The Boston Bruins ended a four-game skid by beating the Detroit Red Wings 4-3 in overtime Tuesday night at TD Garden.
It was a much-needed victory for the Bruins, who entered the day out of a playoff spot after losing eight of their last 11 games.
The B’s improve to 24-21-6 with the win, while the Red Wings fall to 20-19-9.
Here’s how it all went down.
FIRST STRIKE
The Bruins opened the scoring when defenseman Kevan Miller beat Red Wings goalie Jared Coreau with a snapshot from inside the right faceoff circle. It was Miller’s first goal of the season. He returned to the lineup Tuesday after a four-game absence with a concussion.
Boston didn’t let up after scoring first. The B’s tallied the first 10 shots of the game and dominated puck possession as a result.
IT ONLY TAKES ONE
Detroit forward Andreas Athanasiou scored on the Red Wings’ first shot of the game at 10:59 of the opening period. He took a brilliant pass from Mike Green, skated in on a breakaway and beat Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask with an effective deke.
POWER-PLAY BREAKTHROUGH
Red Wings defenseman Jonathan Ericsson broke up a potential David Pastrnak breakaway by playing the puck with a broken stick, earning himself a two-minute minor penalty.
B’s forward Brad Marchand scored on the ensuing power play by burying a rebound on the edge of the crease. It gave Boston a 2-1 lead.
The first period closed soon after Marchand’s goal, and the Bruins led 32-11 in shot attempts (all situations).
RED WINGS OWN SECOND PERIOD
The Red Wings scored a pair of unanswered goals in the second period to enter the third frame up 3-2.
Green scored his ninth goal of the season — and second point of the night — with a goal at 6:25 of the period to tie the score.
Tomas Tatar scored Detroit’s third goal a little more than four minutes later. Rask should have stopped it, and B’s defenseman Brandon Carlo didn’t help matters by backing up from Tatar and giving him ample time and space to shoot.
The Bruins now have given up 10 goals in the last five second periods.
ALL TIED UP
Marchand’s second tally of the night tied the score 3-3 and set up an exciting finish for the remaining 11:40 of the third period. The Bruins winger has scored nine times in the last 10 games and ranks second on the team with 19 goals.
PASTA WINS IT
Pastrnak ended a 17-game goalless drought with an absolute rocket of a shot to beat Coreau and secure an important win for the Bruins. It’s his team-leading 20th goal of the season.
TOUGH SCHEDULE AHEAD
The Bruins really needed the two points from this game because their upcoming schedule is brutally tough. Boston has games against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Tampa Bay Lightning, Washington Capitals, Toronto Maple Leafs, San Jose Sharks and Montreal Canadiens through Feb. 12. Those all are quality teams.
UP NEXT
The Bruins welcome the defending champion Penguins to TD Garden on Thursday night. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.
Thumbnail photo via Winslow Townson/USA TODAY Sports Images
