Penguins at Bruins

It’s a 6:30 pm anthem for the first game of TNT’s doubleheader with the Pittsburgh Penguins visiting the Boston Bruins at TD Garden.

Before the game, Rink Rap was fortunate to collide with hockey historians Jeff Miclash and Dave Stubbs, who are in town for the weekend’s Centennial celebrations.

At left, Dave Stubbs, former of the Montreal Gazette and more recently, NHL.com, and Jeff Miclash, author of recent historical volumes on Boston Bruins history including his latest on “Boston Bruins Origins.”

Tristan Jarry and Jeremy Swayman between the pipes for tonight’s tilt.

Tomorrow the Bruins hold Centennial events at Matthews Arena (as Boston Arena, Matthews was the first home of the Bruins, even prior to Boston Garden). The Bruins also hold a 3 pm unveiling of a Centennial monument outside TD Garden. And, on Sunday afternoon, they host the Montreal Canadiens in their official Centennial Game, commemorating the first game in franchise history against the Montreal Maroons in 1924.

Tristan Jarry and Jeremy Swayman between the pipes for tonight’s tilt. Warm-ups are winding down below us with the backup goaltenders taking the usual beating (this is when the shooters stop warming up the goalie and practice scoring).

As an aside, the New York Rangers lost again, 3-1 today in Philadelphia. One wonders when the other shoe will drop and GM Chris Drury will start making the deals he invited other teams to negotiate. Since his widely reported, league-wide memo to the other 31 GM’s noting that captain Jacob Trouba and winger Chris Kreider are on the table, the team has gone from what Drury had basically described as a smoke-and-mirrors 12-4-1 to an all-out slump now 12-9-1.

FIRST PERIOD

Charlie Coyle off the rush at the 1:24 mark, and the Bruins are out to a 1-0 lead.

Pittsburgh comes back with a partial 2-on-0 – is there such a thing? – the pass went to Sidney Crosby, whose play was thwarted by Jeremy Swayman. The Penguins have a 6-2 shots advantage through 2:42.

Trent Frederic with a late hit on Kris Letang that shocked Pittsburgh’s longtime No. 1 blueliner. Freddy weaved to make sure he had a line on Letang, who had passed the puck softly ahead and was watching it when Frederic shoved him onto his tail pad.

Nice tribute video for former Bruin Matt Grzelcyk, who started tonight on the Penguins’ defense alongside Letang.

Frederic with a deft backcheck and feed to Tyler Johnson, who gets caught trying to move the puck through the middle. The ensuing shot from recent acquisition Philip Tomasino is held awkwardly by Swayman.

Pittsburgh defenseman Ryan Shea gave Nikita Zadorov a dangerously timed shove into the end boards, putting the Bruins on the powerplay at 12:55. Brad Marchand gets an interference even-upper at 13:51, which translates into a potential Pittsburgh powerplay for 1:04 when Shea gets out of the box.

Morgan Geekie got in on Erik Karlsson, and David Pastrnak took over the puck behind the Pittsburgh net, centering to Pavel Zacha. Jarry makes the save up high.

Tyler Johnson, scrambling to get on the backcheck, accidentally trips Michael Bunting and goes to the penalty box with 21.4 seconds left in the first period. A skirmish ensues with Frederic and Evgeni Malkin at the Bruins bench, but Johnson gets the lone PIM. Check that: Malkin sitting in the box, but the penalty is under review…

Decision: Malkin gets a slashing penalty, but that one is canceled out by a Zadorov penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct. Thus, Penguins to the powerplay via the Johnson trip.

First period ends with the Penguins unofficially holding a 12-9 shots advantage.

Bruins lead 1-0.

SECOND PERIOD

Marchand to Coyle for a short-handed chance, but Jarry with the save on Coyle. Bruins get then period-opening penalty kill.

Swayman makes his best save of the night on a goalmouth feed from Marcus Pettersson to Tomasino, 6-plus into the period.

Charlie McAvoy made a flimsy up to his forward in the neutral zone. It looks like the Bruins have the transition locked down until Anthony Beauvillier rockets from behind and fires from the middle. Swayman snares the delivery.

The Penguins are playing better offensively, and the Bruins are lacking the urgency that permeated their recent victories under interim coach Joe Sacco.

Bruins pressure, penalty on defenseman Jack St. Ivany. Bruins to the powerplay at 10:26 of the second period.

Geekie turnover, Noel Acciari rushes, shoots, save Swayman.

The Bruins are playing with fire.

Borderline icing with Letang on the chase.

Ragged game, Penguins bringing out a sloppy version of the Bruins.

Carlo and Malkin to the corner for the puck, Carlo reaches for the puck, Malkin gets tripped, Drew O’Connor comes in with shoves on Carlo. Two Bruins ward him off.

2:31 left in the second period, and the Bruins need to look at the black-and-gold in the mirror and not the black-and-gold that the NHL let the Penguins borrow the last 45 years. Boston’s overall game is not sharp, and if Swayman is going to steal them a game, you’d like it to be against a Cup contender, not the shadows of a former champion playing out the string.

Swayman finally cannot stop the Penguins with 00.8 showing on the TDG clock. Rickard Rakell wide open at the top of the crease from Sidney Crosby’s aggressive wrap move/centering feed.

The Bruins had this coming to them all period and some of the first. They’re lucky to be tied going into the third period, as this is their first disappointing effort since the coaching change.

They just handed the visiting Penguins, a team desperate for any kind of spark, a spark.

This would be a terrible game for Swayman to lose, and an embarrassing one for the Bruins to put entirely on his shoulders.

They stink tonight.

20 minutes left.

From Ed Norris, member of the Society of International Hockey Research: This is the seventh goal the Bruins have allowed in the final two minutes of a period this season. Back to this later, it might be 10.

THIRD PERIOD

The Bruins fourth line plays with pace and forces an icing.

Elias Lindholm wins the draw from Sidney Crosby back to Andrew Peake, whose shot is stopped by Jarry.

Zadorov pushes out his Jagr butt and throws off Bunting while curling up ice with the puck.

Both teams are playing a strong game to start the third.

Swayman with another save from the slot.

Geekie fortunate to avoid a tripping penalty, but Zacha gets the puck out in the circle to Pastrnak for a one-timer turned away by Jarry. Bruins’ best chance in some time.

Tomasino left alone in the slot and beats Swayman to give Pittsburgh the lead with 12:34 left to play.

Bunting to the penalty box with 7:03. Big chance for the Bruins, who almost scored a minute ago when Coyle couldn’t quite calm down a puck with the side of the net gaping.

Geekie with a big opening with Jarry down and out, but Karlsson makes a great block with his skate.

Swayman off for a sixth attacker with 2:00 remaining in regulation.

Bruins are furiously trying to make up for the lackluster play that got them into this position, and it’s hard to decide which outcome would serve them better.

The Bruins come up short at the siren.

2-1 Pittsburgh. Drive safely.