Fresh off a three-game suspension, the National Hockey League’s most-entertaining coach, is back behind the bench tonight in Boston where the Philadelphia Flyers desperately cling to an unlikely playoff berth.
The 34-25-8 Flyers have only won four of their last 10 and have the N.Y. Islanders three points back and the Isles hold a game in hand. Washington, incredibly, is back in the picture only five points back of Philly with two games in hand. The sinking Detroit Red Wings (3-7-0 in their last 10) are hanging onto the second Wild Card spot.
These are desperate times for the Flyers.
It would obviously serve the Bruins’ best interests to finish first and host the second Wild Card in the opening round of the playoffs. Yeah, yeah, we know what happened last year. But the Florida Panthers didn’t beat the Bruins because they got hot, they won because they are a legit Stanley Cup contender as proven by their march to the 2023 final and their hard-earned, first-overall position in the 2023-24 regular season.
The Panthers, BTW, are hosting the Lightning in a late-afternoon tilt in Sunrise. The Penguins fell further out of it, losing big today at home to the Rangers.
A-I image by Daryl Vautour
WARM-UP
Here comes the goalies for tonight’s game at TD Garden. Felix Sandstrom for the Flyers and Jeremy Swayman for the Bruins. This is only Sandstrom’s second start (and fourth appearance) of the season. If the third-round pick is going to prove his mettle and stake a place on this Philly team going forward, a clutch performance tonight against the Bruins would make a loud statement.
Tonight’s is the 1,004th career, regular-season NHL game for James van Riemsdyk. Along with the Bruins’ gifts and tributes, Sean Couturier and Scott Laughton.
FIRST PERIOD
The Bruins started with pace but gave up an odd-man rush that Philadelphia converted on a 2-on-1, as Ryan Poehling one-timed a cross-ice feed past Swayman to make it 1-0 just 4:18 into the game.
Shortly thereafter, Danton Heinen turned the puck over in the D-zone, but Swayman stopped Couturier’s bid from the slot.
The Bruins got a great chance from their fourth line of Jesper Boqvist, Johnny Beecher and Justin Brazeau 12 minutes in on a combination play with passes relayed and a shot on goal. Sandstrom didn’t know if he had it and they crowd behind him roared in anticipation, but the puck stayed out.
Brad Marchand had a look on a quick turnback into the Philly zone, but Travis Sanheim tipped his shot over the glass. There was contact that Marchand tried to win the game of gotcha-last with a stick to Sanheim’s shoulder. They he went back at Sanheim with a crosscheck to his gloves.
The suspicion here is Marchand knows he was completely out of line in this exchange but senses the Bruins need something to get them going.
David Pastrnak found himself in a nice spot with the puck in the right circle, but in a moment of deliberation Morgan Frost knocked the puck away.
Konecny in alone, save Swayman. Play goes the other way, Geekie scores with 4:09 left in the period. 1-1. Jake DeBrusk made a nice carry into traffic and, as the Flyers converged, dished it right to Geekie, who smoked a slapper past Sandstrom to tie the game.
Great rush by Laughton, pulls it backhand and goes down, Brandon Carlo to the penalty box for tripping with 2:05 left in the period.
Newly acquired Andrew Peeke blocked a shot late in the penalty kill, and the Bruins escaped damage.
First-period shots: 8-5 Philadelphia.
SECOND PERIOD
The Bruins rattled off the first three shots of the second period, the latest from Matt Grzelcyk on a 3-on-2. Trent Frederic was running out of space and fed to Grzelcyk, who made a nice shift to find daylight and make Sandstrom come up with a nice stop.
The Flyers press. Pavel Zacha stops Sanheim’s bid in tight, but the Bruins cannot clear and when Charlie McAvoy hits Garnet Hathaway a scrum ensues. JVR loses his helmet in the shuffle, but no penalties are called.
Shots midway through the game are 14-11 Flyers.
McAvoy is going off for interfering with Konecny, who was chasing his own dump. Illegal check to the head is the call at 9:58 of the second. Sanheim took a swipe at McAvoy and Marchand retaliated, then Charlie Coyle moved in and the two wrestled a bit along the sideboards. They got roughing minors; 5 on 4 in front of the goalies.
Marchand steal, save Sandstrom. Then Swayman has to come up big for the Bruins. But next trip down Joel Farrabee tips in Cam York’s wrister from the center point and it’s 2-1 Philly with 7:59 left in the second period.
Philly winger Tyson Foerster to the penalty box with 5:16 left in the second period, and the Bruins to the powerplay.
Big shift for Philly ending in a Swayman save from the point.
Nick Deslauriers hit in the back of the leg with a teammate’s shot, obvious pain. To the bench he hobbles.
Coyle with a big faceoff win, Marchand gobbles it up and feeds it back to Coyle for the finish to tie the game with 4:38 left in the period, 2-2. Zacha also earns an assist on the goal.
Flyers didn’t like DeBrusk rubbing out Sanheim in the final seconds, but DeBrusk does a good job standing up to the shoving at center ice.
Shots after two: 20-18 Boston.
THIRD PERIOD
DeBrusk and York got roughing minors, so the third period starts 4v4 in front of the goalies.
Pastrnak held the puck in the Philadelphia zone while Zacha changed out for Coyle, then spot-passed him crossing the blue line with speed and Coyle beat Sandstrom to give the Bruins the lead, 3-2, just 1:08 into the third. Hampus Lindholm gets an assist.
Johnny Beecher makes it 4-2 at 3:45, a second-effort slam at the goalmouth. Defenseman Andrew Peeke made the play, entering the Philly zone and firing to the left post where Beecher was crashing.
DeBrusk, in perhaps his finest two-way effort this season, makes it 5-2 at 4:04.
The wheels have suddenly come off for the Flyers, and Tortorella calls timeout upon DeBrusk’s goal.
Early game, maybe this is a pull, but Sandstrom has played well.
Heinen is called for playing with a broken stick. He discarded it, but apparently waited too long. Flyers to the powerplay at 4:29.
Good Philly powerplay, but the Bruins get the kill.
Just as the PA announced Beecher’s goal, he had escaped the ramifications of a D-zone turnover at the tail end of the PK.
Marchand put a spin move on a Flyers checker but was tripped by the second checker, and as a result Foerster went to the penalty box with 9:07 left in the game. Bruins with a big chance to put this one completely out of reach.
Hathaway took a run at Coyle at the Philly bench and missed, making a loud noise. Flyers get the kill and preserve a ray of hope.
Swayman is caught at the wrong post when a poke puts the puck on Couturier’s stick and into the net with 5:48 remaining, 5-3, and I guess we’ll keep an eye on Sandstrom.
And it’s 5-4 with 4:46 left after a pretty finish by Frost. 5-4, and we’ve gone from a potential romp to another in the long line of nail-biters.
Heinen scores an insurance goal with 2:59 remaining to make it 6-4 Boston. The Bruins got a key shot block, sending Heinen off to the races 2-on-1. He made it look like he was going to take the puck wide and look for a passing option but then abruptly fired on net, beating Sandstrom.
Sandstrom to the bench for a sixth attacker, and Philly gets a wraparound goal from Farabee with 2:04 left. This game just will not go away.
Timeout Bruins with 1:34 left in regulation facing a D-zone faceoff in their problem circle, the right faceoff dot from the offensive perspective. Beecher will take it against Frost. Beecher gets the draw back, but McAvoy’s hard-around is cut off at the point. Shot out of play. Coyle wins this one but Lindholm ices the puck and they’ll do it again with 1:17.
Frost takes the left dot as well vs. Coyle, who wins it and the Bruins punt. Bruins get it back out. Bad bounce goes down the ice. Bruins hang on, 6-5 final.
Final shots: 29-29.
Rink Rap with Mick Colageo 