It was the ultimate trap game.
The Bruins were coming off an emotional and intense win over the team with the most points in the NHL in Vancouver on Saturday to face the team with the fewest points in the league less than 24 hours later in Edmonton on Sunday.
But despite their record, the Oilers do possess some dangerous talent and have speed to burn with their young lineup. Add in the fact that Edmonton was sitting at home, lying in wait with Saturday night off while the Bruins battled the Canucks, and all the elements were in place for a letdown.
That fear was reinforced when Ales Hemsky staked Edmonton to a 1-0 lead just 1:05 into the opening period. But the Bruins weren't willing to go along with that script. They battled back to take the lead before the end of the first, extended it in the second, then held on against a late charge in the third to pull out the 3-2 victory.
"I think we battled hard and you could tell we were a little tired there near the end," Bruins coach Claude Julien said. "This is a pretty good young hockey club that we played tonight with unbelievable speed. I just like the way we battled and stuck with it when they took that early lead. Once we started playing a little bit more in their end and started holding on to the puck, we started having a little more success."
The bulk of that success came from the top line of David Krejci, Milan Lucic and Nathan Horton. They each picked up a point while Horton and Lucic narrowly missed earning Gordie Howe hat tricks.
Horton sparked the club early with a devastating knockdown of Edmonton defenseman Theo Peckham in a first-period fight after the big blueliner had roughed up Krejci. Lucic later traded bombs with another tough d-man, engaging in a lengthy slugfest with Jim Vandermeer in the third.
Between those bouts, Lucic helped set up Michael Ryder for Boston's first goal and Horton scored off a beautiful feed by Krejci for the second. Those goals continued an offensive renaissance for Boston's talented top line, which went into a midseason hibernation but is now piling up points again.
"I think the reason we're having success is because we're having a lot of fun out there," said Lucic, who has eight points in his last five games. "That chemistry was there from the start. It kind of went away there for a bit around Christmastime and January, and it's great that it's back now. We talk about it all the time that we want to be a line that contributes to this team. You want to do whatever you can and go out there and put in a great effort and give your team a chance to win.''
There's also some chemistry being forged on the Bruins' new third line, where recent additions Rich Peverley and Chris Kelly have teamed with Michael Ryder. Peverley scored his first goal as a Bruin in the final minute of the second period, an insurance tally that ultimately proved the game-winner. Kelly picked up his first point with Boston on the play, which began when he forced a turnover at center ice.
Ryder had the primary assist on the goal, feeding Peverley in front to finish a give-and-go down low. Ryder was the only Bruin with multiple points, as he earlier matched Horton with his 17th goal of the season.
Just as important as the offense from those lines was the defensive work of the forwards. That also included the always reliable two-way play of the Patrice Bergeron line with Mark Recchi and Brad Marchand on the wings. But Tyler Seguin, facing draft rival Taylor Hall for the first time in the NHL, also turned in his most inspired effort of the season. He didn't earn a point, but came back to help the defense, got his nose dirty in scrums and even sacrificed his body to block a shot. That block left him struggling to get back to the bench in pain, but he didn't miss a shift.
"I think the commitment to come back [on defense] and work hard, to come back in our own end on the backcheck has been a lot better," Julien said. "Our back pressure has been a lot better in helping our D out. The last two teams we've played against really stretch you out, so it was important for our guys to make sure they came back hard and they've done that the last few games."
That commitment has also lead to a perfect start to this season-long six-game road trip and the club's first five-game win streak of the season. The Bruins will look to extend that to six and close out the trip in style Tuesday in Ottawa.
"I think it's always nice to win those games, especially this time of year when everything is so tight," Julien said. "We're feeling pretty good about our game right now. We just have to keep it going."
