Bruins Get the Better of Carter Hart Once Again

Philadelphia Flyers goalie Carter Hart is one of the better young goalies in the NHL. The 22-year-old has won 44 of his 82 of his career starts. This season, he is 4-2-2 early in the young season, but one team that has got the best of him is the Boston Bruins.

Hart has been terrific for the Flyers, but in three games and the Black and Gold, things have been far from enjoyable for the Philadelphia netminder. He is 0-1-2, but in two of the three games, Hart and his teammates enjoyed a multiple-goal lead in the third period, only to lose.

Bruins get the best of Hart and Flyers, especially in the third period.

In the team’s first meeting Jan. 21 at TD Garden in the Bruins home opener, Philadelphia took a 2-0 lead into the third period. Boston had 22 shots on Hart in the final 20 minutes and scored four goals to force overtime. Jake DeBrusk won the game in a shootout for Boston when he beat Hart on the final shot of the skills competition for a 5-4 victory.

Two nights later, the Bruins scored early and often against Hart and Flyers. Bruins scored goals against Hart in each period, including three in the third period in a 6-1 romp.

Wednesday night at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, once again, the Flyers were in a position to secure a win over the Bruins in the third period, but Boston got the best of Hart and the Flyers.

Tied 1-1 entering the final period, Philly scored two goals in the first 8:41 of the period for a 3-1 lead. Hart had frustrated the Bruins since David Pastrnak’s goal 12 seconds into the game gave the Black and Gold and 1-0 lead.

Hart stopped the last seven shots in the first period and turned back all 13 shots in the second period. Sean Kuraly had a breakaway for Boston in the middle period shorthanded, but Hart stopped him.

In the third period with a two-goal lead, Hart once again was stopping everything the Bruins were throwing at him. He stoned Kuraly again when the Bruins fourth-line forward had an open side of the net, but Hart slid over and was able to get his body in front of Kuraly’s stuff attempt to keep the Flyers two-goal lead.

Boston kept supplying pressure on Hart and the Flyers in the third period and it paid off late in the game. Pastrnak cut the deficit to 3-2 with 7:55 left in the game when he one-timed a pass from Patrice Bergeron past Hart. Then with 15 seconds left, Pasta once again beat Hart from almost the same spot on the ice near the net to tie the game and force overtime.

In overtime, Bergeron ended the game after 31 seconds when he stuffed home a rebound of his own shot past Hart. Some quick math tells us that in three games, Hart has surrender 13 goals to the Bruins, including nine in the third period.

Sooner or later, Hart will figure things out against the Bruins in the third period, but until he does, Boston has got the better of one of the best young goalies the NHL has to offer.