Yes, people are careful to note the Boston Bruins’ schedule when applying the asterisk to their 6-2 record under Interim Head Coach Joe Sacco; John Tortorella’s Philadelphia Flyers also come into the game at 6-3-1 in their last 10, so this – unlike the last two meetings dominated by the more-motivated road team – should be a nice, straight-up battle.
Jeremy Swayman vs. Aleksei Kolosov (maybe it’s me, but it seems it’s been Samuel Ersson every time for a while, but he’s out of the lineup as Philly has Belarussian and Finnish netminders, Kolosov and Ivan Fedotov, in uniform today.
FIRST PERIOD
Bruins get an early powerplay with Joel Farabee serving a too-many-men penalty in the second minute. Not a bad powerplay but not a lot of shot attempts. As the penalty winds down, Charlie McAvoy put a shot on net that Kolosov turned away, then Brad Marchand batted the rebound out of the air toward the left post – another stop.
Scott Laughton found Garnet Hathaway sneaking weakside behind the Boston defense, but Swayman had it covered. Philly’s best scoring chance so far.
Marchand argues for a crosschecking call away from the play out in the middle of the rink. No dice, but Boston gets a penalty moments later at Mark Kastelic goes to the box at 7:13 for tripping.
The Flyers needed only 11 seconds to convert, as Matvei Michkov is open in the right circle. 1-0 Philadelphia.
The make-up call is on Cam York for slashing Johnny Beecher on the zone entry. Bruins to the powerplay at 7:42.
Pastrnak goalmouth to Marchand, save Kolosov.
Marchand goalmouth to Zacha, save Kolosov.
This powerplay’s already miles better than Boston’s first.
Trent Frederic is knocked down on a failed zone entry. Rare that a team on the penalty kill can make a knockdown hit without putting itself into a bad spot (4 on 3 is more advantageous than 5 on 4). Flyers get the kill, but this one was dicey.
Marc McLaughlin with a shot from the right circle, save Kolosov.
Pavel Zacha hits the post.
Late in the period, Michkov strikes a second time, finishing a feed from the left point by Travis Sanheim after Jordan Oesterle, under fetch pressure, had tried to send the puck up the right boards. The Flyers did a good job interfering with McAvoy who was stationed just north of the corner boards, and when the puck got past the Boston forward, Michkov went hard to the net and Sanheim made an excellent play.
First period ends 2-0 Philadelphia. Shots are 9-8 Bruins after one.
The period will go down as missed opportunities for Boston and opportunism by the Flyers and Michkov in particular with his 10th and 11th goals of the year.
SECOND PERIOD
Sanheim has a monster shift in the Bruins zone, but Swayman makes the stops. Then the Bruins work the puck up ice so Brazeau can dump and change, and he gets tripped at the Boston bench by York. Bruins to the powerplay. Torts won’t like this one.
Bruins almost turn it over but don’t, sucking a Flyer out of the play. In the ensuing action, the Bruins get a chance, but Kolosov stops Marchand. A scrum puts Emil Andrae and McAvoy in the box for roughing (still 5 on 4).
Kolosov stops Geekie point blank, but Frederic scores at 5:26, and it’s a 2-1 game. Geekie won the puck back out to Lohrei, whose shot was block. Frederic put back a backhand from the slot.
The Bruins turn up the forecheck, and Kastelic is taken down by the Philly net – no call, I presume because Kastelic is a roughhouse so opponents are given longer rope to roughhouse him.
The Flyers get a big chance, but Swayman is sharp today.
The Bruins played a strong first period, only to fail on special teams and make a costly turnover. Since then, the game has been more even, but the Bruins have the critical goal that makes this one a nailbiter instead of a sleeper.
The Bruins are flubbing some promising zone entries with apparently predetermined pass plays at the Philadelphia line. It’s as though they’ve watched video and were instructed to avoid a blue-hit, step-up hit by sending the puck hard to the wing. Only it seems the winger is never there and, most of the time, neither is the threat. On several occasions, the Bruins puck carrier could have held on and accelerated into prime playmaking space in the attacking zone, but they’re bent on making this pass play upon zone entry.
Zadorov crushed Travis Konecny at the halfwall, but the Flyers continued to cycle. Farabee had to leap over Sean Couturier, who was down in the slot. The puck worked back out to York who beat Swayman from the high slot with 4:31 left in the second period.
This has been a very resourceful road game for the Flyers.
McAvoy loses composure after slashing Michkov on the shins. Michkov hits the deck, arm goes up. McAvoy goes after Michkov, knocking him to the ice. Owen Tippett intervenes, no penalty there as the two start to fight until Tippett backs out. Net result: roughing minor on McAvoy and Philly with a big chance with 3:29 in the second period to separate themselves on the scoreboard, already up 3-1.
Big kill by Boston, but the Bruins needed Swayman more than Philly needed Kolosov over the last several minutes of the period.
Shots after two: 19-18 Philly.
THIRD PERIOD
The Bruins finally get another Grade A, stopped by Kolosov, but next time down Frederic rams home a loose puck at 5:18 to cut it back to one goal at 3-2.
The Bruins had dug themselves out of three straight icings with that first opportunity.
The complexion has changed, and the Flyers, who were feeling really good about their game a couple of minutes ago, have Konecny in the box for interference at 6:05.
Bruins to the powerplay with a chance to flip this script.
Bobby Brink serves the PIM, and the Flyers get the kill.
11:48 left.
Flyers get a chance at the end of the PP and another off the faceoff.
Hathaway goes to the box for taking down Lohrei; Bruins get a shot from Pasta during a well-executed delayed penalty. Now they go to the powerplay with 9:27 remaining in regulation.
Marchand ties after the Flyers get caught trying to pounce on a Swayman turnover. 5:22 left, and it’s 3-3.
Zadorov interferes with Hathaway’s forecheck – no call – Geekie upended spectacularly, and it hurt – no call – finally Couturier trips Pastrnak, penalty with 1:57. Bruins with a surprising chance to win this game in regulation.
Sloppy powerplay by McAvoy and Pastrnak; as it runs down Geekie puts the puck on Kolosov with 21.7 seconds left in regs. Joe Sacco uses his timeout.
This game is going to overtime.
The Flyers obviously think they deserve two points, they’ve got one right now and just survived a penalty kill.
OVERTIME
Couturier still has three seconds to serve, he does, and now it’s a 4v4 overtime until the first stoppage.
Coyle finally snaps off a shot that is deflected over the glass, and we go to 3v3 at the 1:30 mark of the 5-minute period.
Zacha wins it with 2:11 left, after Pastrnak digs out a 50-50 and curls the net.
4-3 Bruins.
The Flyers were deserving today but could not hold on against the surge, which bodes extremely well for a Bruins team for whom offense does not come easily.
Drive safely.
Rink Rap with Mick Colageo 