Final, Bruins 2-1: Wow.
David Krejci just tipped home the game-winning goal after a shot from Adam McQuaid.
Krejci was camped in front of the net, and he was able to tip the puck through Antti Niemi’s legs for the game-winner. That was something else.
Third period, 17:39, 1-1: The Bruins just got another good scoring chance that was started with some nifty stickwork from Brad Marchand at his own blue line.
He chipped the puck up the ice for David Krejci who burst out of the zone with speed and eventually put a shot on net, but Antti Niemi was up to the task.
Third period, 15:30, 1-1: Antti Niemi looks like he’s not going to be giving anything up in the near future, either.
He just made an impressive pad save on a shot from Dennis Seidenberg that looked to be tipped by Reilly Smith in front of the net.
On the ensuing possession, the Sharks took the puck down the ice and put a shot on Tuukka Rask that he covered up as we head to the final TV timeout of regulation.
Third period, 12:32, 1-1: This is where playing last night might catch up to the Bruins.
We’re starting to see more icings against the B’s, and the breakouts have been far from perfect. They just look tired, which makes sense given the back-to-back with travel.
That being said, it’s still a tie game it would be legitimately surprising if Tuukka Rask gives up another goal.
Third period, 8:03, 1-1: Now that we’ve got a break, let’s talk about how incredible Tuukka Rask’s most recent save was.
He stacked the pads and made a sensational save on Jason Demers that came before the Bruins power play. Rask has been fantastic so far.
Third period, 7:00, 1-1; The Bruins weren’t able to get anything on the power play.
There was one scrum in front of the net that saw what seemed like an early whistle, and then David Krejci also got a little too careless with the puck. He left the puck behind him for Zdeno Chara, but the defenseman had already started to go to the front of the net.
That kind of took the momentum out of the man-advantage.
Third period, 4:35, 1-1: The Bruins are going on the power play for the first time in this one.
Joe Thornton just tripped Zdeno Chara in some captain-on-captain crime, and the B’s get the man-advantage.
Third period, 0:18, 1-1: Tuukka Rask has been sensational so far,but the Sharks just made him pay for his lone mistake.
Patrick Marleau was in the right place at the right time after Rask made an initial save on Logan Couture, but Marleau banged home the rebound for an easy goal.
That’s certainly not the way the Bruins wanted to start the period after taking the lead late in the second.
Third period, 0:01, Bruins 1-0: The third period is underway.
Additionally, apologies for the scarcity of updates, as I’m dealing with some tech issues. We should be good to go now in what should be a fun third period.
End second period, Bruins 1-0: That’s the end of the second period, and somehow, the Bruins have the lead.
Second period, 18:48, Bruins 1-0: The Bruins inexplicably have the lead now.
Jarome Iginla just scored his first goal as a member of the Bruins, as he just flipped a shot on goal against Antti Niemi, and the puck eventually squirted through.
Dennis Seidenberg did a nice job of keeping the puck in the zone, and he put it toward the net where Iginla grabbed it and eventually scored.
Second period, 17:09, 0-0: The Bruins’ second line continues to give the team chances, and they just had their best chance of the evening.
Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron worked the 2-on-1, and it led to a gorgeous chance for Bergeron who one-timed the pass from Antti Niemi in front, but the goalie made a sensational glove save to rob Bergeron.
Second period, 14:10, 0-0: The Bruins just got their best scoring chance of the second period, which really isn’t saying much at all.
The Bruins’ second line, which has been their best so far through almost two periods, was responsible for generating the chance. Patrice Bergeron carried the puck into the zone and got pretty deep before passing it back to the left point to Dennis Seidenberg. The Bruins defenseman ripped a shot from the point, but Antti Niemi made a nice shoulder save.
That was an even more impressive save given the fact that Brad Marchand had gone falling into the crease and was actually laying in the back of the net when the shot got to Niemi.
Second period, 10:00, 0-0: There’s really not a ton to report right now.
The Sharks continue to dominate play and they are wearing out the ice in the Boston zone. While the Bruins have managed just five shots on goal, the Sharks have put 20 shots on Tuukka Rask.
The goalie is the only reason this game isn’t 3-0 or worse right about now.
Second period, 3:00, 0-0: The Bruins just had easily their best chance of the night.
Torey Krug made a nifty little play out of his own zone, as he banked a long pass off the boards in front of the benches that found Shawn Thornton in stride. The Boston forward carried the puck down the right wing all alone and let a slap shot rip. The shot had Antti Niemi beat, but it rang the post to Niemi’s right ,and the game remains scoreless.
Second period, 0:01, 0-0: The second period is underway.
End first period, 0-0: The Bruins were absolutely outplayed for just about the entire first period here at the Garden.
Luckily for them, Tuukka Rask looks as sharp as ever, and it’s a scoreless first period.
First period, 16:12, 0-0: The Sharks continue to come at the Bruins, and despite one rush midway through the period, the B’s have been outplayed for much of the period.
They certainly look like a team that played last night. One guy who didn’t play last night, however, was Tuukka Rask. The Boston goalie has been rock-solid so far, as he has 11 saves through the first 16 minutes.
We also just saw a big-time hit from Dougie Hamilton, perhaps the biggest from a Bruins player this season. If he starts to bring a little bit of nasty in addition to what he can bring offensively, he’s going to make it tough for Claude Julien to sit him down.
First period, 12:24, 0-0: Through the first half of the first period, this has been a really, really entertaining hockey game.
After a quick start from the Sharks, it appears the Bruins have started to find their legs after playing a night ago, and they’re settling in.
Brad Marchand, who is up on the Bruins’ second line, looks good so far back with Patrice Bergeron. The agitating winger has already gotten into after a whistle, and he also made a nice play carrying the puck up the right wing to stop and find Torey Krug at the top of the slot. Krug’s shot was stopped by Antti Niemi, as was an eventual second chance from Patrice Bergeron in the middle of the slot.
First period, 6:01, 0-0: The Bruins were able to kill off the Jarome Iginla penalty, but that wasn’t easy.
The Sharks came in with the seventh-best power play in the league, and they showed why here in the first period. They kept the pressure on the Bruins for just about the entire two minutes, but Tuukka Rask was up to the task. The Bruins goalie made a couple of big saves, including one on Logan Couture that had Rask sprawling in front of his crease.
The Sharks have come to play so far. They already have six shots on goal, and they have tested Rask in a big way through six minutes.
First period, 0:41, 0-0: Not the start the Bruins wanted.
Jarome Iginla is going to the penalty box for roughing as he was guilty of knocking someone over, I guess.
First period, 0:01, 0-0: This one is underway here from TD Garden.
6:40 p.m.: As expected, Brad Marchand has moved up to the Bruins’ second line in place of Loui Eriksson, while Jordan Caron skates on the third line.
Marchand is usually on the left wing, but it appears he’ll take the right wing on Patrice Bergeron’s line, and Reilly Smith will serve as the left winger.
It also appears that Matt Bartkowski will sit once again, as Dougie Hamilton looks to be getting a shot against his brother Freddie, who looks to be skating on the Sharks’ top line.
6:30 p.m.: We’ll have an elite goaltending matchup tonight as Antti Niemi (8-0-1, 1.64, .930) takes on Tuukka Rask (5-2-0, 1.29, .954).
4:15 p.m.: The Bruins just confirmed what we all suspected when it comes to Loui Eriksson.
The B’s just announced that Eriksson did indeed suffer a concussion following John Scott’s high hit on the Boston winger Wednesday night.
That means Jordan Caron will be back in the Boston lineup for the time being. Caron hasn’t played since last Thursday against the Florida Panthers.
2 p.m.: The Bruins just got done as good of a three-game road trip as you can have. The B’s outscored their opponents 13-4 in wins over Florida, Tampa Bay and Buffalo.
But none of those teams tested the Bruins like they’ll be tested Thursday night at TD Garden. The club returns home to find the San Jose Sharks waiting for them. Not only do the Bruins have to complete the second night of a back-to-back, but they will have to do so against a Sharks team that is among the best in hockey. In fact, you could make the argument that the Sharks are the best team in hockey. They enter Thursday’s game as the only team in hockey without a regulation lost, and their 8-0-1 record gives them a league-high 17 points. San Jose’s plus-24 goal differential is also the best in the league, and it’s not even close. Colorado is second in the league at plus-16.
It won’t help the Bruins that they’ll likely be without second-line winger Loui Eriksson. The new Bruins forward was the victim of a scary hit Wednesday night in Buffalo. John Scott delivered a dirty shoulder to Eriksson’s head. The hit was bad enough to keep Eriksson in Buffalo for the night, and his status is up in the air.
If Eriksson isn’t in the lineup, that will likely mean Jordan Caron will be back in the mix for the Bruins. He’s sat the last two nights with the return of Carl Soderberg on Saturday in Tampa, but Caron might be called upon to replace Eriksson. That would likely bump Brad Marchand back to the second line alongside Patrice Bergeron and Reilly Smith.
Puck drop from the Garden is slated for 7 p.m.
