Bruins win a wild one against the Islanders
By Willy
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
This is the final game between the Bruins and the N.Y. Islanders.
Healthy Scratch: Ryan Spooner.
In Net: Chad Johnson and Kevin Poulin.
The Bruins got off to a good, quick start. They had the first 6 shots before N.Y. had any.
The B’s were first on the scoreboard. Carl Soderberg lost the offensive zone draw but Loui Eriksson (6) quickly attacked N.Y. Defenseman Matt Carkner behind the net. The puck made its way back to Torey Krug who fed Danny Paille who eventually made the pass to a wide open Eriksson. Loui wasted little time, roofing his shot past Poulin.
The Islanders tied the game when Reilly Smith was stripped of the puck by Center Frans Nielsen, he fed the puck to winger Kyle Okposo who shot the puck on net but was stopped by Johnson. The rebound came out to Nielsen who fired it past a prone Johnson.
After 1 period; 1-1 Shots: 18-12 Boston
The B’s got off to a slow start in the second period but they were also killing a penalty to Zdeno Chara, who was guilty of punching N.Y. winger Cal Clutterbuck in the nose. Clutterbuck had “slew footed” Chara but wasn’t penalized.
The Bruins got their next goal when Patrice Bergeron won the offensive zone face off back to Dougie Hamilton who passed to Reilly Smith. After two passes between Bergeron and Smith, Bergy got the puck to a wide open Brad Marchand (17) who fired it into the wide open net.
The Islanders tied the game up when both Danny Paille and Jordan Caron failed to clear the puck and allowed an Islander to gain control. Once again Kyle Okposo would set-up a teammate, this time Michael Grabner for the goal.
The Bruins would regain the lead when Reilly Smith (17) streaked onto the ice as an extra attacker (delayed penalty call). Reilly went straight to the net, was fed a pass by Shawn Thornton that Smith banged home.
The Islanders tied things up again when at the end of a Penalty Kill Grabner gained possession with Okposo coming out of the box, Johnson had no chance on the “2 on 0”.
The B’s would regain the lead again when Milan Lucic found a streaking Carl Soderberg (7) who made N.Y. Defenseman Thomas Hickey look foolish as he flew right past him and at the net, burying it past Poulin.
After 2 periods; 4-3 B’s Shots: 17-9 N.Y.
The Bruins started the final frame on the Penalty Kill, this time able to kill the penalty.
Shortly after the penalty ended the Bruins would go ahead by two goals when Brad Marchand would steal the puck from Islanders Defenseman Andrew MacDonald, skate to the corner of the net then fire a pass over to Patrice Bergeron who fired a shot off while falling backwards, beating Poulin.
The sixth Boston goal was of the soft variety. After Zdeno Chara (12) and Brad Marchand exchanged passes, Big Z flipped a soft wrist shot on goal that snuck past Poulin.
*Kevin Poulin pulled, Evgeni Nabokov inserted.
6-3 B’s win. Shot totals: 37-37
Next up for the Bruins is a Tuesday night game at Home against the Florida Panthers. Go B’s!