For the sake of consistency purpose, the Bruins aimed to win two games in a row for the first time in almost a month, coming into a highly contested match with the Washington Capitals. The Bruins once again turned to Jeremy Swayman. They were again without top-pairing defenseman Charlie MacAvoy for the second consecutive games as he deals with the effects of an upper-body injury. Bruins get off to the quick start, 33 seconds in, right off the face-off, after a Jeremy Lauzon shot bounces around and dribbles past the Washington netminder for the early 1-0 Bruins advantage. Shortly after that, with four minutes left in the first, Anton Blidh sneaks one in for his first goal in five seasons to make it 2-0 Bruins. Four minutes into the second period, Brad Marchand extends to Bruins lead to 3-0 with a filthy, highlight-reel worthy short-handed shot. The Washington Capitals come roaring back with two quick goals, 19 seconds of one another after a double-minor penalty on Blidh is called along with a Jakub Zorbil interference call, which led to the 5-on-3 advantage for Washington. Craig Smith scores a power play goal to put a cap on it with 4 minutes left in regulation, and the Bruins win it 4-2 to win consecutive games for the first time since March 16-18th.
The last time the Boston Bruins had a three-game win streak was back on February 1st-5th when they took down Washington and Philadelphia, two games in a row. With three games in a row was on the horizon, the Bruins just needed to execute. The Bruins were winners of two in a row when they came into the Wells Fargo Center for a matinee matchup against the Flyers. Bruins get on the board 5 minutes into the first, when Patrice Bergeron buries a Craig Smith feed from out in front of the net, 1-0 Bruins. The Flyers scored the following two goals, including a power play goal from Gostisbehere with less than three minutes remaining in the period. Jake DeBrusk ties the affair almost halfway through the second period, on a Smith feed in the slot, but the Flyers kill any dreams the Bruins have of winning three in a row when a Sean Couturier wrist shot in the this is the eventual game-winner, Flyers come back and upset the Bruins 3-2, who fail to win 3-in-a-row
The very next night, the Washington Capitals were back at the Garden to take on the Bruins in a game that most Bruins fans with a heartbeat would be looking for forget in a millisecond. Chris Wagner loses a fight with Brendan Dillon right off the face-off to start the game, and then from there, their lack of blueline depth was exposed like a molvtok cocktail through the front window of your worst enemy, an 8-1 bludgeoning. Craig Smith, scoring the lone Bruins goal during third period garbage time. Bruins needs to make moves come the trade deadline to remain competitive in this division.
With Taylor Hall, Curtis Lazar, and Mike Reily, the Bruins brand new trade deadline acquisitions in the lineup. The Bruins hope to turn the page on the 8-1 thumping two nights before and hopefully inject some exuberance into the lineup and finally solidify that second line. Hall's now-former team, the Buffalo Sabres, arrived at the garden with old friend Anders Bjork on their lineup. Less than 2 minutes into the affair, former Bruin Colin Miller scores a bomb from the blueline, beating netminder swayman cleanly, 1-0 Buffalo. Almost six and half minutes left in the first, Lauzon chips the puck in that deflects off the goaltender, and David Krecji puts home for the tie score. Five minutes into the second, new Bruin Taylor Hall brings the puck up-ice and drops it back to Craig Smith for the goal to put the Bruins up 2-1. Eight minutes left in regulation, Jokijarju gets a puck to Rasmus Dahlin, who blasts a rocket past Swayman from the blueline to tie 2-2. Time winds down, and after an uneventful overtime period, both teams find themselves in the shootout. The Bruins score on both their first two chances with goals by Coyle and Debrusk, who roofs one over the goaltender's right shoulder for the game-winner. Bruins win 3-2!
No team has given the Boston Bruins fits much like the New York Islanders have in 2021. There's nothing the Bruins needed more with the Isles coming into the garden for a two games series than for the Bruins to get Tuukka Rask back in net and for the team to get out to a quick start. That's exactly what they got with a newly revamped aggressive checking fourth line that came out of the gates, ruining opposing players' nights. At almost two minutes gone in the game, Brad Marchand rings a puck in and out off the net camera, so quick no one was sure it went in, but after review, the goal was confirmed, 1-0 Bruins. Around seventeen minutes later, with three minutes remaining on the period, David Krecji dishes a pass from the boards to Craig Smith, who rockets it along the ice past Islanders goaltender, Varlamov for the 2-0 Bruins score. The second period starts, and the Islanders get themselves on the board on a Travis Zajac wrist shot, 2-1 Bruins. After a back and forth rest of the second, shiny new toy, Taylor Hall scores his first as a remember of the Black & Gold on a breakaway self pass from Pastrnak for the 3-1 advantage with almost two minutes gone In the period. Brad Marchand scores his second of the game on a bad angle shot for the empty-net goal. Bruins heat the Islanders 4-2 for their first victory against New York this season!
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