By: Andrew Bluestein | Follow Me On Twitter / X @adbblue
The Boston Bruins kicked off their four-game road trip with a 6-5 overtime win over the sieging Edmonton Oilers Wednesday night. It was a wacky game that featured a lot of back-and-forth action and high-end offensive plays.
After taking a 4-1 lead in the second period, the Bruins yielded three straight goals, allowing the Oilers to tie the game. Even after retaking the lead, the Oilers pulled even again, and regulation wasn’t enough.Ā
First Period
This one started with some fast-paced hockey, with the Bruins having a brief, odd-man rush but couldn’t capitalize. Matt Grzelcyk was able to draw an early tripping penalty, but he was hurt in the process, needed a lot of assistance getting off the ice, and did not return. Boston was able to cash in on the man advantage, making it 1-0 when Morgan Geekie scored on a seeing-eye shot from the right point. It was Geekie’s tenth goal of the season, which is a new career high.
The Bruins kept the attack going, generating a couple more high-quality chances. Jake DeBrusk had a great chance down the right wing but was denied by Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner. DeBrusk then set up Charlie McAvoy for a great chance, walking in from the right side, but Skinner made another save. Edmonton responded toward the midway point of the opening frame with some offensive zone time, but Jeremy Swayman stood tall.
The Oilers kept at it, however, and tied the game 1-1 after Warren Foegele scored, driving to the net and going five holes after a Derek Forbort giveaway. Boston pushed back with some high-danger opportunities, but Skinner again shut the door. With 2:33 left, Anthony Richard was called for tripping, but the Bruins withheld a hot Oilers power play and killed it off. In what was an even first period, Boston outshot Edmonton 13-12. Swayman was strong in net, making 11 saves.
Second Period
Brad Marchand opened the second period with a bang, scoring 25 seconds in and beating Skinner on the short side for a 2-1 lead. Just over five minutes later, the Bruins extended their lead to 3-1 when Trent Frederic redirected a Jesper Boqvist set-up past the goal line. With 13:40 left, Parker Wotherspoon and Corey Perry dropped the gloves and had even scrap, with both landing some solid punches.
Perry was given an extra two for roughing, but the Bruins weren’t able to take advantage of the power play. Just past the halfway point of the game, Morgan Geekie was called for slashing, but again, Boston completed the kill, not giving Edmonton much room. Swayman came up with a big pad save on Zach Hyman, who got behind the defense.
Shortly after, Jake DeBrusk buried a rebound in front of a David Pastrnak shot from out high that made it 4-1. The Oilers, however, struck back, with Warren Foegele getting his second goal, beating Swayman on the doorstep. That cut the Boston lead to 4-2. Edmonton dominated in the last four minutes of the period, tilting the ice, but the Black and Gold withstood the pressure and took a two-goal lead into the intermission. The shots on goal were even at ten a piece.
Third Period and Overtime
The third period started with high emotions as a crowd gathered behind the Oiler’s net after a Skinner save. The Bruins had a strong fore-check during the beginning of the final frame, forcing Edmonton to take multiple icings. But, they eventually were able to find their footing and had a couple of solid chances down low with Connor McDavid as the catalyst.
The Oilers were able to make it a 4-3 game after a Cody Ceci shot leaked through Swayman, and Mattias Janmark knocked it in. Edmonton tied 4-4 after winning an offensive zone face-off and Corey Perry putting home a rebound on the doorstep. The home team kept their foot on the gas, dictating the game for the next several minutes, but it was the Bruins who broke the tie. Pastrnak beat Skinner on a drop pass by Mason Lohrei to make it 5-4, and the assist was the rookie defenseman’s third of the night.
Almost instantaneously, the Oilers tied it 5-5 after Zach Hyman scored off a bad rebound let up by Swayman. With 20 seconds left, James van Riemsdyk was called for a questionable tripping penalty, and it carried into overtime. Boston killed it off, and van Riemsdyk had a breakaway out of the box but couldn’t beat Skinner. The game-winner came on a spectacular dangle by Charlie McAvoy, who pulled the puck to his backhand and slipped it home for a 6-5 win.
Up Next
Next, the Bruins will continue their four-game road trip with a meeting against the Calgary Flames in the second half of a back-to-back. Boston looks to have a better performance than the first game against the Flames, which they lost 4-1 in a total no-show. The puck drop will be at 9:00 p.m. on the East Coast.
Leave a Reply