BOSTON — The Bruins took down the New Jersey Devils in a shootout Sunday afternoon at TD Garden to extend their point streak to six games.
Goaltender Jonas Gustavsson led the way with 29 saves in the 2-1 victory, which allowed Boston to climb within one point of the Montreal Canadiens for first place in the Atlantic Division.
IT WAS OVER WHEN…
Neither team found the back of the net in the five-minute overtime period, sending the game to a shootout. Ryan Spooner beat Cory Schneider on the Bruins’ first attempt, and Lee Stempniak, Kyle Palmieri and Mike Cammalleri all came up empty against Gustavsson to give Boston the win.
Cammalleri’s game-ending bid beat the Bruins goalie but rang the crossbar.
GOALIE WAR
Schneider was the best player on ice for the Devils. The Boston College product, who grew up just down the road in Marblehead, Mass., allowed the game’s first goal but then proceeded to foil scoring chance after scoring chance — including two by Matt Beleskey in the final seconds of regulation and another several in overtime — to keep his hometown team off the board for the remainder of the game.
In the opposite net, Gustavsson enjoyed a nice bounce-back performance after allowing three goals in each of his previous three starts. His best save of the night came in overtime, when he kicked aside a shorthanded 2-on-1 bid by Travis Zajac.
The win was Gustavsson’s first since Nov. 25.
THANK LOU
Loui Eriksson opened the scoring for the Bruins when he converted a nifty David Krejci pass into his 13th goal of the season.
The Bruins managed a mere four shots on goal in the first period but took a 1-0 lead into intermission thanks to two successful penalty kills and some heads-up defense by Patrice Bergeron.
MOVING ON UP
Landon Ferraro began the game on Boston’s fourth line but was moved up to the top unit early in the second period, bumping out right wing Brett Connolly.
Ferraro sparked a small scuffle during the final minute of the second when he decked Devils center Stephen Gionta away from the play, prompting Palmieri to swoop in and defend his teammate. Palmieri, who landed a few solid shots on the Bruins forward, was given a double minor for roughing, while Ferraro’s actions earned him two minutes for roughing and another two for boarding.
Ferraro finished with three shots on goal in the win.
UP NEXT
The St. Louis Blues make their only trip of the season to TD Garden on Tuesday night. St. Louis has won four of its last five games and entered Sunday with the second-best record in the Western Conference.
Thumbnail photo via Michael Dwyer/Associated Press
