BOSTON — The Bruins gave up an important point in the playoff race when they couldn’t hold a 2-1 lead over the Anaheim Ducks in regulation Thursday night.
The B’s led 2-1 in the final minute, but Ducks right winger C0rey Perry scored on a deflection with 39 seconds remaining to send the game into overtime. Anaheim secured two points when captain Ryan Getzlaf scored on a great shot from the slot that beat Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask at 3:09 of the extra period.
Boston returns to game action Saturday afternoon against the New York Rangers at TD Garden.
Here are three takeaways from Bruins-Ducks:
1. David Krejci Returns To Bruins Lineup
Krejci made his return after a 15-game absence with an MCL injury and played 19:45. As expected based on the last two days of practice, he skated at right wing on the top line alongside Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand.
Krejci also played 3:23 on the power play, where he picked up secondary assists on goals scored by Ryan Spooner and Loui Eriksson. He was positioned at the left point on the first unit with Torey Krug at the other point and Loui Eriksson, Spooner and Bergeron up front.
2. Ducks’ Top Players Step Up When Needed
Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry are two of the best players in the NHL and they proved why Thursday. They combined for 10 shots, two goals — including the game-tying and game-winning tallies — and one assist in over 20 minutes of ice time.
Getzlaf and Perry also earned a plus-7 and plus-5 shot attempt differential at even strength, respectively, which led all Ducks forwards. This feat is even more impressive considering they played the majority of their 5-on-5 ice time (more than 12 minutes) against the shut-down Bergeron line.
Getzlaf leads the Ducks in scoring with 68 points (24 goals, 44 assists), while Perry increased is team-leading goals scored total to 32.
3. Bruins Move Into Tie With Senators For Wild Card Spot
Boston’s overtime loss moves it into a tie with the Ottawa Senators for the second wild-card playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The Senators lost 5-1 to the New York Rangers on Thursday night. It should be noted Ottawa still has a game in hand on Boston.
The Panthers’ hopes of earning a playoff spot aren’t gone yet, and they now sit four points back after defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-1 on Thursday.
Here’s a recap of the three teams chasing the final wild card berth. The first tiebreaker is ROW (regulation and overtime wins).
Bruins: 85 points, 74 games, 33 ROW
Senators: 85 points, 73 games, 32 ROW
Panthers: 82 points, 74 games, 26 ROW
Thumbnail photo via Greg M. Cooper/USA TODAY Sports Images.
