Bruins Wrap: Boston Falls To Lightning In Game With Playoff Feel

The Boston Bruins saw their six-game winning streak snapped Thursday night, falling to the Tampa Bay Lightning, 3-2, at Amalie Arena.

The B’s fell to 38-6-4 on the season with the loss, while the Bolts improved to 31-15-1.

Check out the full box score here.

ONE BIG TAKEAWAY
This game had the feel of playoff hockey.

It’s almost expected when the Bruins and Lightning take the ice at this point, but the speed and physicality that were on display in this matchup has been unmatched by recent Boston affairs. Things got testy in Tampa, and it seemed as though even one mistake would prevent Jim Montgomery’s squad from tallying a league-leading 39th victory.

Unfortunately for Boston, that much was true Tuesday night.

After responding to tie the game on two separate occasions, the Bruins faded down the stretch. With under seven minutes to play, defenseman Brandon Carlo ran into goaltender Linus Ullmark, resulting in a mass of Black and Gold laid out in front of the Boston net. The puck found itself on the stick of Victor Hedman, the last place Bruins fans wanted it.

Hedman’s goal pushed Tampa Bay in front, and the team who’s played more hockey than anyone in the last five seasons did just enough to bleed out the clock for the victory.

Just the tenth loss of the season for the Bruins, this one will barely be felt in the standings. It will, however, be remembered when the two teams meet again in March.

STARS OF THE GAME
— Nikita Kucherov had a hand in all three Lightning goals, only one of three players to finish the game with a plus rating.

— Charlie McAvoy took a brutal tumble into the boards early in the third period, providing a good scare for those in New England. He missed less than three minutes, returning for the Bruins’ ensuing power play.

— Andrei Vasilevskiy made 37 saves on 39 shots, stonewalling a couple of sure-fire Boston chances.

WAGER WATCH
Lightning forward Brandon Hagel opened the scoring, cashing in on the +1600 odds given to him to be the game’s first scorer by DraftKings Sportsbook pregame. He turned $100 bets into $1,700 with the tally.

UP NEXT
The Bruins will stay in the swamp to take on the Florida Panthers on Saturday. Puck drop is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET from FLA Live Arena. You can watch the game, plus an hour of pregame coverage, on NESN.