Looking to secure two huge points before embarking on a four-game road trip that is going to be a difficult one, the Boston Bruins had to dig deep on Tuesday night at the TD Garden to get it done. Tied 2-2 with the talented Dallas Stars at the TD Garden entering the third period, the Black and Gold struck for four goals in the final 20 minutes for a 6-3 win.
Boston got a goal from Henri Jokiharju, which turned out to be the game-winner in the third period. Heck, they even got a power play goal from Elias Lindholm. Viktor Arvidsson collected a hat trick, and truth be told, it might have been the easiest hat trick he'll ever score.
At the end of the first period, he knocked home a loose puck into an open net for a 2-0 lead. Then, in the third period and Dallas pressing to close a 4-2 gap, he hit an open net with 3:37 for a 5-2 lead. A Hampus Lindholm penalty gave the Stars a power play, and they cut the deficit to 5-3. Again, they pulled Jake Oettinger, and Arvidsson completed his hat trick into the open net with 12 seconds left.
“Oh, (It feels) good obviously, but it was three easy ones today,” Arvidsson said. “One was two inches from the goal line, and then two empty netters. So, it was good. It feels good.”
That was an understatement.
Pavel Zacha named third star for month of March'
The NHL named Bruins forward Pavel Zacha the Third Star of the month for March. He was tied for 13 goals in the month, and maybe his biggest was with 11 seconds left in the third period of Sunday's wild 4-3 shootout win over the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Just how nuts was Zacha's month? He had at least one point in 13 of the Black and Gold's 16 games, in which they went 10-3-3 to separate themselves from the Eastern Conference playoff cut line by eight points.
Blue Jackets lose Mathieu Olivier for season
In the first period of Sunday night's 4-3 Bruins shootout win over the Columbus Blue Jackets, the momentum shifted when there were a pair of heavyweight fights. One of them was between Mark Kasteltic and Mathieu Olivier.
Both players received five for fighting. Olivier took one shift in the second period and did not return. He did not play in Tuesday night's loss to the Carolina Hurricanes, and on Wednesday, according to Jeff Svoboda, the Blue Jackets' team reporter, Olivier was going to be likely out for the year. That's a big loss for a team fighting for its playoff lives.