The slumping Boston Bruins found no reprieve Wednesday night as they traded the sunshine of the West Coast for the bright lights of New York City.
After dropping all three games of their California road trip, the Bruins could not keep up with the New York Rangers in a 5-2 loss at Madison Square Garden, losing their fourth consecutive contest for the first time all season.
The result prevented Boston from gaining any ground in the Atlantic Division standings. It remains in third place, three points behind the idle Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers.
IT WAS OVER WHEN…
A goal by J.T. Miller put the Rangers ahead 4-1 with 13:28 remaining in the third period. The Bruins got one back with a goal from Frank Vatrano later in the third, but an empty-netter by Rick Nash sealed the deal for the hosts.
TAKING ADVANTAGE
An inability to stay out of the penalty box hurt the Bruins early. The Rangers earned three power plays in the opening 12 minutes, and the second and third both produced the game’s first two goals.
Keith Yandle set up both tallies, feeding Mats Zuccarello for the first and Derek Stepan for the second.
Bruins coach Claude Julien protested Zuccarello’s goal (but did not challenge it), arguing that an initial shot by Stepan had hit the netting above the end boards. Officials disagreed, and the only replay of the play in question was inconclusive.
Julien also had grounds to complain about the penalties that led to both goals, as both were borderline.
HAT TRICKED
Lee Stempniak appeared to tie the game at one goal apiece midway through the first, but his goal was disallowed after Rangers coach Alain Vigneault challenged the ruling.
Replays clearly showed both Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron entering the zone from offside positions, making it an easy call for the officials.
The trio left no doubt on their second effort, however.
With Boston trailing 3-0 midway through the second period, Bergeron made an excellent play to keep the puck in the offensive zone, setting up his linemates for a 2-on-none against Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist. Marchand hesitated before sliding a pass to Stempniak, and the trade-deadline acquisition beat Lundqvist to put the Bruins on the board.
The goal snapped a streak of five consecutive games without one for the Marchand-Bergeron-Stempniak line.
Stempniak very nearly had three by himself, as he came inches from beating Lundqvist again early in the third period. The New York netminder had to lunge to stop a Stempniak bid after having a shot bounce off his glove, and referees determined Lundqvist prevented the puck from fully crossing the goal line.
The play was reviewed, but replays were deemed inconclusive.
WELCOME BACK, FRANKIE
Vatrano played his first NHL game since Jan. 19 after being recalled Tuesday from the American Hockey League. The 22-year-old winger did what he does best at the 12:06 mark of the third period, beating Lundqvist with a laser beam of a one-timer to close out the scoring for Boston.
Vatrano now has seven goals in 31 NHL games this season to go along with an American Hockey League-leading 33 in 33 games with Providence. He began Wednesday night on Boston’s fourth line but later was elevated to the second, replacing David Pastrnak.
GOALIE SWAP
Backup Jonas Gustavsson relieved Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask to begin the second period. Rask missed Tuesday’s practice with an illness, and Julien told NBC Sports rinkside reporter Pierre McGuire he made the switch because the goaltender “wasn’t feeling great” after the first period.
Gustavsson allowed a goal to Derick Brassard on the sixth shot he faced and another to Miller a period later. He finished with 10 saves, while Rask stopped six shots in his 20 minutes of work.
FIRST-PERIOD FISTICUFFS
Fists flew less than seven minutes into the first period after Bruins winger Matt Beleskey took offense to a check he sustained from Tanner Glass. Beleskey and Glass proceeded to drop the gloves in a brief but spirited scrap.
Zdeno Chara also had some strong words for Miller after the Rangers forward leveled him into the boards during the second period.
LINEUP NOTES
Brett Connolly was a healthy scratch for the second time in as many games. It was the first time the winger had sat out consecutive games all season.
UP NEXT
The Bruins return to TD Garden on Thursday night for the first time in nearly two weeks. They’ll host the Panthers before hitting the road for another four-game trip.
Thumbnail photo via Noah K. Murray/USA TODAY Sports Images
