By: Chad Jones | Follow me on Twitter / X @ShutUpChadJones
The Boston Bruins ended their five-game road trip with a 3-2 overtime defeat to the Edmonton Oilers Thursday night. While the Black and Gold put together a solid effort through most of the contest, the Oilers sent the Bruins back to Boston with a sour taste in their mouths. The night began promising for the Bruins, but they could not hold down the all-word play of Connor McDavid for 60 minutes.
Boston did not waste any time getting on the scoreboard. Just over a minute into action, Elias Lindholm corralled the puck near the edge of the left faceoff circle. The center then rifled the rubber through a maze of bodies and found the back of the net just past Stuart Skinner’s right shoulder. It was number 28’s second tally in as many games, bumping his season total to five.
Later that period, Mark Kastelic executed an effective chip and chase to gain possession in the Oilers’ zone with a full head of steam. While keeping control of the puck, he cut to the slot and beat Skinner with a nifty backhanded attempt. It was the forward’s fourth lamp lighter of the season.
However, Boston could not keep the high-powered Edmonton attack grounded the entire time. In the middle of the second period, Zach Hyman, who potted 54 goals last season, pounced on the puck near the right faceoff dot. His quick release helped aid the shot past Jeremy Swayman to cut Boston’s lead in half and credit Hyman with his 11th score of the year. While Edmonton carried the play in the middle 20, it would be the lone score from either team.
In the third period, the play was even. It looked like the Bruins were about to secure the victory in regulation and head back to Boston riding the wave of a three-game winning streak. But the best player in the world had other ideas.
With under three minutes remaining in regulation, number 97 in Blue and Orange did what superstars do: make big-time plays when their team needs them the most. After the Bruins failed to clear the puck down into the Oilers’ zone to allow for a complete change, Hyman corralled the puck and burst into Boston’s end with McDavid riding shotgun. Hyman got the puck to McDavid, who promptly scooted around Nikita Zadorov and jammed the equalizer past Swayman, his 15th score of the year.
In the extra session, David Pastrnak took a long time to get to the bench after a lengthy shift, which allowed Edmonton to rush up the ice in a potential 2-1. Lindholm hustled on the backcheck to force Leon Draisaitl to rush an attempt on Swayman. But the Bruins netminder could not control the shot to either freeze play or easily slide a puck to a Bruin. Brad Marchand overskated the puck, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins picked up the loose change and found Mattias Ekholm skating right down Broadway. The Oiler defenseman fired the puck from the slot and beat Swayman for the game-winning goal and his fourth score this season.
After two ugly losses to begin the road trip, Boston bounced back to win two in a row and capture five of six potential points. But after the game, the Bruins captain was unsatisfied with that factoid.
“We finished better than we started, for sure, but we can’t afford to be giving away points like that right now,” Marchand told the media postgame. “We needed to be more prepared to start the road trip than we were, and it should have been better than it was. But, at the end of the day, it’s good to get five and come away 500. It could have been a lot worse but should have been better.”
It was a trip during which the Bruins played some of their best and worst hockey of the season. Boston must keep up its intensity for two more home games before the NHL’s Christmas break. The Bruins will take on the struggling Buffalo Sabers on TD Garden’s ice Saturday night.
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