Bruins convert late to beat Canadiens, 3-2
After blowing a two-goal lead in the third period, the Boston Bruins found themselves in a position few do against the Montreal Canadiens, especially on Bell Centre ice — on a man advantage late in the third period of a tied game.
And with the Canadiens on the ropes, trying their hardest to cling to the momentum they had just generated and controlled with board-rattling hit after hit, it was defenseman John Moore that picked the perfect time for his first Boston goal. The 17:03 mark of the third period and off a feed from David Backes and David Krejci, actually, to be exact.
John Moore's first as a Bruin came at a pretty good time. pic.twitter.com/sOykASeYXk
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) November 25, 2018
Long before Moore’s heroics, it was Backes that first put the Bruins on the board when he came through with a classic pickpocket move on an attempted Montreal zone exit and sniped a puck through the Canadiens’ Carey Price. The goal, Backes’ first of the season, snapped a 24-game goalless drought dating back to last year’s postseason run.
Backes, who had a goal disallowed in Black Friday’s victory over the Penguins, also drew the four-minute power-play that the Bruins scored on to eventually seize the game late in regulation, making an undeniable impact in his 12:38 of action.
The Bruins extended their lead to two just 1:41 later behind Jake DeBrusk’s 10th goal of the season.
.@JDebrusk stays hot. 🔥#NHLBruins pic.twitter.com/SOwSSm1luT
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) November 25, 2018
The Canadiens saved their scoring for the third period, though, as Jonathan Drouin and Tomas Tatar scored goals just 3:23 apart to bring things back even at 2-2, with Tatar’s goal coming on the Montreal power play.
But Tuukka Rask, who kept the game scoreless with some sensational stops early in the first period, finished his night with 31 stops on 33 shots thrown his way. The victory improved Rask’s record to 1-0-2 since his return from a weekend-long leave of absence earlier this month, with his save percentage standing at .938 since the return. The victory also gave the 31-year-old Rask six straight wins over the Canadiens at the Bell Centre dating back to Dec. 2015.
The Black and Gold had to leave Montreal even happier than normal given the nasty nature of this game, too.
Max Domi took a run at David Pastrnak, Kevan Miller was speared by Brendan Gallagher, and it seemed that each rush up the ice featured somebody absolutely decking a player down to the ice. Naturally, this all ended with a post-horn scrap between Noel Acciari and Gallagher, with Acciari straight-up laughing in Gallagher’s face all the while.
The Bruins will skate against John Tavares and the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday night.
