The Boston Bruins’ four-game road trip started a lot better than it finished.
The Bruins had won two of the first three games on their current road stretch and earned points in all three contests, but they couldn’t make it 4 for 4 Thursday night against the Nashville Predators. The B’s fell 2-1 at Bridgestone Arena, and they also lost goalie Tuukka Rask early on to an injury.
With the win, Nashville improved to 19-16-7 (45 points), while Boston dropped to 22-18-5 (49 points).
Here’s how it all went down.
SCARY START
Neither team scored in the first period, but the lack of offense wasn’t the story after the opening 20 minutes.
Rask was hit up high near the neck/head area on a Predators shot with 7:11 remaining in the frame. He skated off the ice with B’s athletic trainer Don DelNegro and went right for the tunnel. The Bruins later provided an update, which said Rask likely wouldn’t return.
That meant Zane McIntyre had to take over in net, and he was tested after B’s forward Anton Blidh was assessed a five-minute major for interference on this hit:
McIntyre passed his first test, though, as he stopped all three shots that came his way after taking over for Rask.
GOALS GALORE
The second period didn’t start well, either, for the B’s.
The Predators struck first when Austin Watson scored an unassisted goal 1:02 into the frame after the Bruins failed to clear the puck right in front of the net.
But momentum started to swing Boston’s way when Adam McQuaid destroyed Derek Grant in a fight.
The Bruins then evened the game on Torey Krug’s second goal in as many games on a blast from the point 8:08 into the period.
But the Predators got the last laugh before the second intermission when Filip Forsberg fired a shot past McIntyre 17:36 into the frame.
NO COMEBACK
The Bruins finished with an overwhelming advantage in shots on goal (35-19), but they only got the one goal past Predators goalie Juuse Saros, who made 34 saves.
McIntyre stopped 14 of the 16 shots he faced after replaced the injured Rask.
UP NEXT
Boston finally will return to TD Garden for two straight games, beginning with a Saturday matinee against the Philadelphia Flyers. Puck drop is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET.
Thumbnail photo via Christopher Hanewinckel/USA TODAY Sports Images
