After having suffered a demoralizing 6-1 loss at the hands of the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday night, the Boston Bruins entered Monday’s contest with the Calgary Flames with a clear mission. They set out to erase the terrible taste of defeat and re-stake their claim as one of this season’s premier teams in the National Hockey League.
Bruins left wing, Brad Marchand, scored on Calgary goaltender David Rittich with 1:24 remaining in overtime to help the Bruins to a 2-1 win against the Flames at Scotiabank Saddledome, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Goaltender Tuukka Rask was particularly impressive in net, on Monday. Rask made 28 saves for the Bruins, including several at crucial moments in the game. particularly in overtime. He improved to 6-0-3 in nine career games against the Flames.
Meanwhile, the Bruins improved to a record of 36-13-8 on the season. They now trail the Tampa Bay Lightning by one point for first place in the Atlantic Division with two games in hand. The victory also helped Boston avoid losing consecutive games for the first time since Dec. 14-16. The win gives Boston its 12th win in the past 15 games (12-3-0).
The Flames were almost equally as impressive, in spite of the loss. Calgary LW Matthew Tkachuk scored a key second-period goal. Rittich made 30 saves for the Flames, prior to surrendering the game-winner in overtime. He had previously stopped Bruins right wing, David Pastrnak on a breakaway at 6:10 of the third period to keep the game tied at 1-1.
- Ep. 197: Fields to Pittsburgh, Still Available Free Agentsby Full Press Coverage on March 18, 2024 at 8:00 pm
The Flames drop to 30-21-9 and are tied with the Anaheim Ducks for third in the Pacific Division.
Scoring Summary:
Bruins RW David Pastrnak scored on a snap shot to put Boston ahead 1-0 at 5:59 of the first period.
Flames LW Matthew Tkachuk tied the game 1-1 with a power-play goal at 5:28 of the second period. The goal, a rebound on Sean Monahan’s initial try, came on Calgary’s sixth shot of the game.
Bruins LW, Brad Marchand, scored on Calgary goaltender David Rittich with 1:24 remaining in overtime.
Up Next:
The Bruins continue their torrid road trip, facing the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday evening. They will make weekend stops to face the Toronto Maple Leafs (Sat. 2/24) and the Buffalo Sabres (Sun. 2/25.) They return to TD Garden to finish the month of February by hosting the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday, February 27.
The Flames will hit the road for two games against the Vegas Golden Knights (Wed. 2/21) and the Arizona Coyotes (Thu. 2/22.) They will return home on Saturday, February 24 to face the Colorado Avalanche. Calgary has lost seven of their past eight games at home. Therefore, it is safe to say that they will be eager to reverse that trend.
–Mike D’Abate is a Managing Editor and National Columnist for Full Press Coverage Sports Media. He covers the National Football League and the National Hockey League. Follow him on Twitter @mdabateFPC