By: Liz Rizzo | Follow me on Twitter @pastagrl88
The Boston Bruins extended their point streak to 13 games with a solid 4-2 win tonight at the SAP Center. Boston has picked up four points during their Western trip with a chance to pick up another two points Sunday night against Anaheim. Linus Ullmark made 28 saves for the B’s.
GAME RECAP
Boston took the bait early on when number 63 Brad Marchand scored 63 seconds in the first period giving the B’s an early 1-0 lead. Marchand seemingly skated through the Sharks team as he backhanded the puck past goaltender James Reimer. Both Charlie McAvoy and Patrice Bergeron were given the assists on the goal.
With the assist on the goal, Bergeron now has sole possession of third place in the Bruins’ all-time points list moving past Phil Esposito. The Sharks would get the first power play of the night when Pastrnak was nabbed for Hi-Sticking against Jaycob Megna. Luckily Boston would be able to keep the Sharks at bay.
Craig Smith scored his second goal of the season seemingly getting the “monkey off his back” while playing an unkind season of lows. Smith would snipe the puck in past Reimer giving the B’s a 2-0 lead.
Both Nick Foligno and Charlie Coyle were credited with the helpers on Smith’s goal. A badly timed line change for the Bruins led to San Jose scoring its first goal of the night when Logan Couture tallied his 15th goal of the season.
Charlie McAvoy nearly made it 3-1 with an attempted wrap-around play however Reimer was able to smother the puck. Boston would end the first with a 2-1 lead. Ullmark continued to make crucial and outstanding saves throughout the game as the Sharks swarmed around the net.
An interesting call by the refs would render the Bruins down a player as the team picked up a bench minor for delay of the game (served by Smith). Boston was able to kill the penalty and was soon back on another kill when Brandon Carlo skated off for a slashing penalty against Nick Bonino.
At the close of San Jose’s power play, Mario Ferraro tied the game at two a-piece. Matt Benning and Matt Nieto were given the assists on the goal. The Bruins would get their first power play of the night when Benning was called for holding against David Pastrnak. Foligno and San Jose’s Jonah Gadjovich each skated off on matching roughing penalties in conjunction with the Benning penalty.
The 26-year-old Czech winger made it 3-2 as he scored during the power-play (his first goal of the night).
With 36.4 seconds left in the period, Boston would get back on the power play as Scott Harrington was charged with interference. The period ended with the B’s up by one goal.
As the Bruins opened up the final period on the man advantage the team briefly celebrated a 4-2 lead. Unfortunately, what looked to be a goal by Hampus Lindholm was deemed off-side and was ruled a no-goal.
Boston responded as Pastrnak scored his second goal of the night giving the team a 4-2 lead. Both Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand were given the assists on the goal.
San Jose continued to send a barrage of pucks against Ullmark however the 29-year-old netminder made crucial saves that kept the game winnable for the B’s. Boston would win 4-2 extending their point streak to 13 games.
Pastrnak tallied two goals while Marchand netted a goal and two assists. Pastrnak has 29 goals and is currently tied with Alex Ovechkin for third in the league. Both Bergeron and Charlie McAvoy had two assists for the night (giving McAvoy his 200th NHL career point). The B’s had 29 shots on goal while San Jose had 30. The win also ended a 14-game point streak for the Shark’s Erik Karlsson. Boston is now 31-4-4 while San Jose is 12-21-8.
NEXT GAME: Boston Bruins versus Anaheim Ducks Sunday evening with puck drop @ 8:30 pm at the Honda Center.
Leave a Reply