Kraken at Bruins

The Boston Bruins says they found their game on Tuesday against Tampa Bay, a game the Bruins took to overtime but came away with one point in a shootout. With three games remaining in a seven-game homestand that also sees slumping L.A. here on Saturday and Dallas on Monday for matinees, it’s incumbent the Bruins salvage something out of these games and, more importantly, sustain the intensity they found against the Lightning.

A-I image by Daryl Vautour

Game blog …

Joey Daccord in net for the Seattle Kraken, Jeremy Swayman for Boston.

FIRST PERIOD

Bruins start with an aggressive shift with their top offensive unit augmented by the Charlie McAvoy defense pairing, but too many passes limited the shots on goal out of that opening salvo to one.

Parker Wotherspoon, back in the lineup, knocks down Seattle defenseman Vince Dunn.

The Bruins break on top when David Pastrnak scores at 4:54 of the first with assists from Zacha and McAvoy.

Jared MCann off for tripping, Bruins to the powerplay.

Daccord made an excellent stick save right off the bat and a late doorstop chance from Pastrnak, but the Kraken get the kill.

Bruins are getting a penalty, as Daccord goes to the bench for a sixth attacker.

The call: Brandon Carlo for high-sticking at 8:02.

Seattle to the powerplay, and Jordan Eberle sneaks the puck past Swayman at the right post to tie the game at 9:11 of the period. Powerplay goal.

The Kraken build momentum off their PPG, and Matty Beniers nearly orchestrated a goa-ahead goal for McCann, but Swayman got in the way of the doorstep play and the puck skipped atop the net and bounced over the to the backside.

Next shift, both Wotherspoon and D partner Derek Forbort got knocked down at the same time.

The depth line of Morgan Geekie, James van Riemsdyk and Anthony Richard got a 3-on-2, and JVR’s screen shot nearly handcuffed Daccord, who contorted to keep the puck from trickling into the net.

Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla decked out in black and gold rooting on the Bruins tonight.

Oskar Steen with a break, save Daccord, but Danton Heinen gets the puck to Jesper Boqvist in the slot, and Daccord needs a beauty to stop a goal.

Brad Marchand hits Mett Grzelcyk as the late man, but his shot misses the target as he closed in on Daccord.

Pastrnak and Zacha work a pretty give-and-go. Adam Larsson puts Pasta to the ice, but another close call at the Seattle net.

Richard then got a chance at the net, but ran out of space.

Final minute of the first, Andre Burakovsky had a partial breakaway down right wing but missed.

One more Boston flurry and a Daccord save from the slot as time expires.

Opening-period shots: 16-8 Boston.

SECOND PERIOD

The second period starts a lot quieter than the first.

Nice zone entry by Seattle, but Swayman denies Beniers from the left hash.

A good stick by Pastrnak ends sustained pressure by Seattle, and he and Charlie Coyle take it the other way until Jamie Oleksiak falls on Pastrnak. Then Marchand began affecting the game as few can, knocking down Seattle defenders and setting up the Bruins for a point shot.

Marchand stole a Seattle faceoff win and fired between Oleksiak’s legs, but Daccord is also playing well in this game.

Coyle wins an O-zone faceoff, and McAvoy drills a slapshot off the left post and out to the right from behind Daccord.

Larsson to the penalty box for hooking. Bruins to the powerplay in a 1-1 game midway through.

Goalmouth play to JVR, but his redirect was too direct and misses the gaping net. Great keep-in at the right point by McAvoy.

Tye Kartye, the Kraken’s fourth-line center, is throwing the body and earning more shifts. He took out Carlo on one shift and Derek Forbort on the next. Kartye only goes 5-foot-11 but weighs in at 202 pounds.

Carlo caught something out by the Seattle blue line and fell backward, hopelessly out of the play, and the Kraken took off on a 3-on-1 with Marchand stuck defending. The puck crossed left, then right, then Eelo Tolvanen drilled it into the open side from the right circle with 2:25 remaining in the second period. 2-1 Seattle. Beniers with the assist.

Geekie sent DeBrusk in alone, but Daccord made the save in tight quarters. More pressure by the Bruins but no cigars in stock.

The second period ends 2-1 Kraken,

Shots through two: 30-18 Boston.

THIRD PERIOD

Trent Frederic throwing the body, as the Bruins up their physical play on the forecheck.

Marchand, McAvoy and Coyle work together, and Coyle cannot quite find the handle at the Seattle goal crease.

This game has been making the Bruins desperate, as the Kraken keep getting sticks and skates in the way of Boston’s shot attempts.

Bruins make a hard-working zone entry, but Wotherspoon’s point shot is blocked and Beniers scores on the counter attack short side to make it 3-1 Seattle.

Midway through the third period, and the Bruins are getting great support from the frustrated home crowd chanting away, but their opponents have been deadly upon opportunities of late.

DeBrusk gets the puck in the slot and passes to a linemate wider than the dot. Then Pastrnak has a chance that Daccord snuffs out.

If the Bruins are not going to shoot their best looks, then all the perfect playmaking in the world isn’t going to win the game. And right now they have no other pathway.

Swayman out of the net for a sixth attacker. Pastrnak to the penalty box for hooking Alex Wennberg with 3:43 remaining, and that should seal the deal. Swayman back in.

Under two minutes, Pasta’s penalty over and Swayman back on the bench.

Not happening tonight either.

Signing off with 30.8 seconds on the game clock.

Drive safely.