Wednesday night was deja vu all over again for the Boston Bruins.
Leading the Philadelphia Flyers entering the third period for the second time in as many meetings this season, the Bruins again couldn’t hold their advantage, surrendering two unanswered goals in a 3-2 loss at Wells Fargo Center.
The loss was the eighth in 10 games for the reeling B’s, who have blown a third-period lead in each of their last two contests.
IT WAS OVER WHEN…
Wayne Simmonds scored for Philadelphia to tie the game at the 10:10 mark of the third period, and Mark Streit potted the eventual game-winner just 82 seconds later.
The Bruins had several chances with goalie Tuukka Rask pulled for an extra attacker, but they couldn’t push the equalizer past Steve Mason, who finished with 26 saves to earn the victory.
Jakub Voracek (goal, two assists) and Claude Giroux (three assists) tallied three points apiece for the Flyers.
CRACKED PASTA
David Pastrnak was a late scratch for the Bruins after the team revealed he was dealing with an upper body injury. The Bruins deemed the winger day to day, and Frank Vatrano returned from a one-game absence to take his spot in the lineup.
Vatrano, who was a healthy scratch Monday, lined up in his usual left-wing spot on Boston’s third line and recorded three shots on goal in 11:16 of ice time.
FLYERS STRIKE FIRST
The Bruins outshot their hosts 8-5 in the first period and generated multiple grade-A scoring chances, but it was the Flyers who notched the game’s first goal.
Giroux fired a wrist shot on Rask, and Voracek muscled through four Boston skaters to slam the rebound into the net.
Voracek’s was the lone goal in a physical first period, which featured a fight between Boston’s Kevan Miller and Philadelphia’s Brayden Schenn following a booming hit by Schenn on Torey Krug.
FIRST FISTS, THEN STICK
Miller made a rare offensive contribution one period later, sniping a shot past Mason for his first goal since Dec. 7.
The Bruins’ fourth line was on the ice for the goal, which Max Talbot assisted on and former Flyer Zac Rinaldo helped make happen with an aggressive forecheck. The trio, which also included Landon Ferraro, was very good for a second consecutive game, and Talbot and Ferraro also logged valuable minutes on the penalty kill.
JUMPING AHEAD
The Bruins had to kill off three Flyers power plays before earning one of their own. But when Philadelphia finally did take its first penalty late in the second period, Boston’s NHL-best power-play unit was quick to capitalize.
Loui Eriksson punched the rebound of a Ryan Spooner shot past Mason 25 seconds after an Evgeny Medvedev interference minor to give the B’s their first lead of the night.
The goal was Eriksson’s 15th of the season, tying him with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand for the team lead. Spooner and Krug were credited with assists, giving the former seven helpers in his last seven games.
UP NEXT
The Bruins will wrap up their five-game road trip Friday in Buffalo before returning home to host the Toronto Maple Leafs the following night.
Thumbnail photo via Eric Hartline/USA TODAY Sports Images
