Final, Bruins 4-1: That’s it, and that’s all. The Bruins’ winning streak has reached nine games as they pull away late for the 4-1 win.
Third period, 18:55, Bruins 4-1: That should do it. Jarome Iginla just scored an empty-netter, and the Bruins now lead by three.
Third period, 17:43, Bruins 3-1: Boston is taking its timeout here with just a a little more than two minutes to play. Minnesota has pulled the goalie in favor of an extra skater.
Third period, 16:00, Bruins 3-1: The Bruins came within inches of adding to their lead.
Daniel Paille ripped a wrist shot from the left wing that ended up hitting the post and bouncing back underneath Darcy Kuemper and out.
Third period, 14:55, Bruins 3-1: Tuukka Rask continues to look real sharp here in the third period, which is good, because the Wild are starting to turn up the pressure. Rask just made a save on Mikael Granlund as the Wild forward attempted a shot from the left wing.
That stop was Rask’s 28th save of the evening and 11th here in the third period.
Third period, 12:17, Bruins 3-1: Tuukka Rask just made a save on a Ryan Suter shot, and the Bruins goalie now has nine third-period saves.
Third period, 7:50, Bruins 3-1: Reilly Smith’s goal-scoring drought is over.
The Bruins winger just cleaned up a rebound in front of the net after Patrice Bergeron put the shot on net. Smith was right there to pounce on it and give the Bruins an insurance goal.
Third period, 7:29, Bruins 2-1: The Wild have certainly given a strong effort so far tonight, and they’re not showing any signs of going away.
They just had a couple of good shifts in the Boston end including one that resulted in a scrum in front of the net before the Bruins could finally clear the puck out of trouble.
Shortly after that, Kyle Brodziak hammered a shot from the left wing that Tuukka Rask had to glove. It looked like the puck might have been sailing wide, but Rask wasn’t taking any chances.
Third period, 4:05, Bruins 2-1: Boston came close to adding to its lead when Brad Marchand whipped a puck into the slot for Patrice Bergeron who quickly redirected it on net. Darcy Kuemper made the pad save to keep the puck out, though.
Third period, 0:01, Bruins 2-1: The third period is underway here at the Garden.
End second period, Bruins 2-1: The second period is over, and Jason Pominville’s goal late in the period will probably give the Wild a considerable lift as the third begins.
The Bruins are outshooting Minnesota 19-18 through two periods.
Second period, 18:34, Bruins 2-1: The Wild are on the board.
Minnesota won a faceoff in its own end, which is where Ryan Suter was able to win the puck from Brad Marchand. Suter then made a gorgeous outlet pass to Jason Pominville who took it fro there. Pominville took a shot from the right wing, which broke his stick, but his shot still beat Tuukka Rask.
Second period, 17:22, Bruins 2-0: Carl Soderberg is having a one heckuva game so far. He just almost picked up his second dazzling assist of the game when he put a pass through his legs to Chris Kelly as Kelly skated in front of the Minnesota net. Kelly couldn’t quite control the puck and get a shot off, though.
Second period, 11:58, Bruins 2-0: The Bruins’ third line continues to click.
Carl Soderberg just made an incredible play to give the Bruins the two-goal lead, as the Swedish center skated the puck behind the net before whipping a no-look backhanded pass through the slot to Loui Eriksson who crept in behind the defense. Eriksson easily jammed the puck into the net, and the B’s are up by a pair now.
Second period, 6:06, Bruins 1-0: Tuukka Rask just made one of his best saves of the season.
The goalie robbed Mikko Koivu right in front of the Boston net with a big-league glove save to keep the Wild off the board.
Second period, 3:52, Bruins 1-0: The Bruins are a tough enough team to beat when all things are even. When they’re getting a little bit of luck, they’re just about impossible to beat.
Jarome Iginla just scored one of the flukiest goals of his career. He carried the puck down the left wing and just attempted to put the puck on net. His shot hit the stick of Jonas Brodin and it then fluttered through the legs of Darcy Kuemper.
Second period, 0:01, 0-0: The second period is underway with both clubs searching for the game’s first goal.
End first period, 0-0: An entertaining first period has come to a close with the game still scoreless.
The Bruins are being outshot 10-8 through one.
First period, 17:40, 0-0: Tuukka Rask looks sharp so far.
The goalie just made a save on Erik Haula who had a semi-breakaway. Torey Krug made a pretty nice play to slow Haula down and take away what would have been a golden chance had he been all alone.
First period, 14:22, 0-0: The Bruins only have three shots on goal so far, but they’re starting to get some offensive zone time, especially from the first line. That unit is clicking on all cylinders right now and just had two chances in front of the net. They just haven’t been able to get a stick on loose pucks in front.
The Bruins’ defensemen are struggling to move the puck, though, especially out of their own zone. If they can get that straightened out, you’re going to start to see the Bruins generate even more offensive chances. If not, it’s going to be a long night for Tuukka Rask.
First period, 7:41, 0-0: The Wild are outshooting Boston 5-1 so far.
The Wild got a great scoring chance in the opening minute when Charlie Coyle broke free and got a shot on Tuukka Rask that the goalie stopped. That would have been a real nice moment for Coyle, a Weymout native who went to Boston University. He’s said to have between 1,000 and 2,000 friends and family in attendance. They made themselves heard when the starting lineups were announced and Coyle’s name was read.
First period, 6:50, 0-0: The Bruins have killed off the penalty to Andrej Meszaros, and the game is back to even strength.
The Wild got one real good chance when Zach Parise weaved through the Bruins defense and got a shot on goal on Tuukka Rask that the goalie stopped.
First period, 4:50, 0-0: The Wild are getting the game’s first power play.
Andrej Meszaros was called for tripping after getting tangled up with a couple of Minnesota players behind the Bruins’ net.
First period, 0:01, 0-0: This game is underway in front of a rowdy crowd.
7:25 p.m.: Warmups are over, and we now know who will be on the Boston blue line tonight. As stated earlier, Johnny Boychuk is out after being banged up Saturday against Carolina.
He’ll be replaced by Andrej Meszaros. The B’s used seven skaters during warmups, and Corey Potter is the odd man out. He’s yet to make his debut in Boston, as this was just the first time he took the ice for the warmup.
7 p.m.: Warmups, with the Bruins wearing green jerseys, are underway at TD Garden.
Tuukka Rask is in net for the Bruins, and Darcy Kuemper gets the start for the Wild.
5:40 p.m.: Good evening and welcome into TD Garden where puck drop is still a good two hours away as this game will be featured on the NBC Sports Network tonight.
This game will mark yet another milestone for Bruins forward Jarome Iginla. The future Hall of Famer will be playing in his 1,300th game tonight. He’ll be the 55th player to reach that milestone, and he’ll become just the fifth active player to do so. He’ll join Jaromir Jagr, Teemu Selanne, Ray Whitney and Shane Doan in that group.
While that milestone would seem to indicate that Iginla’s career is getting up there in age, his play on the ice has shown anything but. He’s been one of the Bruins’ most consistent players this season (after an early-season goal slump) and now leads the team in goals with 23. He’s been especially good as of late. He’s got four goals and an assist in his lst four games, 6-3-9 totals in his last eight, and 10-14-24 totals in his last 18 games. Over that 18-game span, he’s also registered eight multiple-point games.
Iginla is also closing in on another milestone. He’s just three goals away from tying Bruins legend Johnny Bucyk on the league’s all-time scoring list at 556, which ranks 25th all-time.
12:15 p.m.: The Bruins will be without Johnny Boychuk tonight against the Wild.
Boychuk didn’t skate at the team’s morning skate, and Claude Julien told reporters that the defenseman is a little too sore to give it a go. Boychuk had a painful game Saturday against Carolina, so it’s not exactly surprising that he won’t play.
Who takes his place is still unknown, though. Julien wouldn’t say who would be inserted into the lineup in Boychuk’s place.
10:45 a.m.: The Boston Bruins are arguably the hottest team in hockey right now, and they’ll look to extend their season-high winning streak to nine games on Monday night.
Boston will drop the puck at TD Garden for a rare Monday night affair as they take on the Minnesota Wild. This will be the first meeting between the two teams since Feb. 12, 2012. The Bruins have actually struggled against the Wild, especially in Boston. Minnesota has won all six of its visits to the Garden, and they’ve won those games by a commanding 19-6 margin. The B’s are just 2-10-0-0 all-time against the Wild and have been outscored 35-16 in those games.
That, of course, was the past. The Bruins are playing their best hockey of the season right now. They’ve been simply dominant in their eight-game winning streak, which is their longest win streak since a 10-game stretch in November of 2011. Boston is 11-1-2 in its last 14 games and 16-2-3 in its last 21 overall.
The Bruins are expected to start Tuukka Rask in net. He was the first goalie off the ice at morning skate and figures to get the start, especially after Chad Johnson started Saturday against Carolina. The Bruins have four games this week, so balancing the goaltending and lineup will be a tricky situation for Boston coach Claude Julien.
Puck drop from TD Garden is slated for 7:30 p.m.
