound and give Boston a 2-0 advantage with 8:13 to play.

"I just picked the puck up off the wall, and gave it to Wags and Wags had a great shot low pad and it just happened to bounce right in front of me and I was able to tap it in," said Acciari, whose tally set off a span of three Bruins goals in 1:28 that extended their lead to 4-0.

The second goal of that sequence came off the stick of Patrice Bergeron just 45 seconds after Acciari's marker, and it all began with another strong play by Acciari at the Bruins' blue line to knock the puck away from Brayden Point. Danton Heinen corralled the loose puck and got Boston moving back up the ice, where he eventually found Bergeron for the centerman's 22nd goal of the season.

"We knew if he was fine there was no doubt he was going to play," said Cassidy. "He's got the magic bubble on that seems to work for our players. All of a sudden instant offense, so we'll see if we can find a few more of those."

Cassidy was, of course, referring to Acciari's linemate Kuraly, who after suffering a broken nose on Dec. 9 in a fight with Ottawa's Ben Harpur, was forced to wear the "bubble" mask for the ensuing six weeks. During that time - a span of 19 games - Kuraly picked up five goals and five assists, including back-to-back game-winning tallies in Buffalo on Dec. 29 and at the Winter Classic against Chicago on New Year's Day.

"Sean was like, 'It's a lucky helmet - they're lucky bubbles, so good things will come,'" said Acciari. "And he was right."

[Brewin Flames]

Game # 65

 1  0

Marchand's goal keeps Bruins rolling with 1-0 win vs. Devils

Marchand scores game's lone goalPatrice Bergeron makes a terrific pass to Brad Marchand, who lights the lamp in Boston's 1-0 win against New Jersey.

BOSTON -- Tuukka Rask had a perfect spot to watch most of the action.

Fortunately for the Boston Bruins, the few times he had to go to work, he was ready.

Brad Marchand scored a power-play goal early in the opening period and Rask made it stand up with 20 saves in a relatively easy night for his third shutout of the season, lifting the surging Bruins to a 1-0 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Saturday night.

"I think it comes with the experience," Rask said of his light night. "You just kind of hang out, watch the game, take it like a practice. You start thinking too much and you kind of (hurt) yourself. You let your experience come in."

The victory improved the Bruins' streak of at least one point in every game to 16 straight (12-0-4) and they haven't lost in regulation since a 3-2 setback to the New York Rangers on Jan. 19. It's their longest since 18 games (14-0-4) last season.

Rask is 14-0-3 in his last 17 starts.

"Goalies are human, too," Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said. "They have a tendency to let their foot off, so to speak, and take a mental breather. . He's really in a zone right now. It looked like one of his easier shutouts, but these games are sometimes harder because you don't get a lot of action and you've got to stay focused."

Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 29 shots for the Devils, including Marchand's penalty shot. New Jersey has lost five of seven.

"You realize it's 1-nothing, but it's not like I feel a ton of pressure to not let another one in," he said. "It's more so I want to keep feeling good about my game to give the guys a chance."

It was the first time the Devils have been shut out since a 3-0 loss to Columbus on Dec. 23.

"We made a good first pass," New Jersey defenseman Andy Greene said. "It was maybe that second and third play coming out of our zone."

With Kenny Agostino in the penalty box for interfering with Rask, Marchand beat Blackwood with a wrister from the bottom of the right circle just 14 seconds into the power play after collecting a pass from Bergeron at 2:37. It was Bergeron's 793rd career point, moving him into a sixth-place tie with Wayne Cashman on Boston's all-time scoring list.

Marchand had his penalty shot after getting hooked by defenseman Damon Severson almost five minutes after his goal, but Blackwood made a right-pad stop.

Rask made a nice left-pad stop on winger Jesper Bratt, who cut in alone midway into the final period, bringing a loud roar from the crowd looking for some offense by the Bruins.

In the second period, the Bruins outshot the Devils 10-4, getting a couple of good chances in the final minute that Blackwood turned aside.

CAN'T MAKE THIS UP

Marchand played his 666th career game and entered the contest with 666 career penalty minutes against, yep, the Devils.

TO THE RESCUE

Bruins winger Jake DeBrusk, manning the front, with defenseman Charlie McAvoy carrying the rear, came jogging down a hallway holding a ladder to get a soccer ball down that was caught in some pipes in the ceiling about an hour before the game.

Typically, a group of players kick the ball to each other in a circle wearing shorts and T-shirts before they get into their uniforms for warmups.

[Brewin Flames]

Game # 66

 4  3 OT

Krejci scores in OT, Bruins beat Hurricanes 4-3


Krejci's OT goal wins it for BostonDavid Krejci scores the game-winner in overtime as the Bruins knock off the Hurricanes 4-3.

BOSTON -- Jake DeBrusk had a goal, an assist and one very big steal to help the Boston Bruins keep rolling toward the playoffs.

DeBrusk stole the puck deep in Carolina's zone and made a centering pass to David Krejci for the game-winner 1:46 into overtime as the Bruins beat the Hurricanes 4-3 on Tuesday night.

"He just put it on my tape," Krejci said. "J.D. made it pretty easy for me."

Krejci assisted on DeBrusk's goal in the second period and both finished with a goal and an assist.

Chris Wanger and Patrice Bergeron also scored for the Bruins, who rallied from a 2-0 deficit and have earned at least a point in 17 straight games.

"We weren't really playing our style and kind of playing into Carolina's hands," DeBrusk said of Boston's slow start Tuesday.

Sebastian Aho scored twice for Carolina. Justin Williams also scored for the Hurricanes, and Curtis McElhinney finished with 34 saves.

The Hurricanes had won five straight, but still salvaged a point after entering the night in playoff position at No. 6 in the Eastern Conference standings.

"At the end of the day we were up and we've got to find a way to not let them get back into the game," Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour said.

Brind'Amour said mistakes by his club helped lead to each of Boston's goals, including Bergeron's short-handed tally 2:45 into the third that put the Bruins up 3-2.

"They're good enough to get their own offense. We don't need to give it to them and that's the disturbing part," Brind'Amour said.

Another mistake that stood out was a crucial turnover in overtime. DeBrusk delivered a check on Carolina defenseman Justin Faulk and swiped the puck in the process, skating behind the net to the opposite corner, and then spun around with a perfect pass for Krejci.

"He just stripped the guy," Boston coach Bruce Cassidy said. "Most defensemen don't think that's going to happen and all of a sudden, he's got the puck and throwing it to the crease."

Bergeron's short-handed goal came on a one-timer on a 2-on-1 with Brad Marchand.

The lead held until Williams' slap shot from the point tied it again with 7:43 left.

Aho gave Carolina a 1-0 lead 6:30 into the game when he deflected in a shot by Calvin de Haan. Then Aho got free for a breakaway inside Boston's blue line and beat Halak 1:10 into the second to put Carolina up 2-0.

Wagner pulled Boston within 2-1 when he poked in his own rebound after tipping a slap shot by Brandon Carlo. DeBrusk scored on another rebound with 1:46 left in the second to tie it at 2-all after Krejci brought the puck in and got a shot off on McElhinney.

[Math]

2 hours ago, Brewin Flames said:

Game # 66

 4  3 OT

Krejci scores in OT, Bruins beat Hurricanes 4-3


Krejci's OT goal wins it for BostonDavid Krejci scores the game-winner in overtime as the Bruins knock off the Hurricanes 4-3.

BOSTON -- Jake DeBrusk had a goal, an assist and one very big steal to help the Boston Bruins keep rolling toward the playoffs.

DeBrusk stole the puck deep in Carolina's zone and made a centering pass to David Krejci for the game-winner 1:46 into overtime as the Bruins beat the Hurricanes 4-3 on Tuesday night.

"He just put it on my tape," Krejci said. "J.D. made it pretty easy for me."

Krejci assisted on DeBrusk's goal in the second period and both finished with a goal and an assist.

Chris Wanger and Patrice Bergeron also scored for the Bruins, who rallied from a 2-0 deficit and have earned at least a point in 17 straight games.

"We weren't really playing our style and kind of playing into Carolina's hands," DeBrusk said of Boston's slow start Tuesday.

Sebastian Aho scored twice for Carolina. Justin Williams also scored for the Hurricanes, and Curtis McElhinney finished with 34 saves.

The Hurricanes had won five straight, but still salvaged a point after entering the night in playoff position at No. 6 in the Eastern Conference standings.

"At the end of the day we were up and we've got to find a way to not let them get back into the game," Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour said.

Brind'Amour said mistakes by his club helped lead to each of Boston's goals, including Bergeron's short-handed tally 2:45 into the third that put the Bruins up 3-2.

"They're good enough to get their own offense. We don't need to give it to them and that's the disturbing part," Brind'Amour said.

Another mistake that stood out was a crucial turnover in overtime. DeBrusk delivered a check on Carolina defenseman Justin Faulk and swiped the puck in the process, skating behind the net to the opposite corner, and then spun around with a perfect pass for Krejci.

"He just stripped the guy," Boston coach Bruce Cassidy said. "Most defensemen don't think that's going to happen and all of a sudden, he's got the puck and throwing it to the crease."

Bergeron's short-handed goal came on a one-timer on a 2-on-1 with Brad Marchand.

The lead held until Williams' slap shot from the point tied it again with 7:43 left.

Aho gave Carolina a 1-0 lead 6:30 into the game when he deflected in a shot by Calvin de Haan. Then Aho got free for a breakaway inside Boston's blue line and beat Halak 1:10 into the second to put Carolina up 2-0.

Wagner pulled Boston within 2-1 when he poked in his own rebound after tipping a slap shot by Brandon Carlo. DeBrusk scored on another rebound with 1:46 left in the second to tie it at 2-all after Krejci brought the puck in and got a shot off on McElhinney.

 

Second and last time we saw the Whaler jersey on an NHL game, Hartford fans were pretty upset by the use of it. I know Dundon wanted to make it "cool" to use that first incarnation of the franchise, but bitter feelings were too strong.

 

Still, one of the best logo and jersey ever...

 

 

[Brewin Flames]

Game # 67

 4  3

Bergeron, Bruins rally past Panthers to extend points streak


Bergeron scores with 6.7 seconds left to win it for BostonThe Panthers leave Patrice Bergeron unmarked and he burns them for a goal with 6.7 seconds left in the Bruins' 4-3 win.

BOSTON -- Fatigue has become the biggest threat to the Boston Bruins' impressive points streak. They found a way to fight through it for the second time this week.

Patrice Bergeron scored twice, including the winner with 7.2 seconds remaining as the Bruins came from two goals down to beat the Florida Panthers 4-3 Thursday night, pushing their points streak to a league-best 18 games.

Boston also trailed by two in Tuesday's 4-3 overtime win against Carolina before finding itself in the same situation versus Florida. This time, the Bruins needed two goals in the final minute to preserve the streak.

"I felt like we were tired tonight, especially early on," Bergeron said. "I can't say that I knew all along we had it. Obviously it wasn't our best game by any means or (a) perfect game, but it's obviously the resiliency that you want to see."

Brad Marchand won a battle in the corner and shuffled the puck to Bergeron, who fired a wrist shot from the left circle past screened Panthers goalie Roberto Luongo to cap the Bruins' improbable comeback.

David Krejci and Matt Grzelcyk also scored for the Bruins, who are 14-0-4 during their points streak. It matched its second-longest points streak in team history after a similar run last season and 15-0-3 mark in the 1940-41 season. Tuukka Rask made 22 saves to extend his personal points streak to 18 games (15-0-3).

"(We're a) special group, for sure. It's in our DNA now that we just don't give up," Rask said. "We go about our business and just battle `till the end. Sometimes it pays off, sometimes it doesn't."

Jonathan Huberdeau scored twice and Aleksander Barkov also had a goal for the Panthers, who lost their sixth straight (0-2-4). Luongo finished with 24 saves.

"It's the most disappointing loss this year I think the way and the fashion it happened," Florida coach Bob Boughner said. "No one has beaten this team in regulation in 17 games, now 18. I feel we should've been that team and all that was taken away in less than a couple minutes. It hurts."

Boston fell behind 3-2 with 9:08 remaining when Huberdeau charged into the Bruins' zone and skated around Zdeno Chara before executing a nifty spin move in the right circle and slinging the puck past Rask for his second goal.

Grzelcyk pulled Boston even on his one-timer near the blue line on a power play with 36.5 seconds to play before Bergeron won it.

"We were 30 seconds away from a perfect, 60-minute game," Barkov said. "We came here and wanted to end (their streak) and get the win and move forward. But then those last 30 seconds, they hurt a lot."

The Panthers grabbed a 2-0 lead with a pair of power-play goals early in the second.

Less than 30 seconds after Brandon Carlo was whistled for tripping, Barkov tipped in Keith Yandle's straightaway shot after Huberdeau corralled the puck along the boards and set him up to make it 1-0 at 2:48. It was Barkov's 29th goal, moving him one behind team leader Mike Hoffman.

Huberdeau batted a puck out of midair in the slot for Florida's second tally nearly four minutes later and 30 seconds into Chara's delay of game penalty. The goal was upheld after a brief review for high-sticking.

Krejci polished off a give-and-go for Boston with 9:31 left in the second. The Bruins' alternate captain struggled to get a handle on Danton Heinen's return feed through the slot, but still got enough on the shot to beat a sprawling Luongo.

Boston capitalized on a Panthers giveaway for a short-handed goal as Bergeron scored on a wrister behind the left circle with 11:10 remaining to tie it at 2.

[Brewin Flames]

Game # 68

 3  2

Krejci's late goal helps Bruins extend points streak to 19


Bruins' late-game magic continues with Krejci goal

David Krejci redirects a Danton Heinen shot from the point with 44.7 seconds left to hand the Bruins a 3-2 win over the Senators.

BOSTON -- The points -- and comebacks -- keep coming for the Boston Bruins.

David Krejci scored on a tip-in with 44.7 seconds left and the Bruins extended their NHL-best run of 19 straight games with a point by beating the Ottawa Senators 3-2 Saturday night.

"It's a nice number," Krejci said. "We know what we're playing here for, and obviously (tonight was a) good finish from the team."

This was Boston's third come-from-behind victory this week. Brad Marchand and Chris Wagner also scored for the Bruins, who improved to 15-0-4 in their last 19 to establish the second-longest points streak in franchise history -- the 1940-41 club holds the team mark with 15 wins and eight ties over a 23-game run.

Boston trailed by two in Tuesday's 4-3 overtime win against Carolina before falling into the same hole in Thursday's 4-3 win over Florida.

Ottawa led by a goal early in the third before Wagner's tying goal set up Krejci's winner.

Danton Heinen skated into the slot and took a wrist shot that Krejci re-directed past Senators goalie Craig Anderson, giving Boston its sixth straight win overall and 10th in a row at home.

"Obviously it would be nice to play with the lead, but at the end of the day two points is two points," Krejci said. "We'll take it."

Tuukka Rask made 17 saves to improve his personal points streak to 19 games (16-0-3).

Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Brady Tkachuk each had goals for Ottawa, which has lost 10 of its last 11 (1-9-1). Anderson is winless in his last 13 appearance dating to a 4-3 overtime victory against Nashville on Dec. 17.

"I thought we probably deserved a better fate," Anderson said. "We played a pretty good, solid game overall, and attention to details (cost us) near the end."

The Senators dropped to 1-3-1 since firing coach Guy Boucher last Friday and making associate Marc Crawford the interim.

"In order to win, it's usually always about a series of habits," Crawford said. "And on the final goal, we missed two assignments, we had a poor change, and those things can't happen."

After a scoreless first, the teams scored 57 seconds apart midway through the second.

Marchand beat Anderson on a power-play with a one-timer from the right circle off Torey Krug's cross-ice feed to give Boston a 1-0 lead with 9:49 left.

Pageau answered with a wrist shot in the slot to beat Rask nearly a minute later.

Tkachuk swooped in to bury a rebound after Rask stopped Chris Tierney's initial offering at 2:46 of the third to put the Senators ahead 2-1.

Wagner tied it for the Bruins on a 4-on-4 after winning a battle in the slot and re-directing Krug's wrist shot past Anderson with 11:13 remaining.

"We've got some good players in the room stepping up at the right time," Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said. "It's the sign of a good team, and we need it."

Game notes

The win marked the first time in Bruins' history that the team scored a game-winning goal in the final minute of consecutive regulation games.

[Brewin Flames]

Game # 69

 2  4

Penguins end Bruins' 19-game point streak in 4-2 win

Guentzel nets goal in Penguins' winJake Guentzel extends the Penguins' lead with a second-period goal leading to the Penguins taking down the Bruins 4-2.

PITTSBURGH -- For the first time in nearly two months, the Boston Bruins ran out of time. It tends to happen when the Bruins play in Pittsburgh, no matter how hot they are.

Jared McCann scored twice, Matt Murray finished with 39 saves and the Penguins handed the Bruins their first regulation loss since January with a 4-2 victory on Sunday night.

Boston came in 15-0-4 in its last 19 games for the franchise's longest point streak since 1940-41. A goal by John Moore with just over a minute to go got Boston within one, but McCann's empty-netter with 21 seconds left made the Bruins regulation losers for the first time since Jan. 19 against the New York Rangers.

"I think we can be proud of that, but not satisfied," Moore said. "There's no reason we can't get back to work on Tuesday. That's the special part about this group. Guys really push each other. We expect a lot out of each other."

Then again, so do the Penguins, who won for the fifth time in seven games to strengthen their position in the race for a playoff spot. Pittsburgh rose to third in the Metropolitan Division with 13 games to go thanks in part to another steady performance by Murray and another jolt from McCann and Nick Bjugstad, who have thrived since arriving in a trade with Florida on Feb. 1.

McCann's two goals -- a short-handed breakaway in the first and his flip from near center ice in the waning seconds -- gave him 16 goals on the season, eight of them coming in his 19 games with Pittsburgh. Bjugstad added his fifth with Pittsburgh, matching the total he put up in 32 games with Florida.

"They're two real good players and they've embraced the roles we put them in," Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said.

Jake Guentzel collected his team-high 34th goal for Pittsburgh, which kept Boston winless at PPG Paints Arena since December 2015 by jumping out early and then holding on late.

David Krejci picked up his 19th for the Bruins and Jaroslav Halak made 33 stops, but Boston was on its heels for most of the first period while falling into a two-goal deficit from which it couldn't recover.

"We were light on all the battles in the first," coach Bruce Cassidy said. "You could tell they were better prepared to win the pucks. It cost us a couple of goals."

The Bruins used the franchise's longest point streak in nearly eight decades to rise above the muddled portion of the Eastern Conference playoff race. Their six-week stretch included flashes of dominance and a flair for the dramatic. Boston arrived in Pittsburgh coming off a 6-0 homestand, one that culminated with last-minute victories over Florida and Ottawa.

Boston's run came to an end against a team that seems to be gaining some momentum late in a bumpy and wildly uneven season, at least by Pittsburgh standards. Things appear to be evening out thanks in large part to Bjugstad and McCann's fresh legs.

Bjugstad needed just 93 seconds to give the Penguins the lead, fighting for position at the far post and redirecting a centering pass from Zach Aston-Reese.

McCann made it 2-0 at 13:54 when he took a lead pass from Teddy Blueger and broke in alone on Halak before deking from his forehand to his backhand. Halak could only stretch out his glove in vain as McCann slipped home Pittsburgh's 10th short-handed goal of the season.

"I feel like the harder you kind of fake it the more he has to respect it," McCann said. "I just try to fake it as hard as I could and he bit on it."

Krejci got Boston on the board early in the second when the puck emerged from a scrum in front of the Pittsburgh net and ended up on his stick in the left circle. He flipped it over a sprawled Murray to get the Bruins within one.

Pittsburgh's potent power play has been a bit of a mess of late -- just as likely to give up a goal as score one -- and was a lifeless 0 for 4 when Sullivan put Guentzel on the top unit with Sidney Crosby. It paid immediate dividends.

Crosby raced into the zone down the left side and sent a perfect cross-ice pass to Guentzel, who quickly went backhand to forehand and lifted it by Halak to restore the two-goal cushion.

[Brewin Flames]

Game # 70

 4  7

Jenner's hat trick powers Blue Jackets over Bruins 7-4

Jenner scores a hat trick vs. BruinsBoone Jenner helps lift the Blue Jackets 7-4 over the Bruins with a hat trick.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Boone Jenner got off his sick bed and rung up his first career hat trick.

The Columbus center had a fever and missed his team's loss to the New York Islanders on Monday. His return to the lineup on Tuesday night powered the Blue Jackets to a much-needed 7-4 win over the Boston as they scrap to stay above the wild-card line in the Eastern Division with a dozen games left.

"It wasn't fun yesterday not feeling well and not being with the guys, so it was nice today to just get back out there," said the 25-year-old Jenner, whose goal in the second period was the 100th of his career.

Jenner, said Columbus coach John Tortorella, "gave us great life tonight."

Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 27 shots, and Josh Anderson and Zach Werenski each had a goal and three assists for the Blue Jackets. The four points were a career high for each.

The Blue Jackets have taken plenty of shots but haven't been able to score goals lately. They were shut out for the third time in six games on Monday, but on Tuesday the pucks started going in.

Columbus scored five unanswered goals to go up 5-1 before the Bruins came roaring back with three straight in a wild second period to make it a one-goal game. Werenski's first goal in 30 games provided Columbus some breathing room late, and Jenner's empty-netter completed his hat trick with 47 seconds left.

"We just talked about staying on the gas, staying on the attack, and that's what we did there in the third," Werenski said. "I don't think we gave them much. They're down by a few so they're going to have some chances, but (Bobrovsky) stood tall and we played well defensively."

Brad Marchand had two goals and an assist, and Patrice Bergeron a goal and an assist to lead Boston, which lost its second game since stringing together a 20-game points streak. The Bruins stayed in second place behind Tampa Bay in the Atlantic Division.

Tuukka Rask had 19 saves on 24 shots before being replaced in the second period by Jaroslav Halak, who made nine more stops.

Both teams scored short-handed goals in the first period.

Ryan Dzingel's goal in the first for Columbus was his career-high 23rd, and Matt Duchene scored in the second for the Blue Jackets. Chris Wagner got the other goal for Boston, pulling the Bruins within 5-3 before Marchand scored late in the second to make it a one-goal game.

"Sooner or later you're going to have a game where the other team is better than you, for a variety of different reasons," Boston coach Bruce Cassidy said. "So I think that the fact that our guys had the will to come back is a good positive. I tend to be an optimist, but there's a lot of things we need to do better. I'm a little disappointed in some of the players."

[Brewin Flames]

Game # 71

 3  4

Scheifele has goal, 2 assists as Jets beat Bruins 4-3

Wheeler taps in rebound in Jets' winBlake Wheeler records his 20th goal of the season by pouncing on a rebound in the Jets' 4-3 victory against the Bruins.

WINNIPEG, Manitoba -- Mark Scheifele likes how Patrik Laine continues to fit in on the Winnipeg Jets' top line.

Scheifele had a goal and two assists, Blake Wheeler added a goal and an assist, and Laine had two assists as the Winnipeg Jets beat Boston 4-3 Thursday night for the Bruins' third straight loss.

"I think what guys realize about me and Wheels is it's never one guy's the passer, one guy's the shooter," Scheifele said. "We all do the work, we all do what needs to be done.

"When you're the guy to score, you're the guy to score. When you're the guy to pass, you're the guy to pass. That's the way we've always worked."

Jacob Trouba and Nikolaj Ehlers also scored for the Jets, who snapped a two-game skid and improved to 5-5 in their last 10 games. Connor Hellebuyck stopped 36 shots as Winnipeg moved three points ahead of Nashville atop the Central Division.

Charlie McAvoy, Joakim Nordstrom and Charlie Coyle scored for Boston and David Krejci had two assists. Tuukka Rask finished with 20 saves.

Ehlers scored the eventual game-winner with just under 7 minutes left after Trouba put the Jets ahead 3-2 earlier in the third period.

Coyle got Boston within one with 2:56 remaining, but the Bruins couldn't tie it up with an extra attacker.

"It's like a lot of (games). Other teams are taking it to us," Boston head coach Bruce Cassidy said of his team's poor starts. "They clearly have more energy early on. Some of that could be fatigue in our group. Some of it could be personnel in our lineup that are a little nervous to get started.

"We took an offensive-zone penalty against one of the better power plays so there's a number of things. It's not one thing. It's different things that usually add up and that was it tonight."

Winnipeg's top line of Laine, Scheifele and Wheeler did the early damage, giving the home team a 2-0 lead in the opening period that turned into a 2-2 contest midway through the second.

Wheeler scored his 20th of the season 1:08 into the game off a rebound after Laine's one-timer hit the crossbar.

Laine found Scheifele rushing to the net on the power play and sent him a pass for his career-high, team-leading 33rd with 8:36 left in the opening period. Scheifele had been held off the scoresheet the previous four games.

Rask was ready for Laine to shoot.

"All the options are right there, obviously, but when it's one of the best shooters in the league you don't want to cheat on that so I just didn't make the push on time," Rask said of the Finnish sniper who has 29 goals this season.

Laine was planning to shoot.

"Yeah, I thought I was going to shoot, too," he said. "If I don't know what I'm doing, I don't think the goalie's going to know what I'm doing. I thought first I was going to shoot it, I was pretty close. But then I saw Scheif back door so might as well pass it sometimes.

"I'm not just a shooter, I guess," Laine added. "I'm a pretty decent passer as well, like we saw in this game."

McAvoy's high shot with 2:37 remaining in the period cut the lead to 2-1 and Nordstrom tied it up midway through the second when he banged in a rebound behind a sprawled Hellebuyck.

The Jets had a chance to go ahead with their second power play of the game a few minutes later, but Laine twice hit a post.

[Brewin Flames]

Game # 72

 2  1 OT

Marchand does it again in OT as Bruins beat Blue Jackets 2-1

After Conor McGregor drops the ceremonial puck, Brad Marchand nets the winning goal in overtime and celebrates with the McGregor shimmy.

BOSTON -- Conor McGregor fired up the Bruins with a pregame speech. Brad Marchand paid him tribute by doing a rendition of the MMA fighter's walk after he scored his winner.

Marchand scored 3:30 into the overtime, lifting Boston to a 2-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday night.

"Yeah, I kind of wanted, was hoping to score just to do it before the game," Marchand said of copying McGregor's entrance into rings. "It's not every day you have an icon here in the room. I just wanted to have a little fun with it."

McGregor spoke to the team before the game and again after.

"He's an incredible guy, very energetic," Marchand said. "He was humble. He was happy to be here. He's expressed that to everyone. It was an honor to meet him. It was great to have him here. It's something we'll remember."

The win snapped Boston's three-game losing streak that came after it earned at least a point in 19 straight games. Patrice Bergeron had a power-play goal for the Bruins and set up the winner.

Bergeron spun around and fed Marchand in the right circle, where Marchand one-timed a shot as he went to one knee for his 15th OT goal, most in team history. Then the winger did a little shimmy -- with his arms moving back and forth -- as he skated to toward the bench before he was mobbed by his teammates.

"It goes to that chemistry," Bergeron said. "We know where each other are going to be on the ice mostly at all times."

Backup goalie Jaroslav Halak made 24 saves for the Bruins. He kept it tied at 1 by making a glove stop on Zach Werenski's wrist shot from the left circle with 5 1/2 minutes to play in the third.

Matt Duchene scored for the Blue Jackets, and Joonas Korpisalo made 31 saves.

"I thought our whole team played well," Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella said. "I'm not going to single anyone out. I thought it was a good team effort."

In the OT, Marchand had two close chances for Boston after Halak robbed Duchene's bid from the slot.

This matchup was much different than Tuesday, when the Blue Jackets jumped ahead 5-1 in Columbus before holding off the Bruins for a 7-4 victory.

With McGregor in the building and firing up the crowd before making the ceremonial puck drop, the Bruins and Blue Jackets came out hitting and going end-to-end early before settling into a tight checking game.

Bergeron gave Boston a 1-0 lead with his goal 5:51 into the game, firing a backhander over Korpisalo for his 800th career point.

The Blue Jackets tied it when Duchene broke down the right wing, shifted around defenseman John Moore and lifted a shot over Halak's shoulder inside the near post at 16:52 of the first period.

Duchene said the TD Garden ice wasn't good, with the game started just a few hours after the Boston Celtics beat the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday.

"It was awful ice," he said. "It was probably the worst ice I've played on this league. I don't know what was going on with it. That's probably why it was a 1-1 game (at that time). Pucks were rolling on guys."

Boston had a handful of good chances in a scoreless second. The best came when Marchand had the puck all alone just outside the crease midway into the period, paused and waited for Korpisalo to drop before shooting it over the net.

[Brewin Flames]

Game # 73

 5  0

Kuraly, Rask lead Bruins to 5-0 win over Islanders


UNIONDALE, N.Y. -- The Boston Bruins showed their depth and kept up their domination of the New York Islanders.

Sean Kuraly scored twice and Tuukka Rask earned his 45th career shutout as Boston beat the Islanders 5-0 on Tuesday night.

Noel Acciari, Patrice Bergeron and Jake DeBrusk also had goals to help the Bruins win their second straight since a three-game skid that followed their 19-game point streak (15-0-4). Boston has won seven consecutive meetings between the teams -- eight in a row in New York.

"From the start all the way to the finish, we were pretty good," said Kuraly, who had just six goals coming in and ended a 23-game drought. "For a full 60 (minutes), that's up there with one of the best 60s we've played this year."

Rask only had to make 13 saves for his fourth shutout this season, and first ever against the Islanders.

"I don't know if they had five scoring chances," Rask said. "No game is easy in the NHL, that's for sure. There's always going to be some kind of chances against, but I think if you look at the overall team effort, how we played, I guess it qualifies as an easy game."

Robin Lehner, making his first start since he was injured March 5 late in New York's 5-4 shootout win at home against Ottawa, finished with 34 saves. The Islanders' 13 shots were their fewest of the season.

"They played a playoff-type game tonight," New York captain Anders Lee said. "They were heavy, they were strong. We were making mistakes from the start, fumbling here and there with the puck and they capitalized on those opportunities."

David Pastrnak returned to the Bruins' lineup for first time since Feb. 10. He missed 16 games with a thumb injury sustained when he fell after a team dinner.

Boston dominated play from the start, scoring once in the first period and twice each in the second and third. The Bruins outshot the Islanders 14-2 in the first, 10-6 in the second and 15-5 in the third.

"No matter what the score was tonight, we wanted to keep coming and keep playing hard," Kuraly said. "It was nice to get rewarded early. Then we kind of rolled from there."

After a turnover by the Islanders, Bergeron converted a pass from Joakim Nordstrom on a rush for his 28th goal at 6:32 of the third. DeBrusk scored his 23rd on a breakaway to make it 5-0 with 9:40 remaining.

"Tonight obviously wasn't to the level that we've set for ourselves," New York's Josh Bailey said. "You just need to talk about it, learn from it and turn the page."

Islanders forward Matt Martin and Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara had an altercation in the first period, then dropped the gloves and fought right after the puck drop at the start of the second.

That briefly energized the home crowd, but Acciari extended the Bruins' lead to 2-0 with a straightaway shot from inside the blue line, beating Lehner through the legs at 2:52. It was his fourth of the season.

Kuraly scored his second of the night to make it 3-0 with 3:43 left in the second. He knocked the puck away from Bailey in the corner to Lehner's right, and Danton Heinen got it behind the net. His wraparound try came to Kuraly, who beat the goalie from the left circle.

Kuraly got the Bruins on the board 1:12 into the game. He corralled the puck along the side boards, skated into the right circle, turned and fired a shot that beat Lehner on the glove side inside the post. It was Kuraly's first goal since Jan. 17.

Charlie McAvoy, who grew up in nearby Long Beach and played at the Nassau Coliseum for the first time, got an assist on the play.

"Really happy with the result and really happy to be back home," he said. "Spent a lot of time in this building, familiar with the setting. To play here in front of my family was pretty surreal."

[Brewin Flames]

Game # 74

 5  1

Bruins' top line, Rask carry Boston over New Jersey, 5-1

Bergeron nets a pair for BostonPatrice Bergeron opens the scoring for the Bruins and adds an empty netter in Boston's 5-1 rout of New Jersey.

NEWARK, N.J. -- It didn't take long for the Boston Bruins' top line of Patrice Bergeron, David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand to get back in gear.

A game after Pastrnak returned from thumb surgery, Bergeron scored two goals and the line accounted for eight points in leading the Bruins to a 5-1 victory over the injury-ravaged New Jersey Devils 5-1 on Thursday night.

Pastrnak also scored his first goal since missing 16 games in helping Boston open a six-point lead over Toronto in the race for second place in the Atlantic Division.

"When they're going, they pull the rest of the guys along," Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said. "That was a bit of the story of our team early in the year. Now we're seeing more secondary scoring, but they are certainly our go-to guys. They are our drivers. Most teams have that in their top six and we're not an exception. It nice to see Pass get back in the mix with them. It looks like the chemistry is back to normal for them."

Marchand added three assists and Danton Heinen and David Backes also scored for the Bruins, who are 16-3-1 in their last 20 games. Tuukka Rask made 22 saves to improve to 18-2-3 in his last 23 games.

"I think it's our chemistry and we've been able to build on that," said Marchand, who has 90 points, including 31 goals. "We work together as a group and we're consistently trying to improve. We've (had) some good bounces. We've had a lot of fun. We've got a really good group this year, a really good team. I think we all benefit all around the room."

Boston, which has given up two goals while winning its last three games, and the Maple Leafs, who were idle, each have eight regular-season games left.

"That's what we have in front of ourselves right now," Bergeron said after hitting the 30-goal mark for the fifth time. "That's what we can work for. It's not easy. It's the last stretch and every point counts. We know Toronto is thinking the same way."

Drew Stafford scored for the Devils, ending a 34-game goal-scoring drought. Cory Schneider made 22 saves as New Jersey lost for the ninth time in 12 games (2-9-1).

"It's where we are as a team," Devils captain Andy Greene said. "That's how we have to play. That's how we compete. We stay in games because of how hard we work and how hard we compete. It's not because of our skill."

Boston's top line combined to stake the Bruins to a 2-0 lead.

Bergeron opened the scoring with 1:26 left in the first period with his 29th goal. Pastrnak took the puck from Marchand and made a pass across the crease to Bergeron for a shot into an open net.

Pastrnak got his 32nd at 12:58 of the second period. Bergeron won a faceoff and Marchand made the pass across the crease for Pastrnak's shot into an open net.

A turnover by the Bruins allowed the Devils to score less than two minutes later. Pavel Zacha, who returned after missing 16 games with an upper-body injury, got the puck in the right circle and found Stafford for his third goal.

Heinen restored the two-goal lead 29 seconds into the third period. Sean Kuraly blocked a shot by Devils defenseman Steven Santini with his glove and Heinen scored on the ensuing rush.

Bergeron scored into an empty net with 1:18 to play, and Backes tallied in the final minute.

[Brewin Flames]

Game # 75

 7  3

Bruins clinch playoff berth with 7-3 win over Panthers


Bruins roll behind big second periodBrad Marchand, Zdeno Chara and David Pastrnak all score in a 5-goal second period for the Bruins, as they top the Panthers 7-3.

SUNRISE, Fla. -- Zdeno Chara picked a great time to score a milestone goal.

Chara scored his 200th NHL goal and added an assist to help the Bruins beat the Florida Panthers 7-3 on Saturday night and clinch a berth in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Earlier in the day, the Bruins announced the 42-year-old Chara signed a one-year, $2 million contract extension.

The goal was his first since Feb. 18th at San Jose.

"Anytime you reach a milestone it's special," Chara said. "I'm not one of those guys that's going to score another 100. It's a pretty decent number for a guy who wasn't supposed to play the game. It's a big win for us to clinch the playoffs."

Patrice Bergeron, David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand also had a goal and an assist, and Steve Kampfer, Karson Kuhlman and Noel Acciari had the other goals for Boston. Danton Heinen had two assists and Jaroslav Halak stopped 31 shots and also had an assist as the Bruins won their fourth straight.

Chara is in his 13th season with Boston and 21st in the NHL. He is the second-oldest active NHL player, behind Pittsburgh's Matt Cullen.

"I don't care how long you played. It feels good to score a goal," coach Bruce Cassidy said. "We're all happy for Z."

Vincent Trocheck, Mike Hoffman and Jayce Hawryluk scored for the Panthers, and Sam Montembeault finished with 32 saves.

The Bruins took control with five goals in the second period.

With Boston leading 2-1, Chara's shot from the high slot beat Montembeault at 5:05. Kuhlman made it 4-1 as he grabbed the puck at the red line, skated in, and fired a shot in at 6:38 for his second career goal.

Hoffman grabbed a loose puck in the neutral zone, skated in and fired the puck past Halak at 10:04 to pull Florida to 4-2.

Kampfer and Pastrnak scored 48 seconds apart to stretch the Bruins' lead to 6-2 with 3:24 to go in the middle period.

"We beat ourselves, 24 turnovers, and their first four goals came off our sticks on turnovers," Panthers coach Bob Boughner said. "It was stupidity and bad turnovers that ended up in the back of our net."

Trocheck scored a power-play goal at 3:57 of the third to get the Panthers within three.

Bergeron's empty-netter with 26.8 left capped the scoring.

"It's one of those things where we know we have to be better and we know that's not good enough especially against good teams," Panthers defenseman Keith Yandle said.

Florida's Aleksander Barkov landed face down on the ice after a collision with Chara with 3:04 left in the game but left under his own power.

Acciari gave the Bruins a 1-0 lead 2:23 in. David Backes passed from behind the net to Acciari, who was alone in front and his shot got past Montembeault.

Marchand doubled the lead when he took a feed from Bergeron from behind the net and shot the puck in from the low slot at 28 seconds of the second period.

The Panthers answered 24 seconds later as Hawryluk one-timed the puck in from in front.

Game notes

Chara is the 22nd defenseman in NHL history to score 200 goals.

[Brewin Flames]

Game # 76

 4  5

Lightning rally past Bruins for 59th win; record in sight

Lightning score 3 in 3rd period for comeback winThe Tampa Bay Lightning come alive in the third period and score three goals to come back and beat the Bruins 5-4 at home.

TAMPA, Fla. -- With five games left in the regular season, history is the only thing the Tampa Bay Lightning have to play for. The NHL's best team is still plenty motivated.

Steven Stamkos scored twice and finished with four points, and the Presidents' Trophy-winning Lightning became the fourth NHL team to win at least 59 games in a season, rallying from two goals down to beat the Boston Bruins 5-4 on Monday night.

With four more victories, Tampa Bay (59-14-4) would surpass the league record of 62, set by the 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings. The only other franchise to win at least 59 was the Montreal Canadiens, who did it in 1976-77 (60 wins) and 1977-78 (59). Both of those Montreal teams went on to win the Stanley Cup.

"Our mindset is to win each and every night," said Stamkos, who reached the 40-goal mark for the fifth time in his career and the first time since 2014-15. "I think we try to give ourselves a chance, and I think we have this entire month with pretty much knowing where we are going to finish in the standings now for a while. That says a lot about our group."

Anthony Cirelli scored his 18th goal of the season with 52.4 seconds left in the third period to complete the comeback for Tampa Bay. Victor Hedman and Nikita Kucherov also scored in the third for the Lightning, who improved to 9-11 this season when trailing entering the final period.

Andrei Vasilevskiy finished with 13 saves as Tampa Bay set a franchise record for home points in a season (66) and tied the record for home wins (32).

Cirelli scored the winning goal after finding a soft spot in the slot and getting off a one-timer from a pass by Mathieu Joseph.

"We just go out there and play," said Cirelli, who set a franchise record with his fifth game-winning goal as a rookie. "We never give up, we just keep going and we have the skill to put up goals. We saw that in the third period."

The Bruins, whose four-game winning streak ended, scored three times in the span of 5:50 in the second period on goals from Brad Marchand, Brandon Carlo and Charlie Coyle. Marchand also scored in the first period. Tuukka Rask finished with 23 saves.

"That's a team that's been doing that to a lot of teams this year, being down and getting back in games, especially in the third," Boston center Patrice Bergeron said. "We've seen it before so, you know, we've got to be better."

Boston was caught on odd-man rushes on Tampa Bay's third and fourth goals. Carlo missed high on an open look from the slot and Vasilevskiy stopped David Pastrnak with a toe-save with the rebound going to Stamkos, who sprung Kucherov for a 2-on-1.

"We had a chance to put the game away. We're off net with our chance, we've got the hustle back," Boston coach Bruce Cassidy said about Tampa Bay's third goal. "The lone (defenseman) that was back there just made a poor decision. He's got to buy time for people to recover. That gave them life, unfortunately."

[Brewin Flames]

Game # 77

 6  3

Pastrnak's hat trick carries Bruins past Rangers 6-3

Pastrnak notches a hat trick, including two on the power play, as the Bruins beat the Rangers 6-3.

BOSTON -- It certainly appears David Pastrnak has worked the rust off.

Pastrnak had three goals and two assists for a career-high five points Wednesday night, sending the Boston Bruins to a 6-3 victory over the New York Rangers.

Playing his fifth game since missing 16 following left thumb surgery, the winger raised his goal total to a team-leading 36.

"Pretty close," Boston coach Bruce Cassidy said when asked if Pastrnak is fully recovered. "Obviously, a great night. He was firing the puck well. It looked like he was more comfortable handling it in traffic."

Coming off a 3-1 road trip but disappointed after blowing a two-goal lead Monday night against NHL-best Tampa Bay, the Bruins broke it open with four goals in the third period for their 12th consecutive victory at home. It's their longest streak since winning 14 straight during the 2008-09 season.

Pastrnak completed his fourth career hat trick and third this season with a power-play goal to make it 4-2 with 7:08 to play, triggering a flow of hats that littered the ice. He became the first Bruins player with a trio of hat tricks in one season since Hall of Famer Cam Neely in 1993-94.

"It helps a lot for me coming back from after a long time (away)," Pastrnak said. "It was a little bit tough at the beginning."

The Bruins had gone 1-7-2 in their last 10 games against the Rangers, including losing the first two meetings this season.

Backup goalie Jaroslav Halak made 20 saves. Jake DeBrusk, Charlie McAvoy and Patrice Bergeron also scored for Boston, which went 4 for 6 on the power play.

"It's hard enough to win in this league when you don't beat yourself," Rangers coach David Quinn said. "We did a lot of good things early, hanging around a good hockey team, then just imploded."

Mika Zibanejad had two goals and Ryan Strome also scored for the Rangers, who have lost six of seven as the season nears a close. Their rebuilding project continues after dealing away eight players off the roster at the past two trade deadlines.

Henrik Lundqvist stopped 26 shots, losing for just the second time in his last nine games against the Bruins. He made a highlight-reel save midway into the first period on Chris Wagner when he lunged across the crease to make a stick save.

"They have a lot of good players, but first, to win any games we have to play smart," Lundqvist said. "We can't have two too many men on the ice (penalties), for example. There's no excuse for that."

Pastrnak's second goal broke a 1-all tie at 9:15 of the second. It came off a nice setup from David Krejci, who cut around Rangers defenseman Tony DeAngelo and shifted from forehand to backhand before slipping a cross-ice pass to the winger, who sent a one-timer into the net from the right circle.

Pastrnak then made a beautiful cross-ice pass to DeBrusk, who made it a two-goal lead 3:19 into the third.

With the Rangers short-handed following their first too-many-men-on-the-ice penalty, Pastrnak one-timed a feed from Brad Marchand, moving Boston ahead 2:48 into the game.

The Rangers tied it with a power-play goal of their own when Strome sent Zibanejad in alone and he reached back to slip a forehand behind Halak as he was moving across the edge of the crease at 16:29 of the first period.

[Brewin Flames]

Game # 78

 1  4

Panthers beat Bruins 4-1, snap Boston's 12-game home streak

BOSTON -- Panthers forward Troy Brouwer was the first to the puck as it rolled into the Boston zone, with three Bruins chasing helplessly behind him.

He reared back for a slap shot, freezing Tuukka Rask as the goaltender ventured a bit too far out of the crease. Then Brouwer brought his stick back down to the ice and wristed the puck past Rask, high on the stick side, for a short-handed goal that restored Florida's two-goal lead.

"They had just cut the deficit to one goal and they were on the power play," Panthers goalie Roberto Luongo said after Saturday's 4-1 victory over Boston. "It was a huge momentum turn for our club to be able to get one short-handed and extend our lead back to two goals. I really never looked back after that."

Evgenii Dadonov scored twice, one of them an empty-netter, and Luongo stopped 30 shots to help the Panthers end the Bruins' 12-game home winning streak, its longest since 2008-09. Riley Sheahan also scored for Florida, which has already been eliminated from playoff contention.

"Unfortunately it doesn't mean that much this time of year," Luongo said. "But we're all professionals in here and we play to win hockey games. It doesn't matter what's at stake, you always want to be on the winning side."

Noel Acciari scored and Rask made 19 saves for Boston, which has already clinched a playoff berth and entered the day tied with Calgary for the second-best record in the league. The Bruins will most likely open the postseason at home against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

"We're here to win games until we get locked in," Boston coach Bruce Cassidy said. "What's in front of us is second place. We'd like to get there."

The Bruins outshot the Panthers 16-8 in the first, but Sheahan and Dadonov scored about two minutes apart late in the period to give Florida a 2-0 lead heading into the break.

"They were throwing everything at the net," Luongo said. "I was able to get in the game early, so I felt pretty good and guys rewarded me with two goals in the first and a huge short-handed goal in the second."

It was still 2-0 late in the second, when Acciari used a backhand swipe to beat Luongo and cut the deficit to one goal. But just 1:07 later, with the Bruins on their first power play of the game, Brouwer made it 3-1.

Rask said he was slightly out of position because he had been tempted to go play the puck himself.

"That's one of those shots you'd like to save," he said. "Especially in a 2-1 game."

Dadonov added an empty-netter with 2:19 left to clinch it.

With 10 minutes left in the game, the Bruins had the puck behind Luongo before it was swept off the goal line by a defender. Luongo sprawled to the ice, losing his stick in the process, but Boston wasn't able to get off a shot while he was out of position.

[Brewin Flames]

Game # 79

 3  6

Mantha's 1st NHL hat trick helps Red Wings beat Bruins 6-3

DETROIT -- The Detroit Red Wings are playing their best hockey of the season while perhaps hurting their chances of winning the NHL draft lottery.

Anthony Mantha scored three goals for his first NHL hat trick, lifting Detroit to a 6-3 win over the Boston Bruins on Sunday night.

Jimmy Howard had 31 saves for the Red Wings, who have won five straight for the first time this season. The run has decreased their odds of getting the No. 1 pick in the draft to possibly select American star Jack Hughes -- much to the chagrin of some of their fans.

"The fact that our young players are the ones that are driving this winning streak should temper some of those concerns," coach Jeff Blashill said. "These are the guys that are going to make the impact than anybody we draft."

Taro Hirose scored his first NHL goal early in the third period, just 8 seconds after Mantha completed his hat trick.

The 24-year-old Mantha scored twice in the opening period to give Detroit a 2-0 lead and scored again 1:17 into the third period to tie the game at 3. Hirose, who signed March 12 as a 22-year-old free agent from Michigan State, put the Red Wings up 4-3 while their fans were still roaring after the tying goal.

Filip Hronek, a 21-year-old defenseman, gave Detroit a two-goal cushion with 7:57 remaining in regulation, and 22-year-old captain Dylan Larkin added an empty-net goal in the final minute.

"We're just trying to enjoy the last couple of days, last week," Mantha said. "It shows on the ice."

The Bruins, meanwhile, lost three of four games for the second time in March to give Toronto a chance to catch them for second place in the Atlantic Division.

"We want to get to the point where we could have the luxury of resting people," coach Bruce Cassidy said. "We'd also like to play for what's in front of us, which is second place. We're allowing some of that opportunity to get away."

The Bruins took a one-goal lead into the third period after David Backes redirected a shot into the net with a minute left in the second. Boston's Jake DeBrusk scored early in the second and Brad Marchand tied the game midway through the period with a franchise-record 26th short-handed goal.

"It's nice, but it doesn't mean as much when you don't win," Marchand said.

Jaroslav Halak stopped 22 shots for the Bruins.

Even though Detroit will miss the playoffs for a third straight year, Blashill is expected to get a two-year contract extension this week. The rebuilding franchise is developing young players such as Mantha and Larkin under Blashill and the team is competing for him even though it has been out of contention for much of the season.

"They're competing hard," Marchand said. "They're kind of loose right now. They're feeling it, playing really well."

[Brewin Flames]

Game # 80

 6  2

DeBrusk helps Bruins rout Blue Jackets 6-2

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Jake DeBrusk and the Boston Bruins are looking to build some momentum heading into the playoffs.

The Columbus Blue Jackets are just trying to get into the postseason right now.

Boston beat Columbus 6-2 on Tuesday night, ruining the Blue Jackets' opportunity to clinch a wild card in their last game at home. Instead the race will extend into the last two games of the season.

Columbus began the day in the first wild-card slot. It could have clinched a playoff berth with a win and a Montreal loss. But Montreal beat Tampa Bay, and Carolina beat Toronto.

When the dust settled, the Hurricanes were on top of the wild-card standings with 95 points. Columbus and Montreal each had 94, and the Blue Jackets hold the tiebreaker over the Canadiens.

DeBrusk had two goals and an assist and Tuukka Rask made 32 saves to help the Bruins stop a two-game slide. Brad Marchand and Karson Kuhlman each had a goal and an assist, and Marcus Johansson and David Pastrnak also scored.

"It's kind of the team we've been all year, right?" Boston coach Bruce Cassidy said. "We're a good hockey club, and we don't usually lose a lot of games in a row. And we try to take care of the business at hand and correct why we lost."

Oliver Bjorkstrand extended the longest active goal streak in the NHL to six games with a third-period tally for Columbus, which had won five in a row. Matt Duchene also scored.

Sergei Bobrovsky had 19 stops, but allowed four goals before being relieved by Joonas Korpisalo late in the second period. Korpisalo had three the rest of the way.

"They just had really good sticks," Columbus forward Cam Atkinson said. "They checked really hard and made it really hard for all of us to break out, to get into the neutral zone and even getting into the offensive zone. They played a lot better than us."

Boston got a bizarre break 1:58 into the game when a shot by DeBrusk bounced off the top of the net and straight into the air. On the way down, it hit Bobrovsky in the back and trickled in.

The Bruins went up 2-0 late in the first when Johansson banged in a rebound for his first goal since being acquired in a trade with New Jersey at the deadline last month.

Late in the second, Marchand tapped in a shot amid heavy traffic . DeBrusk got his second goal on a breakaway 46 seconds later, and Pastrnak made it 5-0 early in the third.

Columbus answered with back-to-back power-play goals. Bjorkstrand, who has been on a tear, converted a shot from the top of the right circle. Duchene then got his 31st of the season at 9:14, but the Blue Jackets were unable to keep the momentum.

Kuhlman followed with Boston's sixth goal with 9:32 left.

"We got what we deserved tonight," Columbus coach John Tortorella said.

Game notes

Marchand became the 10th player in franchise history to reach 100 points in a season.

[Brewin Flames]

Game # 81

 3  0

Halak stops 26 shots as Bruins beat Wild 3-0

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Locked into the second spot in the Atlantic Division, the Boston Bruins took the opportunity to rest several players in advance of the playoffs.

Jaroslav Halak made sure there was no letdown and Zach Senyshyn took advantage in his NHL debut.

Halak made 26 saves for his fifth shutout of the season and 47th of his career, and short-handed Boston beat the Minnesota Wild 3-0 on Thursday night.

"That's how we want to finish the season, playing the right way," Halak said. "Although both teams were missing some key guys from the lineups, it could go either way. But like I said, I'm just happy the guys that played, played great, making the right plays at the right time."

Joakim Nordstrom, David Pastrnak and Senyshyn scored for the Bruins.

Halak, who has split time with Tuukka Rask in goal for Boston this season, was rarely challenged by a Minnesota team that was shut out for the 10th time this season and seventh on its home ice.

"It was a pretty emotionless game on both sides, I think," Wild coach Bruce Boudreau said. "It's very frustrating. I was getting mad on the bench saying, `We aren't getting shut out again.' I think that's the 11th time this year. You can't win like that."

The Bruins, who have the second-most points in the East behind Atlantic champion Tampa Bay, rested Zdeno Chara, David Krecji, Brad Marchand and Charlie McAvoy. Regulars Chris Wagner, John Moor and Sean Kuraly also missed the game with injuries.

"We don't really have anything to play for today and next game, but we want to play to our standard," Nordstrom said. "We want to build our game and end the regular season on a good note."

Alex Stalock stopped 32 shots for Minnesota, which has lost nine times in its past 13 games and was eliminated from playoff contention on Tuesday.

The Wild were 3-8-4 at home since the All-Star break and the 10 shutouts this season are tied for the second most in franchise history, and the most since 2002-03, the franchise's third year in existence.

"I think just energy-wise, I feel like, for some reason on the road maybe we're just a bit simpler and had more jump," Minnesota defenseman Jared Spurgeon said. "But I thought we had a decent first period today, and then they got the one and we couldn't muster anything."

A game that didn't mean anything for either team didn't feature much action until Nordstrom broke the scoreless stretch midway through the second period.

Boston defenseman Matt Grzelcyk sent in a shot that went wide of the goal and bounced off the end boards where forward Noel Acciari astutely tipped the puck out to the front of the net. Nordstrom was wide open in front and sent a quick shot past Stalock for his seventh goal of the season.

Pastrnak and Senyshyn scored 36 seconds apart with less than three minutes remaining. It was Pastrnak's team-leading and career-high 38th goal. Senyshyn, the 15th-overall pick in the 2015 draft by Boston, capped the scoring with an empty-netter.

"It feels incredible," Senyshyn said of getting his first career goal. "I know it's not the way you envision it, but I'll take it any way I can get it. That was a dream come true for sure."

[Brewin Flames]

Game # 82

 3  6

Lightning get 62nd victory to tie NHL wins record

BOSTON -- Nikita Kucherov and the Tampa Bay Lightning finished the regular season with one more impressive performance.

Next stop: Stanley Cup playoffs.

The Lightning matched an NHL record with their 62nd win, using a three-goal second period to beat the Boston Bruins 6-3 on Saturday.

"Sixty-two is a number that's only been touched once, and for a team that's kind of been locked into a playoff spot for quite some time, to be able to bring it every single night, to continue to find a way to get that number is a credit to the players and staff," coach Jon Cooper said. "We didn't sit there and circle 62 and say that's going to be our number, but it's kind of cool that we actually got to that number."

Kucherov, Anthony Cirelli and Braydon Coburn each had a goal and an assist for Tampa Bay (62-16-4), which tied the 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings for most victories during the regular season. Steven Stamkos got a short-handed goal during the second, and Erik Cernak also scored during the period.


Third-string goalie Edward Pasquale stopped 30 shots, and Tyler Johnson added an empty-netter.

The Lightning earned six of their wins in shootouts. The league introduced shootouts to decide ties after overtime at the start of the 2005-06 season. Before that, games ended in ties after overtime, which was brought in for regular-season games in 1983.

Kucherov finished with 41 goals and 87 assists, putting him in position to win the Art Ross Trophy awarded to the NHL's leading scorer. He also broke Alexander Mogilny's single-season record for most points for a Russian-born player.

David Krejci, Danton Heinen and Matt Grzelcyk scored for Boston (49-24-9), which fell one short of consecutive 50-win seasons. Tuukka Rask made 16 saves.

"Couple days of rest and a couple practices and that's it. Best time of year," said Rask, who was presented with a painting during a pregame ceremony for becoming the team's winningest goaltender earlier this season.

Kucherov got his record-setting point when he assisted on Johnson's 29th of the season with 1:26 remaining. Johnson raced to the net to grab the puck and then embraced Kucherov near the blue line in front of Tampa Bay's bench.

"It's definitely a special moment," Kucherov said. "Thanks to everybody here in the room and thanks to the guys helping me out. It's a team effort and everybody is involved in my success."

It was the Lightning's 30th road win, making them just the second team in league history to reach that total. The 2005-06 Red Wings had 31.

Both teams rested a couple of key players. Boston's group included top-line players Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand, who was the first Bruins player with 100 points in a season since Joe Thornton in 2002-03.

"I'm an optimist. I like our team," Boston coach Bruce Cassidy said. "We play hard. We're one of the better teams start to finish in the National Hockey League."

Trailing 2-1, Stamkos stole a pass and went in all alone, shifting around Rask before tucking a backhander into the net midway into the second. Cirelli's goal 4:07 later moved the Lightning ahead 3-2. Kucherov scored 53 seconds into the third.

The Lightning were down 2-0 at one point before rallying. This was the 136th multigoal comeback win of the season for Tampa Bay, which set a single-season league record, according to ESPN Stats & Information. The previous record of 135 was first set in 2006-07.

Boston jumped in front on Krejci's 20th of the season 14:38 into the game. Charlie McAvoy was originally given the goal after he collected a loose puck and fired it at the net as Krejci was charging toward the front.

Heinen beat Pasquale with a rising wrist shot inside the left post to make it 2-0 with 19.1 seconds left in the opening period. Cernak slipped a wrist shot past Rask from the slot for a power-play goal 4:41 into the second.