Bruins Postgame: Bruins Lose Ullmark, Poitras In 4-3 OT Loss

If ever there was a trap game for the 2023-24 Boston Bruins, Tuesday night against the Arizona Coyotes at Mullett Arena was it. While one could easily argue that the Bruins could’ve gotten two points against the Coyotes, they still grabbed a hard-earned point in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Coyotes on a Nick Schmaltz goal with 56 ticks left in the extra frame.

The extra time 4-3 loss came less than 24 hours after the Bruins lost by the same score in a shootout to the Colorado Avalanche on Monday night in Denver. The overtime winner was also scored on the first and only shot of the game on Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman who had just come in to relieve an injured Linus Ullmark, who left the game in overtime with what appeared to be a groin injury.

David Pastrnak, Jesper Boqvist, and Jake DeBrusk scored for the Boston Bruins, and Schmaltz, Clayton Keller, Dylan Guenther, and Matias Maccelli lit the lamp for Arizona. Connor Ingram made 30 saves for the Coyotes.

Here’s your Boston Hockey Now Bruins Postgame:

CLUTCH: As mentioned above, win or lose, the fact that the Boston Bruins earned at least a point in this game was a credit to their resilience. While the skaters gave their all on fumes after Monday night, they wouldn’t have gotten a point without goalie Linus Ullmark. The reigning Vezina Trophy winner did all he could to secure at least a point in this back-to-back until he left the game 2:40 into the extra frame. He finished the game with 32 saves and was especially clutch in the first period when he made 11 saves and then in the third period and overtime when he made another combined 11 saves. But this, unfortunately will be the lasting memory from the game for Ullmark, the Bruins, and their fans.

Linus Ullmark had to be helped off the ice after making this save.

Not good: pic.twitter.com/S4F20xF3zd

— Evan Marinofsky (@EvanMarinofsky) January 10, 2024

DOGHOUSE: The injury bug is suddenly slamming the Boston Bruins in the new year. Defenseman Brandon Carlo did not play on Tuesday thanks to an upper-body injury he suffered on Monday night in Denver. The Bruins then got winger James van Riemsdyk back from an undisclosed injury on Tuesday night, but they got body-slammed by the injury Gods in this game. Prior to Ullmark’s injury and early in the third period, Bruins rookie center Matthew Poitras left the game and did not return after suffering what appeared to be an injury to his right arm.

Matt Poitras went down the tunnel after this big collision with Sean Durzi#NHLBruins pic.twitter.com/w4o4Hc2mXE

— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) January 10, 2024

They will now head to Las Vegas to play the Golden Knights, potentially without Poitras, Carlo, and Ullmark off the bench. Call-ups from the Providence Bruins will surely come on Wednesday or Thursday.

BANGER: Thanks to the Carlo injury, Boston Bruins winger Parker Wotherspoon found himself elevated in the lineup but playing his offside to the right of Hampus Lindholm on the second defensive pairing. The offseason, under-the-radar signing by Bruins general manager Don Sweeney, did not disappoint as he finished the game with three hits and three blocked shots in 21:28.

UNSUNG HERO: You have to give Boston Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery credit for putting Morgan Geekie between Pavel Zacha and David Pastrnak last month. The move has paid off in spades. With his two assists in this game, Geekie now has two goals and four assists in his last four games and four goals and five assists in his last ten.

Geekie started the cycle and grabbed the secondary assist on Pastrnak’s first period powerplay goal 4:41 into the game.

David Pastrnak can score from any angle. His latest goal was a beauty. pic.twitter.com/1vQlUz6pa4

— Jamie Gatlin (@JamieGatlin17) January 10, 2024

Geekie then grabbed the primary assist on DeBrusk’s game-tying powerplay goal 5:04 into the third period.

Make that five goals for Jake DeBrusk in his last eight games.

pic.twitter.com/8acwJhAF2A

— Jamie Gatlin (@JamieGatlin17) January 10, 2024

NEXT UP: The Bruins took off to Vegas after the game and will face former Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy and the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Vegas Golden Knights, on Thursday night (10:08 p.m. ET).

Boston Bruins Lineup

Forwards

Pavel Zacha-Morgan Geekie-David Pastrnak

Brad Marchand-Charlie Coyle-Jake DeBrusk

JVR-Matthew Poitras-Trent Frederic

John Beecher-Jesper Boqvist-Danton Heinen

Defensemen

Matt Grzelcyk-Charlie McAvoy

Parker Wotherspoon

Mason Lohrei-Kevin Shattenkirk

Goalies

Linus Ullmark

Jeremy Swayman