The Bruins seemed decided to make amends in Minnesota on Saturday for his or her lackluster efficiency in Winnipeg on Friday.
That lasted all of 20 minutes. The Wild wrestled management of the sport from the B’s within the second interval and, although the B’s made it shut in the long run, Minnesota got here away with a well-deserved 3-2 victory at Xcel Energy Center. It was the fourth straight loss for the B’s.
Whether or not the three-day Christmas break can repair what’s ailing the Bruins, they’re presently damaged. They have one regulation win of their previous eight video games. Their penalty-killing, as soon as a key a part of their identification, has sprung leaks.
The B’s are lacking common defensemen Derek Forbort and Matt Grzelcyk, however their high D-men are struggling. Charlie McAvoy is minus-13 within the 15 video games since coming back from his four-game suspension. Hampus Lindholm, a 53-point man final season, has simply 1-6-7 totals this season.
And Jake DeBrusk, anticipated to supply some a lot wanted secondary scoring, is caught on 4 targets.
Not good.
After Friday’s shellacking in Winnipeg, the B’s improved engagement degree was apparent at the beginning on Saturday. On an early shift, Trent Frederic despatched Morgan Geekie in alone on Marc-Andre Fleury, however the future Hall of Famer turned away the providing.
There was little Fleury may do, nevertheless, from the B’s taking a 1-0 lead after Kirill Kaprizov took an ill-advised holding penalty on Lindholm within the Boston zone. On the facility play, Charlie McAvoy put the puck on a tee for David Pastrnak, who ripped his twentieth of the 12 months previous Fleury’s glove shoulder at 2:37.
In the assembly between the groups earlier final week, Jakub Lauko took it upon himself to up the B’s vitality degree after the Wild took an early lead, dropping the gloves with Connor Dewar proper after the Minnesota purpose. This time, Brandon Duhaime got here in search of a bout and the gamers squared off in a spirited during which each gamers landed respectable pictures.
The B’s performed a great first interval and, not like Friday’s recreation towards the Jets, they didn’t surrender a ton of probabilities. But they couldn’t prolong the lead, both, and the vibe would quickly change.
The Wild bought some momentum late within the interval on an extended shift within the B’s zone and, on a break-out late within the interval, Brad Marchand sensed a Kaprizov hit coming and determined to be proactive, incomes a penalty with a excessive hit with 15 seconds left within the interval.
The B’s had been capable of kill off that one, however management of the sport was misplaced.
Ian Mitchell, in for Kevin Shattenkirk, took an interference penalty and, at 5:57, the Wild tied it up on the facility play. Joel Eriksson Ek was credited with the purpose after taking a whack at a rebound of an extended Matt Boldy shot, but it surely appeared that Brandon Carlo swept it into his personal web.
The B’s had an opportunity to get it proper again when Frederic once more sprung Geekie on a clear breakaway however Fleury stoned him with a glove arm save.
The play began to get unfastened, which didn’t favor the B’s, and the Wild seized the lead at 7:22. Kaprizov performed give-and-go with Alex Goligoski, taking the return cross within the slot and beat Linus Ullmark with a too wide-open shot from a harmful space.
All of a sudden, it seemed just like the Winnipeg recreation another time. By the time Lindholm took a holding penalty late within the interval, the Wild had been outshooting them 18-5 within the second interval. But the B’s had been capable of provide you with a good kill and had been someway nonetheless in hanging distance going into the third interval.
The B’s began the third interval with some function and almost tied it early when rebound of a Pastrnak shot got here proper out to Marchand however Zach Bogosian bought his stick blade on a put again try by Marchand, who had the entire web at which to shoot.
Shortly thereafter, Coyle took a high-sticking penalty on Bogosian to finish the stress. Though the Wild didn’t rating on the PP, it did seconds later when Marcus Foligno was capable of outmuscle Carlo for ice on the high of crease to faucet in Pat Maroon’s cross.
The B’s needed to kill off one other penalty, however bought again to inside a purpose with 6:07 left in regulation. Danton Heinen received a puck behind the Wild web and fed Geekie, who lastly beat Fleury with a one-timer.
The B’s pulled Ullmark for the additional skater, however they did not make clear passes with a purpose to get any attractiveness on Fleury and the dropped one other one.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”