The Boston Bruins got back on track Thursday by defeating the Chicago Blackhawks 4-3 in TD Garden. After suffering a series of late blunders, including a heartbreaking loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Monday, the Bruins were able to steal the game in the final seconds.
Boston’s victory will bring their record to 35-18-5. The Blackhawks fell to 21-30-8 in a lost season for Chicago.
You can check out the box score here.
ONE BIG TAKEAWAY
In another game that came down to the wire, David Pastrnak was able to cover up some of the defensive miscues with a goal to win the game, thanks to a great pass from Taylor Hall.
The Bruins attacked the net all night, outshooting the Blackhawks 36-25, and were able to come away with a win despite some third-period drama. The story of the night was clearly the last-second goal by Pastrnak, but the team’s third-period breakdowns are a mild concern.
The Bruins blew another lead in the third period Thursday as Chicago’s Brandon Hagel made it 3-3 three minutes into the third. It was the fourth time in the last five games that Boston dropped a lead in the final frame.
It would be nice to see Boston hang on to a lead late but the last-second goal by Pastrnak was a favorable consolation prize.
The game was back and forth all night, but the Bruins prevailed due to their relentless offensive play on Thursday. The Bruins are 6-1-1 in their last eight games.
STARS OF THE GAME
— In addition to his game-winner, Pastrnak netted his 32nd goal of the season to take a 3-2 lead in the second period and logged an assist on Jack Ahcan’s first goal of his NHL career.
— Charlie Coyle recorded his 13th goal of the season to open the scoring for the Bruins early in the first period.
— Hagel scored two goals for the Blackhawks but it was not enough to secure the win.
WAGER WATCH
The Bruins were heavily favored at -290, so it would have taken a $290 bet to win $100.
If you had Charlie Coyle scoring first, you made a profit tonight. Charlie Coyle was +1800 to score first at DraftKings Sportsbook, meaning a wager of $100 would have paid out $1800.
UP NEXT AT NESN
The Bruins return to TD Garden on Saturday as they host the Arizona Coyotes with puck drop set for 7 p.m. ET, and you can watch it live on NESN.
