By: Andrew Bluestein | Follow Me On Twitter / X @adbblue
The Boston Bruins lost 3-2 in overtime to the Calgary Flames Thursday night in the second game of a back-to-back. The Bruins came out sloppy in the first period and didn’t really show much, being heavily outplayed.
However, they turned up the dial in the second and third periods, dictating most of the game. But, their shift in play was only enough to force overtime where they weren’t able to pull out a win, but they did earn a point.
First Period
Calgary started with a good opening shift that included a couple of good chances down low, one that was turned aside by Linus Ullmark making a sharp pad save on Mikael Backlund. The Flames continued to control the play, putting the first six shots on goal. The Bruins didn’t register their first shot until just before the 14-minute mark. Boston got the first power play of the game after Martin Pospisil was called for tripping. Ullmark has to make a big save on a Noah Hanifin shorthanded bid.
The Bruins didn’t generate much with the man advantage and failed to record a shot on net. The Linus Ullmark show continued as he had to make a few more high-danger saves, with Calgary continuing to apply pressure. The Flames finally broke through when Oliver Kylington rifled home a wrist shot from the middle for a 1-0 lead. Boston pushed back with some offensive zone time and produced a few solid opportunities, but Jakob Markstrom kept them out.
Markstrom gave the Bruins a gift when he came far out of his net to play the puck and turned it over to Charlie Coyle, who rifled it in to tie it 1-1. However, the Flames answered 42 seconds later with just 36 seconds left in the period. It was Pospisil who jammed home a rebound in the crease to make it a 2-1 game. Boston was outplayed in the opening frame and was outshot 16-8.
Second Period
Jake DeBrusk had a solid opportunity at the start of the period that was set up on a takeaway by Danton Heinen, but Markstrom absorbed the shot. Boston started to find their skating legs and controlled the play early on. Things evened out a bit as the clock reached the halfway point of the hockey game. Calgary had a great chance with Andrei Kuzmenko walking in from the left point, but Ullmark snared it with a spectacular glove save.
The Black and Gold received their second power play on a great effort by DeBrusk going to the net and drawing a hook. Pavel Zacha had a great chance on the doorstep, trying to whack home a rebound, but Markstrom denied it. The Flames netminder made another dazzling save on Pastrnak’s set up by a cross-ice pass from Brad Marchand, and the Bruins weren’t able to capitalize with the extra man.
Markstrom was tested yet again on a Jakub Lauko breakaway that he got a pad on and kept out. Boston drew another hooking penalty on solid effort play, this time by David Pastrnak going to the net. However, 22 seconds into the power play, Pastrnak was called for a questionable slashing penalty that resulted in a four-on-four situation and then a brief 42-second power play for Calgary going into the third. This time, Boston has the edge in shots on goals 11-5.
Third Period and Overtime
The Bruins got lucky right off the bat as the officials blew a quick whistle on a puck that Ullmark had never tied up. After killing off the penalty, Charlie McAvoy set up Pastrnak with a one-timer, but the shot went wide. Boston tied the game 2-2 when Coyle got his second of the game on a breakaway that was created on an impressive lofted pass by Anthony Richard. The goal was Coyle’s 20th of the season.
After the goal, the Bruins gained momentum and tilted the ice a bit, accumulating time in the attacking zone. Both teams had stretches of possession over the course of several minutes, but neither could produce any quality chances. Jesper Boqvist put an end to that with a great look down low that he rifled off of Markstrom’s shoulder.
With under a minute to go in the third period, Hanifin threw a puck toward the goal from the point, which double-deflected off the post. Regulation ended in a 2-2 tie, and the teams headed to overtime. The extra period has all sorts of back-and-forth action featuring great chances from McAvoy, Boqvist, Pastrnak, and Mason Lohrei, but none of them could finish. Calgary eventually came away with the 3-2 win when Nazem Kadri beat Ullmark on a three-on-one to end it.
Up Next
Next, the Bruins will head to Vancouver to take on the Canucks. It will mark the second of two meetings between the teams this season; Boston won the first one 4-0. The puck drop will be at 7:00 p.m. on the East Coast.
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