Something about the early part of games and the Boston Bruins just doesn’t mix well right now.
The B’s found themselves in a three-goal deficit for the second straight night Thursday, and while they once again mounted a comeback, they ultimately fell 4-2 to the Colorado Avalanche at TD Garden.
With the win, the Avalanche improved their record to 10-14-1, while the Bruins dropped to 15-11-2.
Here’s a recap of Avalanche-Bruins.
UGLY START
The Avalanche didn’t look like a team with the least amount of points in the NHL early on.
The Avs grabbed an early 1-0 lead 5:30 into the game thanks to some impressive moves by Matt Duchene, who fired one past Anton Khudobin’s glove from the slot.
Colorado then took a 2-0 lead on a short-handed tally after Torey Krug misplayed the puck near the B’s offensive blue line. The turnover led to a Nathan MacKinnon breakaway opportunity, which he capitalized on.
And the Avs weren’t done yet. John Mitchell added an unassisted strike 4:09 into the second frame, giving the away squad what seemed like a commanding three-goal lead.
PASTA TIME
That commanding lead turned into a nail-bitter later in the second period thanks to back-to-back goals from David Pastrnak.
Tim Schaller earned the assist on his first goal, as he used the boards to get the puck to Pastrnak, who finished on a great individual effort at the 7:57 mark.
Pastrnak then trimmed the Avs’ lead to 3-2 when he scored his 18th goal of the season on a one-timer at the 6:37 mark. Brad Marchand set up the play with his pass from near the goal line along the boards.
But the euphoria was short lived, as former Bruin forward Carl Soderberg struck 17:05 into the second frame with Colorado’s fourth goal of the night.
The Bruins had plenty of chances, but Avs goalie Calvin Pickard stopped 29 of the 31 shots he faced. Khudobin finished with 17 saves.
UP NEXT
The B’s will have one day off before returning to TD Garden ice Saturday for a 7 p.m. ET showdown with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Thumbnail photo via Greg M. Cooper/USA TODAY Sports images
