By: Ryan Bosworth | Follow me on Twitter / X @RyanJBosworth
The Boston Bruins faced off against the visting New York Rangers in today’s Thanksgiving Showdown. The Bruins came into today with a record of 14-11-0, looking to make it back-to-back wins. The Rangers, with a record of 12-11-2, were looking to extend their win streak to three games.
The Bruins were considerably short-handed today, missing several key pieces, including David Pastrnak, Pavel Zacha, Charlie McAvoy, and Viktor Arvidsson. The short-handedness certainly showed itself throughout the first period.
First Period
The theme for the first period today? Turnovers. It felt as though every time the Bruins touched the puck, there was a turnover coming. Defensive zone, neutral zone, or offensive zone. The Bruins biggest opponent in the first period was themselves. They just couldn’t get out of their own way.
The Bruins started with their makeshift top line, which consisted of Alex Steeves, Elias Lindholm, and Morgan Geekie. Geekie shifted to the right wing, and Steeves slotted into the left wing. Things were quiet, for about two minutes, before New York opened the scoring at just 3:28 of the first, on their second shot. As noted on X via Scott McLaughlin, it’s the seventh time this has happened in Korpisalo’s ten starts on the season.
The Bruins were consistent in turnovers, and were unable to generate next to any offense in the first frame. The Rangers, however, were able to extend their lead to two, tallying their second goal of the frame at 12:02. Carson Soucy’s one-tee rifled past Korpisalo. The Bruins held off the Rangers for the remainder of the period, finishing off the first with a two-goal deficit.
The only real positive of the period is the continued dominant play by the third line, consisting of Tanner Jeannot, Fraser Minten, and Mark Kastelic. Minten and Jeannot really play well together, and adding Kastelic to the mix just makes that line so much better. They generated the Bruins’ best chance of the period, with Minten getting a shot on goal, following up his own rebound in an attempt to get it to Kastelic. Despite unsuccessful, it was a great chance for the third-line buzzsaw.
Second Period
The Bruins’ second period of the frame was essentially a carbon copy of the first. Lackluster offense and bad turnovers, with a couple of decent chances sprinkled in, but ultimately outweighed by bad plays and two more goals, increasing the Rangers’ lead to four, both of which were power play goals scored by Mika Zibanejad.
The Bruins began the period on the power play, and saw no success. They almost allowed a Rangers short-handed goal, but Korpisalo had a number of great saves throughout the period, trying to limit the bleeding. Zibanejad made it 3-0 with a power play goal from below the far-side faceoff dot, putting one short-side high on Korpisalo.
Not too long after, Zibanejad adds another power play goal, essentially copying his first power play goal, just from a bit higher in the faceoff circle. The Bruins were able to hold the Rangers off the remainder of the second, and as the period came to a close, the boo birds rained down as the Black and Gold exited the ice. To conclude 40 minutes of play, the Rangers hold the edge in shots, 28-12.
Third Period
The third period proved to be the best for the Bruins this afternoon. Coming into the period down four goals, there was a noticeable shift in energy. More offensive zone time, more chances generated, and, finally, a Bruins goal, scored by none other than Casey Mittelstadt in his first game back from a nine-game absence due to an injury. In a scrum out front, he puts home a bouncing puck and cuts the Rangers’ lead to three.
The Bruins would continue with their push, adding another tally thanks to a Morgan Geekie redirect off a shot from Henri Jokiharju from the point. Cutting the Rangers’ lead to two goals, Morgan also, once again, ties Nathan MacKinnon for the league lead in goals at 18.
Despite a strong push for about 17 minutes in the third, the Rangers tally an empty net goal, putting them up three goals once again, and quickly thereafter, tuck another one past Korpisalo, making it another four-goal differential and a 6-2 lead, which would prove to be the final.
Today’s loss just goes to show how crucial players like Pastrnak, Zacha, McAvoy, and Arvidsson are to this lineup. The Bruins will be back at it tomorrow night at TD Garden, where they’ll face off against the Detroit Red Wings.
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