Oct 31, 2013; Boston, MA, USA; Anaheim Ducks right wing Emerson Etem (65) tries to steal the puck away from Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara (33) during the second period at TD Banknorth Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
The Boston Bruins overcame some sloppy work in the neutral zone and a few defensive breakdowns to come from behind and pull out a win at the TD Garden last night. The Bruins had to fight back from an early goal by Anaheim’s Devante Smith-Pelly. The first period Bruins were a total disorganized mess registering only a single shot on goal. ”They didn’t have a shot on goal in the first period until the 18-minute mark,” Ducks head coach Bruce Boudreau said after the game. ”But if you don’t score, eventually a really good team is going to come up and bite you and that’s what happened.”
The Bruins did fight their way back into the game thanks to Carl Soderberg. Soderberg with the aid of the recently recalled Ryan Spooner were able to help the Bruins get back into the game. The Bruins began to find their rhythm in the second period, being more aggressive in the Ducks zone, and the shots on goal began to even out.
There was a Halloween treat for all of us who attended the game last night. Halfway through the second period, the Bruins jumbotron showed a replay of the Red Sox game six win. While the crowd was cheering for the Red Sox, Bruins president Cam Neely and Red Sox president Larry Lucchino came out with the World Series trophy. It totally changed the mood in the Garden, and it gave the Bruins another jolt to their game.
The Bruins have had a lot of trouble closing out a period this season. The Ducks’ Mathieu Perreault line up a shot in the last twenty seconds of the second to put the Ducks back on top, 2-1. It took a lot of the wind out of Boston’s sails, but they fought back. The third period showed the Bruins making good progress in the offensive zone but not getting any shots home.
Boston and Anaheim have a few similar traits. They have solid records, they have a team that is based more on a team effort than any particular superstar, and the both have trouble in the last minutes of a period. With 2:50 left in regulation, Anaheim’s Patrick Maroon was hit with a tripping minor for tangling up Bruins captain Zdeno Chara. The Bruins power play came through just eight seconds later as David Krejci got a shot on goal that rebounded out to Chara. Chara’s shot sailed past Jonas Hiller tying the game at two.
Up until last night, the Bruins had yet to be tested in overtime or a shootout, and Anaheim was undefeated in both. The Bruins and Ducks attempted to solve the matter in overtime, but that ended with a stalemate. In the shootout, only Jarome Iginla was able to score for Boston. Thankfully, Tuukka Rask took on all comers and gave the Bruins the shootout win. The two points puts Boston in a four way tie for second(with Tampa Bay, Montreal, and Detroit) in the Atlantic Division.