Devils Squeeze By Bruins 2-1 on Late Goal By Dainius Zubrus

It was one of those games that you just hate to lose.

After submitting a formidable effort through 58 minutes of Thursday’s game against the always-tough Devils, the Bruins dropped a 2-1 contest to New Jersey after Dainius Zubrus notched the deciding goal with 1:26 remaining.

Boston went down 1-0 midway through the first period on a tip-in by David Clarkson, but Patrice Bergeron tied things up at the beginning of the second. The Bruins almost held on through regulation but couldn’t quite get there, allowing the Devils to sneak away with a big road win.

Devils 2, Bruins 1
Oct. 29, 2009
TD Garden, Boston, Mass.
Live Blog | Box Score | Recap

Headliner: Filling in for Martin Brodeur is no easy task, but it was the one that Devils backup goaltender Yann Danis was faced with in Thursday’s matchup against one of New Jersey’s biggest conference rivals. In his first action of the 2009-10 season, Danis lived up to the challenge, allowing just one goal and making 31 saves on 32 shots.

Grinder: For the first week of the season, the Bruins’ special teams units were nothing to brag about, but Thursday’s game was an indication that the penalty kill is starting to turn things around. With just over two minutes remaining in the second period, Zdeno Chara was whistled for tripping, giving the Devils a huge opportunity to gain the upper hand heading into the second intermission. But the PK held strong at a critical time, keeping the game tied as the teams headed into the locker room to prepare for what was bound to be a back-and-forth third period.

Weak Link: Through 58 minutes, Tim Thomas played one of his best games of the season so far, allowing only a tough rebound goal to Clarkson following a two-on-one in the first period. Unfortunately, Danis matched him save for save in the opposite net. Thomas held strong throughout 99 percent of the game before finally giving up the deciding goal with 1:26 left in the contest. He finished with 29 saves on 31 shots. 

Key Moment: This one looked like it was headed for overtime — until Dainius Zubrus shocked the TD Garden crowd by notching the game-winning goal with 1:26 left in the game, sending a 7-foot wrist shot past Thomas to put the Devils up 2-1.

What’s Next: The Oilers trek to Boston after taking on the Red Wings at home on Thursday night. It’s been an up-and-down season for Edmonton, which sits in third place in the Northwest Division standings (prior to Thursday’s games), already nine points behind the Avalanche. 

Prior to Thursday’s game against Detroit, the Oilers were shut out in two consecutive tilts. In those two losses, the power play unit went 0-for-9, which could prove to be a nice breather for the Bruins’ PK.