When it comes to discussing the Boston Bruins’ resilience, frankly, where do you even begin?
After a pair of contests that ended in overtime losses for the Bruins, things appeared to be destined for a regulation loss. Boston trailed the Dallas Stars 2-0 heading into the final period Friday, but it used a three-goal comeback — capped off by David Pastrnak’s winner with 11 seconds to play — to earn a 3-2 victory in the second contest of a four-game road trip.
There was no shortage of obstacles in front of the Bruins. Among them, injuries continuing to be a problem, and it showed before the puck even dropped.
The usual fourth line of Tim Schaller, Sean Kuraly and Noel Acciari was valued into the third line. Matt Grzelcyk — who entered the game averaging 1:08 power-play ice time per game — had to fill in on the man advantage with Torey Krug out. Grzelcyk ultimately logged 3:36 on the power play. In nearly every facet, the Bruins were faced with an uphill battle.
But when it counted, they stepped up. It would have been pretty easy for Boston to lay down and die in those final 20 minutes, but it instead stepped it up and showed tremendous resolve. Whether it was Pastrnak’s goal, or Schaller scoring on the penalty kill, the B’s found a way to claw back.
That includes Tuukka Rask. The B’s netminder, while still 7-2-1 in his previous 10 games entering Friday, had been struggling mightily, as he turned in a .886 save percentage during that stretch. He redeemed himself in a big way Friday, however, posting a season-high 40 shots, 11 of them coming when the Bruins were on the penalty kill.
It has been harped on plenty of times lately, but this Bruins team is a legitimate Stanley Cup contender. Never mind the injuries they are contending with, but when the going gets tough within the game, no matter who is on the ice or who the opponent is, they never pack it in. And that certainly will help them as they look to continue to play into mid-June.
Here are some other notes from Bruins-Stars:
— Patrice Bergeron will join the Bruins in Minnesota on Saturday and will be a game-time decision for Sunday’s game against the Wild, according to multiple reports.
Should Bergeron play Sunday, he will have missed a month to the day with a fractured foot. The 32-year-old has had a stellar season, centering the NHL’s best line while slashing a solid 27-27-54 through 55 games this season.
— The Bruins have continued to find success in the face-off circle despite Bergeron’s absence. Since Bergeron went on injured reserve, the B’s rank ninth in the league, winning 63.1 percent of their draws. They outdueled Dallas by winning 51 percent of face-offs.
— The defensive pairing of Kevan Miller and Grzelcyk was stellar in Friday’s win. They were tasked with quieting the Stars’ top line — which featured Tyler Seguin — and they came through. They did not allow Seguin, Brett Ritchie or Jamie Benn to score.
Benn did have a goal, but it came with Dallas shorthanded.
