You can't realistically ask for a much better road trip than the one that the Bruins (8-1-2) just completed tonight at Philadelphia's (7-3-2) First Union Center. Thanks to a 2-1 win against the Flyers, Boston wrapped up four games against Washington (6-2-3) and Philly-the other two best teams in the East Division now and probably for the rest of the season-with seven out of a possible eight points. Unless you are a fan of boring, defensive hockey with very few scoring chances, this tilt was not exactly filled with highlights but it nevertheless proved that the B's can still find a way to come out on top no matter how you want to play. They also improved to 4-0 against Philadelphia this season, halfway through their regular season slate with them.
The theme of the entire trip was third period comebacks so Boston had one more granted it wasn't quite the three-goal rallies in DC nor the two-goal deficit that they overcame in Philly on Wednesday. Not much happened in the first two periods except a nice fight between B's defenseman Connor Clifton and Flyers right wing Nicolas Aube-Kubel and Tuukka Rask (23 saves, 5-1-1) easily stopped a penalty shot by BU's Joel Farabee. It was scoreless heading into the third period and UNH's James van Riemsdyk tipped in a shot from the point by defenseman Erik Gustafsson for a power play goal 27 seconds into the frame. Center Claude Giroux added the second assist on JVR's sixth goal of the season which also extended his point-streak to six games (3 goals, 8 assists). That would turn out to be the only goal that Rask would allow.
The Bruins continued to grind away and eventually tied it on a greasy goal by left wing Brad Marchand at 12:01. Right wing David Pastrnak's initial shot was stopped by Flyers goaltender Brian Elliott (21 saves, 3-1-0) but Marchand was in front (along with Patrice Bergeron) and he was able to win a puck battle then sweep in the rebound. Defenseman Charlie McAvoy notched the secondary assist on Marchand's team-leading seventh goal of the season. It wasn't tied for long as center Sean Kuraly made it 2-1 in favor of Boston 27 seconds later. He fired a snap shot from just inside the blue line that Elliott's glove totally whiffed on. The puck hit the far post and rattled in for his second goal of the season. Left wing Anders Bjork and center David Krejci-part of a rejiggered line-supplied the assists on the game-winning tally.
Boston was scheduled to host Buffalo (4-4-2) on Saturday night and Monday at TD Garden but the Sabres are one of four NHL teams currently paused due to Covid-19 outbreaks so those games will be postponed to a later date in the season. For the B's, the timing isn't so bad since they get to return home and relax for a few days before their next games: Wednesday (7, NBCSN) and Friday (7, NESN) at Madison Square Garden vs. the Rangers (4-4-2). That's followed by another visit to Long Island to face the Islanders (3-4-2) on Saturday night (7, NESN). Like the rest of us (that aren't clueless idiots during a pandemic), the Bruins won't be able to have their traditional Super Bowl party with all their wives and girlfriends in the same place but at least they can all kick back and enjoy a long weekend in Boston before they return to work.
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