Facing a team that lost five of their six road games to begin the season, the Boston Bruins were looking for their third two-game winning streak of the season hosting the Ottawa Senators Saturday night at the TD Garden. It also meant the return of former goalie Linus Ullmark and he ended up with the last laugh.
Tied 2-2 through regulation, the two teams went to overtime and it lasted just 21 seconds. Ullmark made a tremendous pad save on a shot from Elias Lindholm and Ottawa captain Brady Tkachuk went down the other end and beat Jeremy Swayman for the game-winner. Talk about a disappointing loss. Here are three takeaways after Boston fell to 7-7-2 on the season and stuck muddling around .500 again.
Bruins give Linus Ullmark tribute
Ullmark was a questionable signing in free agency at the time by GM Don Sweeney, but boy, did he prove a lot of people wrong during his time with the Bruins. He was part of a team that set the NHL record for wins and points in a season in 2022-23 and that year, he ended up winning the Vezina Trophy.
During the first TV timeout Saturday night, the Bruins gave him a video tribute and one that was very well deserved. He also shared a pregame hug during warmups with former teammate Jeremy Swayman.
Bruins badly outplayed in third period
It was a bad final 20 minutes for the Black and Gold and that's no understatement. They registered a grand total of zero shots on Ullmark while Ottawa landed 12 on Swayman. To compound matters, the Bruins didn't make it easy on themselves with turnovers and giveaways. Boston got what they deserved. An embarrassing loss on home ice.
Bruins end of periods were not good
Both goals allowed in regulation by the Bruins were late in periods. In the first, the Senators scored a power play goal by Josh Norris, then in the second, Michael Amadio tied the game at 2-2 with a wrist shot by Swayman at 17:16.
Kind of like the third period, the Bruins didn't do themselves any favors with play in their defensive end as they left Norris alone near the net in the first and Amadio cruised in beat Swayman with a wrist shot. Honestly, the Bruins were lucky to get to overtime as a 2-on-1 shorthanded break by the Senators at the end of the second was stopped by Swayman with a shoulder save.