For the second time in three games, the Boston Bruins needed sudden-death overtime to decide the winner.
A team without Patrice Bergeron and Zdeno Chara fought for the full 60 minutes and then some, but it wasn’t enough as the B’s fell 3-2 to the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday night at Little Caesars Arena.
Tuukka Rask stood on his head and made some tremendous saves throughout the course of the game, while Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson and Chris Wagner scored Boston’s goals.
The Bruins will need to put the loss behind them before their next tilt Friday night, as the loss dropped their record to 11-6-4, while the Red Wings improved to 10-9-2.
Here’s how it all went down:
STRONG (BUT SILENT) FIRST FOR BOSTON
The Bruins controlled much of the first period, allowing just four shots on goal. They had ample opportunities to score but couldn’t capitalize. Boston’s best chance came on the power play when Steven Kampfer’s point-blank shot flirted with the goal line but never crossed it. The B’s outshot Detroit 12-4 and Rask also made a huge pad save in the closing seconds to keep the game scoreless.
JFK CRASHES THE NET
The game was still scoreless 4:08 into the second period, but Forsbacka Karlsson changed that when he crashed the net and put the loose puck home for his second goal of the season to give Boston a 1-0 advantage.
WINGS TIE IT
Tyler Bertuzzi tied the game at one just six minutes later when he tipped the puck past Rask on a shot from Nick Jensen.
WAGNER BREAKS TIE
Wagner has struggled on the ice as of late, going pointless in his previous 14 games. But that finally changed in the third period when he redirected a pass from Sean Kuraly to light the lamp and give the Bruins a 2-1 lead with 13:15 left in the game.
DETROIT WON’T GO AWAY
Boston’s lead lasted just two minutes after Andreas Athanasiou scored on a rebound following a 2-on-1 rush to tie the game up at 2-2.
ATHANASIOU SEALS IT
Athanasiou scored his second goal of the game when he spun and fired a shot that beat Rask to secure the 3-2 win for Detroit in overtime.
UP NEXT
The Bruins return home Friday for a matchup against Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins. Puck drop from TD Garden is set for 7:30 p.m.
This Bruins Wrap is presented by Plainridge Park Casino.
