By: Tom Calautti | Follow me on Twitter @TCalauttis
The Boston Bruins got back in the win column last night as they extinguished the Calgary Flames 4-3 in overtime. The Bruins blew a 3-1 second-period lead but regained their composure and pulled out a gutsy victory. Here’s what happened:
The Captain Saves the Day
When it comes to overtime and this franchise, your best bet is to put your money on Brad Marchand. The captain of the Black and Gold rescued the team from another debilitating loss with his 21st career overtime tally (good enough for third all-time). With under a minute to go, Elias Lindholm lost a face-off in the offensive zone but was able to tie up Rasmussen Anderson behind the Calgary net. After some nifty stick work, Boston’s newest center picked the defender’s pocket, finding Marchand out front where he buried the rebound off his initial shot.
“He’s just tenacious. I think that makes him good at any point in the game,” said Charlie Coyle of his captain. “You can just tell he has the attitude. He wants to score; he knows he can score. And a lot of times when you have that mentally, you’re going to score.”
Marchand was hovering around the puck all night. He rang two posts during regulation, and his line alongside Lindholm and Brazeau was one of the highlights for Boston’s offense. In nine minutes of even-strength ice time, Marchand’s line out-attempted the Flames 14-5, out-chanced them 8-2, and had three more high-danger chances than their opponents.
“He’s a very, very smart player,” said Marchand of his new centerman. “He reads the ice very well and makes a lot of really good plays. I definitely think we’re starting to understand where each other goes…but you’re always trying to find chemistry as quickly as you can with your linemates.”
Marchand’s goal gave Boston a much-needed victory and got them back in the win column after an unimpressive loss in Toronto.
Czech Connection
Brad Marchand may have scored the winning goal, but this game was all about the Czech connection. Jim Montgomery threw his lines in the blender again, reuniting David Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha on the same line with Tyler Johnson. The trio were directly responsible for Boston’s first two goals and played a dominating game all night.
“I’m certainly not going to change (that line),” said Jim Montgomery of the Czech line after last night’s game. “They played really well. I though they were our best offensive line.”
The scoring opened early in the first when David Pastrnak carried the puck into the offensive zone, delayed, and found a streaking Hampus Lindholm for a silky backhand goal. Pastrnak showed off the vision and playmaking ability Bruins fans have been yearning for this season, rifling a pass through the slot to find Lindholm for his third goal of the season.
The team’s second goal came on a more workmanlike play from Pastrnak, where he took a neutral zone feed, avoided a check, and chipped a puck to Zacha for a one-time goal.
The trio of Johnson-Zacha-Pastrnak was nothing short of dominant tonight. When those three were on the ice, shot attempts were 13-8, scoring chances were 5-3, and goals were 2-0. It’s a small sample size, but if Boston can get this kind of production out of their top line, Tyler Johnson will have earned his keep on Causeway.
Korpisalo Stands Strong
Joonas Korpisalo put forth another solid effort tonight, showcasing his ability to make complex, situational saves when the team needs him most. Korpisalo took the blame for Calgary’s first goal, a Tyson Barrie one-timer from the point that beat him blocker-side, but settled in nicely after that.
Korpisalo did his best work in the second period and overtime, where he made x high-danger saves and kept the team afloat en route to the victory. The former Senator’s performance was precisely the goaltending the Bruins needed to help lift them out of their early-season skid.
“I thought he was good, especially in the second,” said Montgomery about his goaltender. “I thought he made a lot of key saves when we extended our lead to 3-1.”
He finished the night with 34 saves and snagged his third win as a Bruin
Game Notes
- Charlie Coyle logged his first assist of the season tonight when he found Cole Koepke for the game’s third goal. He’s been on his best stretch of the season of late.
- The powerplay had another rough showing, but the second showed some promise. I still really like the idea of Hampus Lindholm as the quarterback and think Tyler Johnson is a good fit on the man advantage.
- Nikita Zadorov took his league-leading 12 penalty this season. I thought he played a solid game, but the penalties are a major problem.
- Marchand’s OT goal could be considered Elias Lindholm’s signature ‘Boston’ moment so far this season. Dogged puck pursuit, an active stick, and a phenomenal effort play lead to a win the Bruins desperately needed.
Monty should leave both top lines together as Brazeau fit well with Elias Lindholm and Marchand and is also a smart, defensively responsible hockey player with some offensive upside.