By Mike Cratty | Follow me on Twitter @Mike_Cratty
Boston’s Lineup
Forwards
Marchand – Bergeron – Pastrnak
Hall – Krejci – DeBrusk
Ritchie – Coyle – Kuhlman
Kuraly – Lazar – Wagner
Defense
Grzelcyk – McAvoy
Reilly – Carlo
Lauzon – Clifton
Goalies
Rask
Swayman
New York’s Lineup
Forwards
Komarov – Barzal – Eberle
Bailey – Nelson – Beauvillier
Palmieri – Pageau – Zajac
Martin – Cizikas – Clutterbuck
Defense
Pelech – Pulock
Leddy – Mayfield
Greene – Dobson
Goalies
Varlamov
Sorokin
First Period
Charlie Coyle got the goal scoring started in epic fashion for the Bruins. What a way to make an early impact in Tuukka Rask’s 100th career playoff game. Coyle’s second of the playoffs was assisted by Nick Ritchie (3) and Karson Kuhlman (1). That’s a pretty ideal start for Karson Kuhlman in his first playoff game of the season, helping get his team on the board at the 17:11 mark of the period.
Jordan Eberle was the first player to make a trip to the penalty box in this one, tripping Ritchie at the 13:37 mark. Sadly, they couldn’t convert. The Islanders were pretty good on the penalty kill the first time around, not allowing a single shot on goal and just one shot attempt.
Sean Kuraly took a hit up high from Nick Leddy just inside the six-minute mark of the period. A scrum ensued and Kuraly went down the tunnel. Thankfully, about three minutes later, he returned to the bench and eventually the ice.
The Barzal line had some good looks, but overall, the Bruins did a nice job neutralizing the Islanders offensively through the first twenty minutes. Shots on goal were 15 to six in favor of the Bruins, bringing their cumulative shot advantage dating back to game one to 55 to 28 – pretty lopsided.
Score: 1-0 Boston
Second Period
David Pastrnak took the first Bruins penalty of the game in the form of goaltender interference at the 14:51 mark in the midst of a series of good scoring chances for them. Josh Bailey sent a puck towards the net, off of Jeremy Lauzon and in. A fluky goal served as the equalizer with 17 seconds remaining in the power play.
Another fluky one gave the Islanders the lead and Kyle Palmieri was credited with the goal exactly 11 minutes into the period. Nick Ritchie and Matt Martin took a pair of roughing penalties after the whistle and a 4-on-4 followed.
The Bruins woke up in a big way with the extra space to maneuver, creating several nice scoring chances in an effort to tie the game back up. Naturally, with all of that emotion and intensity, a few scrums followed after the next two whistles.
Brandon Carlo was sent to the box for cross-checking following the second scrum, putting the Bruins on the penalty kill with 4:04 remaining. Jean-Gabriel Pageau increased the lead on the power play, making it 3-1 Islanders with 2:39 remaining.
Outside of the surge the Bruins had in the latter portion of the period, it wasn’t a great period overall from them. Shots on goal were 11 to ten in favor of the Islanders, bringing the total to 25 to 17 in favor of the Bruins. Two power plays for the Islanders, two goals.
Score: 3-1 New York
Third Period
Thanks to an altercation between Nick Ritchie and Adam Pelech at the end of the second period, the third period began at 4-on-4 play. Ritchie and Pulock were both assessed roughing penalties. Much like earlier, nothing came of the extra space to maneuver.
The persistence from the Bruins in the first half of the period eventually paid off, as Patrice Bergeron sent a one-timer past Semyon Varlamov for his fourth of the playoffs. Brad Marchand (2) and David Pastrnak (5) had the helpers.
A too many men on the ice penalty came against the Islanders at the 5:23 mark, and it did not take the Bruins long to make it hurt. Marchand buried one just 29 seconds into the power play to tie the game. Charlie McAvoy had the lone assist, his sixth of the playoffs.
Mike Reilly went off for an illegal stick penalty just 44 seconds after the goal, presenting the Islanders with a massive opportunity to regain the lead. Fast forward two minutes later, and the Bruins made the massive kill and even strength play resumed.
Marchand’s two points in the period marked the 100th and 101st points of his playoff career – and what a time to get them. The Islanders held the advantage in shots on goal again (13 to 11), but the Bruins made good on a couple of their chances. The total shots on goal through sixty minutes were 36 to 30 in favor of the Bruins. The first dose of overtime in the series lied ahead.
Score: 3-3
Overtime
The Islanders dominated the first shift of overtime up until Lauzon played goalie for a second and made a big save on what would have been a sure goal for Bailey. They were pushing the pace pretty well, outshooting the Bruins eight to one through the first ten minutes. Scoring chances were even at five apiece.
Taylor Hall had the golden chance of overtime, nearly depositing a big rebound from Varlamov in the back of the net, but Varlamov shut the door. An unfortunate bounce off the skate of Coyle on a pass attempt from Lauzon sprung a breakaway for Casey Cizikas who went on the pot the overtime winner for the Islanders.
A pretty solid overtime effort from the Islanders all paid off with 5:12 remaining. They outshot the Bruins nine to six in their favor, bringing the final total to 42 to 39 in favor of the Bruins. Rask made 35 saves in the loss. It was a disappointing ending after tying the game in the third period. On to game three in enemy territory for the Bruins tied at a game apiece.
Final Score: 4-3 New York
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