Game 4 Live Blog: Boston Bruins Vs. Philadelphia Flyers

BOSTON — Gutsy comeback win for the Boston Bruins as they scored four goals in the third period and then rode things out until a Jake DeBrusk winner in the shootout gave them a 5-4 win over the Philadelphia Flyers at TD Garden. We’ll have much more on the game shortly…

BOSTON – Five thoughts from the second period of Bruins/Flyers with the B’s leading by a 2-1 score after the opening 40 minutes at TD Garden.

• Now it’s 229:58 of ice time without a goal. Craig Smith missed a wide open chance in front and Carter Hart snuffed out a David Krejci shot from the slot after a Jakub Zboril deflected shot bounced right onto his stick in front. The Bruins are outshooting the Flyers 18-11 and are losing 2-0. This one is going to be rough postgame.

• The temperature definitely went up that period with Charlie McAvoy getting hit late center ice with no call, and then Mark Friedman getting bloodied after being on the losing end of a shoving match with Brad Marchand in the neutral zone. There was more energy, hitting and it generally felt like you were watching an NHL game under normal circumstances. It feels like it’s going to take things getting nasty for players to really get fully involved this season.

• So much for the perfect penalty kill. The Bruins give up one power play goal and then another goal immediately after the Flyers power play was over with tired Boston skaters still marooned on the ice. Once the cracks start to show it feels demoralizing for a Bruins team that has shown little ability to put the puck in the net over the first four game of the season.

• Six shot attempts and 7-of-12 face-off wins for Patrice Bergeron through the first two periods. Bergeron has been good in this one.

• Carter Hart has looked excellent for the Flyers. The Bruins are still missing the net a little bit and passing up shot a little too much, but Hart has been all over the handful of chances the Bruins have generated around the net. It’s going to be tough to get two goals past him the way he’s playing in this game.

BOSTON – Five thoughts from the first period of Bruins/Flyers with the two teams locked in a scoreless tie after the opening 20 minutes at TD Garden.

• The Boston Bruins controlled play and outshot the Flyers by a 14-3 margin without, once again, actually lighting the lamp. Where have I seen this movie before? The Bruins have now gone 209:58 into the season without an even strength goal, and they didn’t have a ton of Grade-A chances within those 14 shots. They did a pretty good job getting the puck to the net, and Craig Smith and Chris Wagner had changes in tight around the net. A David Krejci point blast dinged the outside of the post. Charlie McAvoy stepped into a blast from the high point as the trailer, but it was pretty far from the net. But they very clearly have some issues finishing 5-on-5 right now and it feels like it’s going to get into their heads if it goes on much longer.

• Jack Studnicka still looks really tentative. He doesn’t have a shot on net this season and he passed up an open look at the net from the face-off circle to flip a cross-ice pass through traffic to David Krejci. The pass never got there, and the Bruins let a really good shooting opportunity go by the boards. He either needs to develop a little more offensive swagger quickly or he might be looking at some time in the AHL once everybody gets healthy.

• Bruins are dominant in the face-off circle having won 13-of-17 in the first period. It looks like they are missing Sean Couturier on draws in a mighty big way right now. That’s something the Bruins should, and are, taking full advantage of tonight.

• Another quality kill for the Bruins in the first period. Studnicka did look good on the PK skating with Charlie Coyle, and they survived a pretty rough turnover from Brandon Carlo in the defensive zone. They are now 14-for-14 on the penalty kill for the season and there’s little argument that their special teams are carrying them right now.

• Carter Hart looks on his game for the Flyers in this one. The Bruins are upping their traffic around the net and getting the puck to the net, but it looks like they are going to have to go the extra mile to beat him in this one.