Unstoppable force, meet immovable object.
The Boston Bruins held the Pittsburgh Penguins in check for the first 53 minutes of the game. But a goal from Chris Kunitz opened the flood gates and the Penguins closed out the final period with three goals in a span of three minutes and fifteen seconds and their sixth straight win.
Billed as a possible preview to the Eastern Conference Final, the Bruins’ top rated defense, allowing the fewest goals in the league, met the high scoring team in the Penguins.
The Bruins got out to a 2-0 lead in the first period behind goals from Zdeno Chara and Tyler Seguin.
With Boston on the power play for a too many men on the ice penalty by Pittsburgh, Zdeno Chara fired a one-timer from the right point that may have deflected in front before going off the cross bar and in the net.
Later in the first, Patrice Bergeron found Tyler Seguin in the low slot. Seguin quickly corralled the puck and beat Marc-Andre Fleury with a wrist shot in the top right corner of the net.
The Penguins almost got a goal late in the first from James Neal but Dennis Seidenberg made a sprawling stick save to deny Neal on an open net. The Penguins received a power play late in the first but the top ranked penalty kill would not allow a goal.
Neither team was able to score in the second period and the Penguins squandered another power play chance after Brad Marchand went to the box for tripping Mark Eaton.
In the third period the Penguins were granted a power play after a tripping penalty to Bergeron. Less than a minute later, goaltender Anton Khudobin was called for hi-sticking Chris Kunitz. Still, even with a 5 on 3, the Penguins were unable to score with the closest chance coming from Neal who hit the post.
After Boston killed both penalties, the Penguins looked well on their way to succumbing to Boston’s strong defense. But with under seven minutes remaining in the game, Chris Kunitz scored his ninth goal in the month of March to cut the lead in half. Deryk Engelland sent a return pass to Kris Letang who glided down the left face off circle before feed Kunitz for a one-timer. Kunitz’s slap shot squeaked past Khudobin’s left shoulder.
After a TV timeout the Penguins came roaring back to tie the score. Beau Bennett passed the puck to Neal in the high slot who fed Brandon Sutter at the left face off dot. Sutter waited on the puck before firing a wrist shot past the glove hand of the goaltender.
After Fleury made a save on a wrap around chance by Nathan Horton, the Penguins had the Bruins on the run, taking advantage of a tired team that had arrived late to Pittsburgh from playing in Ottawa the night before.
Dennis Seidenberg erased Crosby who was trying to stick handle through the offensive zone. Sutter picked off Seidenberg’s stretch pass, however, and headed towards the net. He delayed, allowing Boychuk to lay down before shooting the puck and beating Khudobin on the glove hand for a second time.
Boychuk had a chance to tie the game with under ten seconds remaining but his shot hit the glass and the Penguins escaped with their sixth consecutive win.
- Crosby’s point streak ends at eight games. He was held off the stat sheet for the first time since February 22nd.
- The Penguins are the first team to reach 100 goals.
- Anton Khudobin was 6:18 away from handing the Penguins their first home shutout loss since March 11th, 2011.
Three Stars
- Brandon Sutter
- Chris Kunitz
- Zdeno Chara
Photo courtesy of NHL.com
