No surprise, the Boston Bruins top line was their best line during the 11th iteration of the Winter Classic. David Pastrnak, Patrice Bergeron, and Brad Marchand all tallied a goal in the game and the Bruins outlasted the Chicago Blackhawks 4-2 at Notre Dame Stadium in North Bend, Indiana.
It was the Bruins second win in three Winter Class games. They previously beat the Flyers at Fenway Park in 2010 and lost to the Canadians at Gillette Stadium in 2016.
Just like their first against the Flyers, the Bruins had to come back against a much improved Chicago Blackhawks team. The Bruins fell behind twice and needed power play goals from Pastrnak and Bergeron to keep pace with the home team.
After capitalizing on their first two power-play opportunities the Bruins came up empty on three straight opportunities in the third, including an extended 5-on-3 chance. However, they did not relent and shortly after the midway point of the third period, Sean Kuraly buried a deflected shot behind Blackhawks goalie, Cam Ward to give the Bruins their first lead of the game. Marchand added an empty-netter with under a minute to play to secure the win.
Tuukka Rask Shines
This is not a good day for the anti-Tuukka Rask crowd. Rask was sharp in net, especially early when the Bruins were struggling to capitalize on their chances. Rask turned aside 36 of the 38 shots he faced. Of the 36 saves that he made, none were bigger than two on Patrick Kane which came at the end of the first and third period. Rask improved his record to 10-8-2 on the year with the win.
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What’s Next?
The Bruins will host the Calgary Flames on Thursday to officially close out their first half of the season. Through 40 games, the Bruins sit fourth in the Atlantic Division with a 22-14-4 record and 48 points. 14 behind the division and conference-leading Tampa Bay Lightning. The Bruins play the Lighting three more times this season, including the season finale.
