By: Declan Flavin | Follow me on Twitter / X @FlavinDeclan
What was once a 5–1 lead for the Boston Bruins completely evaporated, ruining what had been an eventful night for both teams. There was a goal straight off the puck drop, chaotic scrums, and even the first goalie fight in outdoor game history…
Why was a lead like the one the Bruins had so vulnerable? You only have to guess with a team that has to forecheck so differently; they are learning how to maintain that physical momentum properly when leading.
First Period 3-1 BOS
Brandon Hagel scored in the first sequence of action, initially causing viewers to wonder if it was going to be that type of game for the Northeastern team. The crowd was ignited from the get-go, and it could have been something the Tampa Bay Lightning rode early.
However, with the help of a few power-play opportunities early, the Bruins’ offense got going with in-tight goals from Alex Steeves, Morgan Geekie, and Viktor Arvidsson. It was encouraging to see the team gather goals in bunches by aligning with their greasier identity, as the puck went in on tip-ins and shots from close range.
Second Period 5-4 BOS
The second puck drop was followed by another push from the Lightning, albeit without a goal. The balance of the game then tipped the Bruins’ way for a second time, with skill-savvy goals by Matt Poitras and Geekie to stop the initial push.
However, chaotic scrums came, and at a price, as the man advantage for the Lightning led to goals from Oliver Bjorkstrand, Darren Raddysh, and Nick Paul. Although the goalie swing-off between Jeremy Swayman and Andrei Vasilevskiy was astonishing for both players and fans, it was ultimately more of what the home team needed than the visiting team.
Third Period 5-5
The last period of regulation began for the first half with what you can call “super-sim hockey” for both teams. There was a healthy exchange of grimy, physical forechecking, canceling out the offensive output of both sides.
This was another sequence that predictably led to a Lightning tally, as the skill of Nikita Kucherov finally broke the re-cleaned ice with a one-timer Swayman had no chance of stopping.
Overtime 5-5
Post-regulation hockey was a mixture of 3-on-3, 3-on-4, and 4-on-4, canceling out a potential game-winning goal by David Pastrnak. The Bruins’ frustration appeared to come to a head at this point, as they are still wondering why the referees’ whistle came so late on Pastrnak’s shot.
They were even lucky to get out of the overtime session without an abrupt game-winning goal from the other side, as Tampa’s power play had some quality opportunities. Luckily, shots from Lightning skill players came with a good amount of fatigue, as pucks were going wide left and right at times.
Shootout 6-5 TBL
The Bruins went with Casey Mittelstadt, Fraser Minten, and Pastrnak in the shootout, while the Lightning went with Gage Goncalves, Kucherov, and Jake Guentzel. This was a considerably more skilled shootout lineup than what head coach Marco Sturm experimented with in late December, which had Andrew Peeke with an opportunity he doesn’t often get.
Fans had a feeling Guentzel would have the knack for the environment, and sure enough, he scored to break the post-OT scoreless standoff. Pastrnak then ultimately followed with a signature move that couldn’t get over Vasilevskiy’s right shoulder…
Three Stars
1. Morgan Geekie (2G, 1A, 3PTS): The Bruins needed his offensive output to compete against the Lightning, and he delivered with both a greasy tip-in goal and a precise one-timer.
2. Matt Poitras (1G, 0A, 1PTS): With the team down Pavel Zacha and Elias Lindholm, Poitras holding his own in this game and scoring on top of it was critical to his teammates’ chances.
3. Alex Steeves (1G, 0A, 1PTS): As regular guest Mick Colageo on the Pucks with Haggs podcast pointed out during the game, Steeves has been unlucky around the net front, but he broke through on this stage to get the scoring going for the team.
Headlines
1. Bruin penalties wipe away a treasure trove of successes: The team was well on its way to a victory, only to let a few penalties pile up and knock them out.
2. Bruins produce aside from the man advantage: Four of the five goals were 5-on-5, highlighting the growing development of players’ alignment with the systematic attack plan.
3. Bruins invested in the referees’ nights: Many players showed visible frustration on the ice during the game, especially Charlie McAvoy, who also had some choice words afterwards.
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