The Bruins improve to 5-2-0 under Joe Sacco.
The Boston Bruins bounced back in the third period to top the Detroit Red Wings, 3-2, in overtime Tuesday at the TD Garden.
Pavel Zacha netted the OT winner off a feed, and initial play, by David Pastrnak. Joonas Korpisalo made 25 saves in the win.
But it was the Bruins’ power play which game the team a chance to get to overtime, tying the game in the third when both the special teams and third-period play overall has been a low points this season.
“Any time you can go out there, at that point in the game, the power play, it lifts a team,” Interim head coach Joe Sacco said. “It helps the spirit of the bench.
The Bruins started slow, falling behind in the first period. But then Nikita Zadorov tied things up for Boston with a one-timer which led to increase offensive zone time for the remainder of the period and into the second.
The middle frame saw the Bruins kill off a couple penalties and play some 4-on-4 hockey with Zadorov and Ben Chiarot off for matching penalties. The B’s successfully challenging for offsides a would-be goal which would have give the Red Wings the lead on their power play.
But Detroit eventually got the go-ahead, with an early third-period tally and Lucas Raymond’s second of the night.
The Bruins’ power play tied the game as Justin Brazeau’s positioning out front led him to tip in a shot from the point by Mason Lohrei.
The Bruins found themselves on another late, third-period power play, but couldn’t capitalize on it to end the game in regulation before Zacha registered the game-winner in overtime.
Here are the highlights!
First period:
As the Bruins struggled to get the puck out of the zone, Simon Edvinsson backhanded a pass toward Raymond which bounced off Charlie McAvoy. Raymond then sent a wrist shot past Joonas Korpisalo’s glove at 7:31 of the first period. 1-0 Red Wings.
Brad Marchand backhanded a pass to Nikita Zadorov for a one-timer past Ville Husso’s blocker at 9:15 of the first period. 1-1 game.
Second period:
The Bruins challenged a goal which Marco Kasper scored on the power play for off sides. The refs ruled it a no goal.
Third period:
Raymond got his second goal of the night with a quick wrist shot from the high slot past Korpisalo’s glove at 1:19 of the third period. 2-1 Red Wings.
Justin Brazeau evened the game just seconds into the Bruins first power play of the third period as out front, he tipped in Mason Lohrei’s long shot at 9:32 of the period. 2-2 game.
Overtime:
After the Red Wings turned over the puck, thanks to David Pastrnak, Pavel Zacha hit Pastrnak with a pass inside the left-wing circle. Pastrnak faked a quick shot to send a feed right back to Zacha who, from just inside the right-wing circle, sent a wrist shot past Husso at 2:15 of overtime. Final score: 3-2 Bruins.
Game notes
- “It was a low-event game for a while there,” Sacco said postgame. And he’s not wrong. It took the Bruins some time to get going. The second period had some penalties and the stuff going on between Zadorov and Chiarot. Sacco said the mentality was to just stay with it and continue to try to implement the game plan. But he recognizes there are areas of their game they still need to clean up.
- While the power play finally struck, and did so when it was needed, it still has ways to go. The Bruins had a man-advantage after the equalizer, but did nothing. Trying to close out the game in regulation, defense couldn’t keep the puck in the zone.
- Zacha now has three goals and two assists in his last four games. But postgame, Zacha applauded Brazeau and what he brings to the team and offense. He said what makes Brazeau so effective out front is he’s a big body that’s hard to move from the net and he makes goalies have to look around him.
- Korpisalo’s game really seems to be emerging, even though when looking back at his season so far, he’s been a consistent factor for the Bruins giving them a chance to win every game he’s in. Sacco said the goaltender flies under the radar, but deserves more credit than he gets at times.
- Sacco said he’s hoping his defensive pairing of Brandon Carlo and Zadorov continues to build chemistry and become a “shut-down pair.” He talked about Carlo’s reach and Zadorov’s physicality and how it can become hard for an opponent to play against that.
- “When he was on the ice, the opposition knew that,” Sacco said about Zadorov. He liked his defenseman’s engagement during the game, saying he defended hard and was physical.
- It’s a quick turnaround for the Bruins who complete a back-to-back tomorrow against the Chicago Blackhawks on the road. Puck drops at 7:30 p.m. And don’t worry — this game can be seen on TNT.