Bruins Wrap: Boston Defeats Devils With Thrilling 5-4 Shootout Win
18-9-5
The Boston Bruins finally defeated the New Jersey Devils.
The Bruins have struggled mightily against New Jersey this season, losing four of their five games against the East Division foe.
But that changed Tuesday when Boston won 5-4 in a shootout at TD Garden — the same way they won on Opening Night.
Nick Ritchie, Brad Marchand, Charlie McAvoy, Matt Grzelcyk and David Pastrnak had the goals for the Bruins, while Miles Wood, Michael McLeod, Travis Zajac and Kyle Palmieri had the Devils’ tallies.
With the win, the Bruins moved to 18-9-5, while the Devils fell to 13-16-5.
Here’s how it all went down:
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DEVILS UP BY ONE
New Jersey jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead when Wood, left alone in front of Jaroslav Halak, wristed a shot pass by the Bruins goalie.
Boston evened the score with its first even-strength goal in 16 periods against the Devils when Ritchie threw a long-range shot on Blackwood.
But the tie didn’t last long after McLeod beat out Grzelcyk and backhanded the puck into the net to make it 2-1, Devils.
The score remained the same as the horn sounded to end the first period. Boston held a slim 12-11 shot advantage.
BRUINS CAN’T TAKE LEAD
Grzelcyk appeared to make it a 2-2 game when his point shot went by Blackwood but was immediately waved off due to David Krejci’s contact with Blackwood in the crease.
The Devils made it a two-goal game after getting the best of the Bruins’ fourth line in the defensive zone. Connor Clifton lost a puck battle and Zajac redirected it by Halak for the 3-1 lead.
Marchand picked up a two-minute penalty for roughing after a scrum that pretty much had everyone who was on the ice involved. But the Bruins were able to kill it off.
Marchand and Jesper Bratt dropped the gloves after Marchand laid a big hit on Dmitri Kulikov that Bratt didn’t agree with. The duo served matching roughing penalties.
Boston then found itself on the power play and cut its deficit to one thanks to none other than Marchand when he buried the puck from the slot to make it a 3-2 game.
But Palmieri put the Devils back up by two not even two minutes later thanks to a gift goal on a bad turnover by Jeremy Lauzon that put the puck right on Palmieri’s stick for the 4-2 lead.
The Bruins had a 25-23 shot advantage, but found themselves down by two at the end of two.
BRUINS FORCE OVERTIME
The Bruins were doing a lot of good things offensively, and it paid off about halfway through the third when McAvoy fired the puck from the point to pull within one.
A Boston power play in the final six minutes proved futile despite some good looks.
The Bruins were putting serious pressure on Blackwood, and it finally paid off when Krejci won a faceoff and Grzelcyk shot the puck through a moving Ritchie screen to tie things up at 4-4.
The Bruins elevated their play and peppered Blackwood with shots, but this game needed overtime to decide the winner.
THRILLING FIVE MINUTES
Blackwood was unreal in overtime stopping everything that came his way on a slew of incredible Bruins possessions to keep the Devils in it.
New Jersey got the puck back in its own and went on the power play with 2:21 left in the extra period after McAvoy was called for a slash. Boston was able to kill it off with 21 seconds remaining in OT.
And this one went to a shootout.
BRUINS WIN IT
Pavel Zacha was denied, but Charlie Coyle scored in Round 1.
Halak denied Palmieri, and Pastrnak potted the game-winning goal in the shootout.
UP NEXT
The Bruins continue their homestand Thursday when they welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins to town. Puck drop from TD Garden is set for 7 p.m. ET.
