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Bruins Postgame: Bruins Let Up And Lose 4-3 To Ducks in OT

Published

6 months ago

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Boston Bruins

The season-opening win streak is over for the Boston Bruins after they blew a 3-1 lead in the final two minutes of regulation and then lost 4-3 in overtime to the Anaheim Ducks.

Anaheim Ducks 18-year-old rookie and the second overall pick in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft Leo Carlsson made it 3-2 Bruins with 1:55 left in regulation, and Ducks winger Troy Terry tied the game with 15 seconds left. Carlsson then assisted on Mason McTavish’s overtime winner 2:08 into the extra frame.

Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy had three assists, David Pastrnak had a goal and an assist, and Matt Grzelcyk and Charlie Coyle also lit the lamp for the Bruins.

Here’s your Boston Hockey Now Postgame reaction to the play of the Bruins in what hopefully will be a lesson for them going forward:

CLUTCH: Davis Pastrnak was held off the scoresheet for the last two games, and that should’ve been a sign to the Ducks that he was going to come out firing and buzzing on Thursday night. He did exactly that as he unloaded nine shots on the net, with his fifth shot finding the back of the net for his sixth goal of the season. That came 16:40 into the second period and put the Bruins up 3-1.

 

 

Pastrnak also assisted on Charlie Coyle’s first goal of the season that came on the powerplay 1:41 into the second period and tied the game at one.

 

Pastrnak was also getting involved physically with a strong forecheck and two hits and sacrificing his body to block two shots.

BANGER: After signing with the Boston Bruins this past offseason, Morgan Geekie is starting to find a niche in the lineup. As expected, Geekie has mostly been used as a middle-six forward, and over the course of the last five games, he, along with center Charlie Coyle and winger James van Riemsdyk, have become the checking and puck possession line for the Bruins. Geekie didn’t register a point on Thursday night, but he finished the game with three hits and was mixing it up all night.

DOGHOUSE: It would be easy to question Linus Ullmark for one, maybe even two of the final three goals he allowed in this one, but the hard truth is, the entire Bruins team decided to suddenly underestimate their opponent at the worst possible time. The Bruins had just killed off a powerplay at 18:01 of the third period and still up 3-1, they suddenly decided that they had sealed the win. Well, the Ducks had other ideas as they scored two goals in the final 1:55 of play with the game-tying goal from Ducks winger Troy Terry with 15 ticks left. That paved the way for Mason McTavish’s game-winner 2:08 into the extra frame.

 

 

UNSUNG HERO: I seriously mean no offense to our readers who constantly campaign for the Boston Bruins to trade defenseman Charlie McAvoy and call him ‘overrated,’ but are you watching the same Charlie McAvoy the entire NHL (players, coaches, management, scouts, opposing team’s fans) are watching?

The Bruins defenseman was a bright spot for the Bruins and showed why so many in the game salivate over him once again. McAvoy assisted on all three Bruins’ goals, racked up a team-leading 26:11 TOI, and had four blocked shots.

KEY STAT: Matt Gryzelcyk became the first Bruins defenseman to score a goal this season, with his first at 3:01 of the second period to put the Bruins up 2-1.

 

 

They Said It: “Those are games you want to finish the right way, and those are points you need down the stretch. It’s tough to win in this league, and you’re never out of it. We gotta learn from it; that’s all you can do. There’s nothing we can do about it now, and it’s a shame that that happened, but we learn from it, we move on, come to work [Friday], practice, and ready to go, and we right the ship the next day.” – Bruins center Charlie Coyle on blowing the late two-goal lead and losing.

LINEUP:

Forwards

Brad Marchand-Pavel Zacha-David Pastrnak

Jake DeBrusk-Matt Poitras-Morgan Geekie

James van Riemsdyk-Charlie Coyle-Trent Frederic

Jesper Boqvist-John Beecher-Patrick Brown

Extra: Milan Lucic (injury), Jakub Lauko (injury)

Defensemen

Matt Grzelcyk-Charlie McAvoy

Hampus Lindholm-Brandon Carlo

Derek Forbort-Kevin Shattenkirk

Goalies

Linus Ullmark

Jeremy Swayman

 

 

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