Bruins finally get back to work, pull off comeback win over Sabres
After a 16-day layoff full of COVID list updates and postponements, the Bruins finally got back to work Saturday, and kicked 2022 off with a 4-3 overtime win over the Sabres at TD Garden.
The win, which was capped by a Charlie Coyle goal at the 34-second mark of the three-on-three overtime frame, completed what was a multi-goal comeback from a Black and Gold squad that entered the third period down 3-1.
Charlie Coyle wins it in overtime.
— Conor Ryan (@ConorRyan_93) January 1, 2022
Bruins beat the Sabres, 4-3. pic.twitter.com/OT43WOeIeG
Before the Coyle walkoff sent the Garden crowd home happy, and with things looking bleak given the way the Bruins found themselves in a 3-1 hole despite their domination of the puck and changes on goal, the Bruins first clawed their way back into this game with goals from players the Bruins desperately needed to get on the board.
The third period kicked off with a Nick Foligno finish over the Sabres’ Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen three and a half minutes into the third period. The goal, which was Foligno’s first in a B’s uniform, was Foligno working from his area of expertise (and after some posts denied him early on), and was a solid finish to a great rush chance from Jake DeBrusk.
Throw your hands up if you just scored your first goal of the season 🙌 🙌 pic.twitter.com/G1kDRnWc5E
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) January 1, 2022
And with momentum on their side after Foligno brought the team within one, Taylor Hall broke a substantial five-on-five goal-scoring drought with the game-tying tally just 85 seconds later. The goal was Hall’s first five-on-five goal since Oct. 20. In addition to the top-shelf finish from Hall, B’s center Erik Haula helped open up some more ice for the Boston winger by driving towards the net and tying up the stick of Buffalo defenseman Casey Fitzgerald to give Hall all the space he needed.
Boston’s scoring began with a first-period goal from Craig Smith, too, making it a day of secondary scoring help from the B’s.
In net, Linus Ullmark stopped 21 of 24 shots for his eighth victory of the season. It was a strong finish from the 6-foot-4 Ullmark, too, as he turned aside all nine third-period shots faced and another shot in overtime before Coyle’s winner.
The big change in this game came with Smith bumped up to the first line with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand, too, which saw David Pastrnak dropped down to a second line with Hall and Haula. That left the Bruins with a third line featuring Coyle in between DeBrusk and Foligno, while Tomas Nosek centered a fourth line with Trent Frederic and Curtis Lazar.
Up next, the Bruins will head to Detroit for a Sunday matinee with the Red Wings.
Click here for 98.5 The Sports Hub’s complete coverage of the Bruins.
Ty Anderson is a writer and columnist for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Yell at him on Twitter: @_TyAnderson.
