Several streaks extended Saturday afternoon in Boston.
Tampa Bay center Steven Stamkos extended his point streak to nine games and his consecutive games-played streak to 300. Also, the Tampa Bay Lightning’s losing streak extended to three while the Boston Bruins’ winning streak reached six games in a 3-2 victory.
The game was deadlocked for nearly all the third period before Bruins forward Brad Marchand (11) scored the go-ahead goal with just over two minutes to go.
The goal came on the tail-end of a four-minute penalty kill that resulted from a high sticking penalty on defenseman Brendan Mikkelson. Marchand and center Patrice Bergeron combined on a two-on-one to beat goaltender Mathieu Garon for just the third time in 27 shots for Boston in the game. Tampa Bay (9-11-1) pulled Garon for nearly the final two minutes but failed to come up with the game-tying goal.
Ironically, the Lightning began the game by scoring twice in the first before failing to score for the final two and a half periods and allowing three unanswered goals.
The Lightning capitalized on two of three power plays in the first, getting early goals from Stamkos (15) and center Alex Killorn (3). Boston back-up goaltender Anton Khudobin made just three of five saves in the first. Stamkos beat him on a one-timer to extend his point streak to eight games while Killorn got behind the defense and scored on Tampa Bay’s second power play. Forward Teddy Purcell picked up assists (16, 17) on both goals.
The game did not lack physicality either. A fight between Tampa Bay forward Pierre-Cedric Labrie and Boston defenseman Adam McQuaid went along with 24 penalty minutes in the first. The game ended with 50 total penalty minutes.
The Lightning took a two-goal lead into the second. However, the second period on was all about the Bruins (14-2-2), who scored two goals in under 01:17 to tie the game. Center Tyler Seguin scored the first (his third) after being left open in front of Garon on a power play, and center Rich Peverley (3) scored just after when defenseman Eric Brewer got caught chasing the puck and left him open.
Boston killed a four-minute double minor penalty following defenseman Andrew Ference’s high sticking penalty to take the game to the third even at two. The game remained tied until Marchand’s goal put the game away.
(Steve Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images)
Boston outshot the Lightning 27-22 in the game. They will put their six-game winning streak on the line at home against the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday night. The puck drops at 7:30 p.m. ET.
The Lightning, meanwhile, will continue their road trip in Pittsburgh Monday night against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The game will start at 7:30 p.m. ET.
NOTES:
- Lightning forward Benoit Pouliot left the game against Boston after being boarded in the first period and his health is unknown.
- Forward Richard Panik being was sent back down to the Syracuse Crunch on Friday evening to make room for the return of Labrie to the starting lineup. He may back sooner than later after the injury to Pouliot.
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