Photo credit : Jerome Miron – USA TODAY Sports
The Bruins showcased exactly why they’re the second-place team in the NHL during tonight’s matchup against the Stars, with goalie Jeremy Swayman denying the Stars an abundance of opportunities on net, and new and familiar names alike making their marks on the scoreboard for Boston. It’s the first time since March the Stars have lost consecutive games.
The Stars went on the first penalty kill of the game less than five minutes into the first period, when forward Tyler Seguin was sent to the box for hooking: a call that Seguin very clearly did not agree with. The Bruins currently sit 21st in the league in power play scoring, while the Stars are first in the league in penalty kills, and despite some promising looks including a shot off the post by Bruins forward David Pastrnak, Stars goalie Jake Oettinger and the Stars penalty kill unit held the Bruins power play at bay and kept the score at zero.
Just halfway through the period, Bruins center John Beecher recovered a puck off the boards behind Oettinger, skated the puck around the circle to Oettinger’s left largely unimpeded, and launched a shot over Oettinger’s shoulder, putting the Bruins up 1-0 and landing Beecher his first NHL goal.
With 5:51 left in the period, the Bruins increased the lead to 2-0 when defenseman Mason Lohrei sent a wrist shot from just inside the Stars blue line toward Oettinger, who was being screened by Boston’s Oskar Steen. It was Lohrei’s first career NHL goal, also.
At 3:56, the Stars had their first opportunity on a man advantage when Bruins Ian Mitchell headed to the box for hooking but would extend their 0-for-12 run on the power play at home to 0-for-13 despite a handful of solid scoring chances.
The second period was a tale of two goalies, both who held off every offensive onslaught they faced. Dallas’ Avengers line of Roope Hintz, Joe Pavelski and Jason Robertson pestered Swayman throughout the period, and forward Wyatt Johnston nearly cut the score deficit in half until faced with Swayman in net.
With 12:34 left in the period, Dallas defenseman Jani Hakanpää was called for high-sticking against Brandon Carlo, but the Stars shut down the Bruins power play yet again.
Two minutes later, the Stars would get a slightly shortened man advantage off an interference call on Boston’s Geekie, with Hakanpää still in the box for 14 seconds, but would continue the power play goal drought at home, pushing them to 0-for-14.
The Stars attempted a comeback in the third period, when Johnston ended the team’s 122-minute scoreless streak five and a half minutes into the period. In what can only be described as a Pavelski-esque move, Johnston redirected a shot from defenseman Esa Lindell at the blue line and through the legs of Swayman to finally put the Stars on the board.
In a continuation of the performance of previous games, Dallas forward Mason Marchment yet again found himself in penalty trouble halfway through the period. Marchment was called for holding the stick of Pastrnak, and within six seconds of the subsequent power play, Bruins captain Brad Marchand snuck the puck behind Oettinger and re-extended Boston’s two-goal lead, 3-1.
With eight and a half minutes left in the period, Stars captain Jamie Benn was sent to the penalty box for cross-checking, and the shorthanded Stars pestered Swayman relentlessly with Hintz and Johnston nearly scoring multiple times.
The Stars weren’t going down without a fight, though, and with two and a half minutes left in the period, pulled Jake Oettinger from the net for the man advantage on offense.
It would take a full two minutes for the Stars to capitalize on the advantage, though. In classic Pavelski style, the 39-year-old center claimed the last goal of the night with only 28 seconds left on the clock, tipping in a shot from Robertson at the blue line.
Dallas would get a 6-on-4 opportunity with just six seconds left in the period with a tripping call against Boston’s Hampus Lindholm, but the chance would be for naught.
Despite the loss, the Stars finished the night ahead in shots on goal, 37 to 29.
The Stars are off until Thursday when they’ll take on the Blue Jackets in Colombus, kicking off the second half of a road-heavy stretch of games.
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