The Boston Bruins delivered one of their best all-around performances in a 3-0 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday.
Things got a bit chippy at Wells Fargo Center, which isn’t surprising given the Flyers entered the game having lost nine consecutive games. But the Bruins stayed composed and ultimately earned their sixth victory in seven games.
Ryan Spooner, David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand all scored for the Bruins, and Tuukka Rask stopped all 28 shots he faced to win his second straight game.
With the win, the B’s improved to 12-8-4 on the season, while the Flyers dropped to 8-11-7.
Here’s how it all went down:
SPOONS AND FISTS
It was an action-packed first period, one that saw the Bruins drastically outplay the Flyers.
With 11:31 remaining in the frame, Bruins defenseman Kevan Miller and Flyers winger Wayne Simmonds got in a heated fight. It was largely even affair between a couple of the best fighters in the NHL.
Seemingly energized by Miller’s performance, the Bruins played the rest of the period like a team on fire.
Spooner put the Bruins up 1-0 with a sweet breakaway goal, his first of the season. Following a nifty play from Noel Acciari, Spooner received the puck, blew by the Philly defense and deked out Flyers goalie Brian Elliott.
Boston outshot Philly 15-8 in the period.
BRUINS EXTEND LEAD, BUT…
Boston dominated much of the second period, but almost paid for some defensive lapses at the end of the frame.
Pastrnak put the B’s up 2-0 at 6:38, burying a wrist shot past Elliott for his 13th goal of the year. Check this out:
Just a few minutes later, Marchand took a great feed from defenseman Charlie McAvoy, and the Little Ball of Hate faked-out Elliott to give the B’s a 3-0 lead.
With under two minutes left in the period, McAvoy picked up a tripping penalty to put Philly on the power play.
And it looked like the Flyers had taken advantage, as star Center Claude Giroux fired the puck by Rask. The goal, however, was disallowed after replay showed Simmonds elbowed the Bruins netminder before the puck went in.
Here’s the play:
And here’s Giroux’s predictable — and slightly NSFW — reaction:
Rules are rules.
Thanks to the late-period surge, the Flyers outshot the Bruins 10-8 in the period.
DEFENSE, TUUKKA CLOSE IT OUT
With boos reigning throughout the period, the two teams coasted through a mostly uneventful period.
The B’s were forced to go on the penalty kill twice, and the Flyers outshot Boston 10-4 in the period. None of those shots were particularly good scoring chances, however, and Rask and the Bruins defense had little issue preserving the shutout win.
For the game, the Flyers outshot the Bruins 28-27.
UP NEXT
The Bruins will head to Nashville to take on the Predators on Monday. Puck drop from Bridgestone Arena is set for 8 p.m. ET.
