Spooner’s pass to Jonny Boychuk was exactly on point. His ability to create 2 on 1 situations makes him a valuable asset for the Bruins. – Ryan Spooner - Ryan Spooner’s speed is absolutely incredible. The Bruins’ defense had suffered the past two games in the absence of Dennis Seidenberg and Boychuk did his part in stepping up to help fill some big shoes. Boychuk also played an outstanding defensive game. After this goal, the Bruins looked like the Bruins again. Jonny Boychuk - Jonny Boychuk scored first for the Bruins (his second goal of the season) which gave the Bruins the energy that they needed to really step their game up and drive to the net hard. He blocked 33 of 35 shots during the game. Svedberg looked extremely comfortable between the pipes for the Bruins and did not get phased after the Predators scored first. Niklas Svedberg - What a way to make an NHL debut. He created several offensive chances with his speed and puck handling ability setting up both Smith and Bergeron on several occasions. Brad Marchand played the entire game with a lot of heart. Plus, that nifty pass between the defender’s legs to make that shot happen was pretty smooth too. Smith had 162 goals and 330 points in 661 games with the Predators from 2011-20.Brad Marchand - Brad Marchand’s overtime goal ended the two game losing streak and brought the energy back to Boston. Boston won the other meeting between the teams this season, 2-0 at Nashville on Dec. It was the Bruins’ third game in four days, all at home. NOTES: Saros had 11 wins in the Predators’ previous 17 games, the best stretch by a goalie in the league during that span. Forwards Nick Foligno and Trent Frederic remained sidelined with undisclosed injuries, but defenseman Derek Forbort returned from protocol. Predators defenseman Mark Borowiecki returned after missing the previous game with an undisclosed lower-body injury and winger Yakov Trenin was back after missing two games in the COVID-19 protocol, but Filip Forsberg was sidelined in protocol for his fourth straight game.įor Boston, defensemen Matt Grzelcyk and Connor Clifton both remain in protocol and were out. We knew it would be a hard-fought battle,” Smith said. “Playing against that team, they’ve been playing really well. Reilly collected a cross-ice pass from Erik Haula, cut across the crease and lifted a backhander into the net 4:17 later. Smith gave the Bruins a 1-0 lead 3:20 into the game against his former team when he beat Saros with a wrister over the glove from the right circle.

Sissons had sliced Nashville’s deficit in half when he skated across from the left circle into the slot before firing a wrister into the net. I’m glad we got at least a point after that effort.” “Being two down against one of the hottest teams in the NHL, we had a strong game against a very solid hockey team. “It’s not only about physical toughness, it’s about mental toughness, too,” Hynes said. Trailing 2-0, the Predators scored late in the opening period and tied it when Kunin slipped a low wrist shot by Ullmark 7:32 into the second period. “When the playoffs start, you need to have that game in your bag,” Hall said. He had gauze stuffed up his nostrils on the bench but returned for his next shift. In the second period on Saturday, Marchand took what appeared to be an inadvertent elbow from Josi to the nose along the boards, sending the Boston forward dazed to the ice. On Monday, he suffered a broken nose in a win at Washington but scored twice after the injury. Marchand reached 20 goals for the ninth straight season and for the second time this week had a bloody nose and scored. Marchand’s power-play goal - a rising wrist shot over Saros’ glove into the top right corner from the right circle - had pushed Boston ahead 3-2 just 3:50 into the third period, but Josi tied it after a turnover by Pastrnak. “We’ve talked about being a tough team to play against mentally and physically.” “I really liked our game,” Nashville coach John Hynes said. Juuse Saros made 40 saves for the Predators. “If anybody was in a spot where they weren’t happy about their game, it was a spot where they could regroup.”Ĭolton Sissons, Luke Kunin and Ramon Josi each had a goal for Nashville, which has only lost three times in regulation in its last 18 games (13-3-2). “Looking back, with the COVID break, we had a little time where we could ramp back up,” Smith said of Boston’s 2022 start. Pastrnak took a shot from the right circle and the puck slipped behind Saros, where Hall poked it in for the game-winner.īrad Marchand, Craig Smith and Mike Reilly also scored for the Bruins, who won their fifth straight and are 8-1 since New Year’s Day.

BOSTON (AP) - Taylor Hall scored off a rebound of David Pastrnak’s shot 1:41 into overtime, lifting the red-hot Boston Bruins to a 4-3 win over the Western Conference-leading Nashville Predators on Saturday.

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