Avs at Bruins

The oddsmakers don’t like the Boston Bruins today, but one should remember that the worst-ever 1996-97 Bruins got wins against some upper-echelon teams.

Scott Wedgewood in the Colorado net today against Jeremy Swayman.

No Hampus Lindholm, but Johnny Beecher is back in for Jeffrey Viel.

Charlie McAvoy is paired today with Nikita Zadorov to start; Mason Lohrei moves into a pairing with Andrew Peeke, and Henri Jokiharju is skating with Michael Callahan. Jordan Harris is out with a lower-body injury.

The revised version of Boston’s second line once again starts Pavel Zacha at center and puts Casey Mittelstadt on LW opposite Viktor Arvidsson.

Keep an eye on Fraser Minten’s minutes today. He’s back between Tanner Jeannot and Mikey Eyssimont; last time the trio was together (Tuesday vs.) Minten only played seven minutes, while Eyssimont and Jeannot were just over nine.

FIRST PERIOD

Mark Kastelic is get snarly in the Colorado end, but no penalties yet.

Artturi Lehkonen get Colorado on the board 4:26 into the game, as the Bruins’ top players got outworked down low, and a quick relay went to the slot, leaving Swayman with no chance. 1-0 Avalanche.

The Bruins survive a lot of D-zone cycling by the Avalanche until Arvidsson’s second and third efforts pay off with his first goal as a Boston Bruin, and the pronounced fist bump most surely let everyone in on the frustration he’d been feeling through the first nine games, especially the last few when a goal would have been a difference maker.

Eyssimont gives Boston the lead 39 seconds later on a feed from Jeannot on an emerging 2-on-1, and it’s suddenly 2-1 Bruins. Mason Lohrei with the pass to spring Jeannot.

The Avalanche is outshooting the Bruins 12-4, but trailing the game 2-1.

Mittelstadt had a lane on the offwing, but his hurried shot missed the far post.

Avs captain Gabe Landeskog to the box for holding the opponent’s stick with 1:45 left in the first period. Bruins powerplay: Wedgewood makes his best save, denying Zacha a rebound chance on Geekie’s one-timer from the left point. Jack Drury blocks Geekie’s next point shot and hobbles down the runway to the Colorado room.

First period ends but not before Eyssimont riles the Avalanche. Landeskog will have 15 seconds remaining on his penalty when the second period begins.

Shots after one: 12-6 Avalanche, but the Bruins lead, 2-1.

SECOND PERIOD

Defenseman Ilya Solovyov goes off for holding ay 2:35. The Bruins powerplay is patient but unsuccessful.

Colorado with a big chance, but the Bruins keep the puck out and desperately dive around to thwart follow-up opportunities. Swayman crosschecks Lehtonen, who was down in the crease trying to corral a loose puck.

The second period is back and forth, but the Avalanche have better puck possession and more sustained pressure as a result. Minten collects a pass and has a lane but loses the handle, canceling a shot attempt. David Pastrnak joins the fray and rips a hard shot from the right circle that Wedgewood stops.

Big cheer at TD Garden for former NESN play-by-play man Jack Edwards, who greets the crowd by pumping his fist.

MacKinnon is electric as he collects a pass inside the Boston zone, finds some space and gets a shot on net before McAvoy throws the body and takes the puck.

Zacha is going to the penalty box for interference at 8:38. Colorado to the powerplay:

Going back to the shift before Arvidsson’s goal, the Bruins have outshot Colorado 9-2. That is expected to change with this Avalanche powerplay.

MacKinnon twice sets up Valeri Nichushkin in the slot, and twice Swayman denies him. The first one, a stick-save on a hard one-timer, was a beauty. Bruins get the kill.

Pastrnak went around every Avalanche player but got his stick bothered just enough to lose possession at the doorstep.

Sean Kuraly to the penalty box for holding, so Avs get another chance down one with 6:33 left in the second period. Colorado PP: Long shot, save Swayman.

Mittelstadt has some of the finest hand-eye coordination the Bruins have seen since Jake DeBrusk. Under the pressure brought by the Colorado Avalanche, no puck play is entirely routine, so the fact this was a one-touch on the puck in the neutral zone doesn’t change the fact that, in reaching around his body to intercept a puck caroming off the side glass so it would safely find the ice at Colorado’s end, Mittelstadt spun around with one hand on his stick and made a play that the vast majority of professional would have missed. His hands and eyes work to es one-touch game is extremely heady.

Geekie makes a heady puck recovery in the final seconds, pulls it back near side on an adjusting – sleeping? – Wedgewood and stuffs it with 4.5 seconds left in the period to make it a 3-1 game at second intermission.

Shots after two: 24-15 Colorado, which means the Avalanche resumed its shot dominance since Eyssimont’s go-ahead goal.

The third period should provide an entertaining 20 minutes, as the desperate Bruins try to hang on against of the world’s more explosive hockey teams. The Avalanche came in 5-0-3 and certainly don’t want this game to become its first L of the season, no more than the Lightning want their Columbus Day performance here to be its only W of the season.

THIRD PERIOD

You knew it was going to boil over, as the Avalanche have one goal to show for a mostly dominant performance here, trying to avoid a three-game winless streak.

Brent Burns, all 40 years of him, gets a minor for slashing, so the Bruins have a huge chance to take the wind out of the visitors’ sails here. But it’s a 2-on-1 short-handed. Save Swayman. He is having a game. But 19 seconds into the powerplay, Colorado’s chance results in another scrum, this one producing the McAvoy roughing penalty that evens the slate at 4 on 4 for the next 1:41, to be followed by a brief Colorado powerplay.

Swayman denies Brock Nelson on the 4v4, then he stops Josh Manson. Martin Necas puts on his second stickhandling exhibition before Sam Malinski shoots over the bar and out of the rink. Swayman makes the next Malinski offering look easy,, and McAvoy has two more seconds to serve. He’s out, Bruins back to full strength.

Ross Colton bats a puck out of the air, but Swayman stops that, too. Colorado up to 27 shots to Boston’s 17. Makar’s point shot hits Colton in the slot and deflects out of play. 14:17 left in regulation.

The third period was bound to become one big penalty kill, but the Avalanche got its best chance during the 19-second short-handed segment.

A frustrated Nelson, who just kicked himself for shooting too soon with the lane to the net opening up, trips Jokiharju and goes to the penalty box. Nelson is a key to Colorado’s support of the top line, but the former Islanders stalwart is off to a slow start on the season. Avs get the kill with 5 minutes left in regulation down 2 goals to the Bruins.

Bruins are in neutral-zone-trap mode, as Colorado churns the attack.

Colton whacks Swayman twice in front of the official – nothing doin. Colton and Peeke carry on. Incredible tolerance for Colton, regardless of how the stripes might make it balance out. That was playoff-level whacking.

Wedgewood out with 1:22 and the faceoff in the Boston RW corner. It’s out. Bruins are going to end their losing streak.

Drive safely.