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Boston Bruins

Bruins handed first regulation loss in third-period collapse to Red Wings

By Matt Dolloff
Nov 4, 2023; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Red Wings defenseman Jake Walman (96) hits Boston Bruins right wing David Pastrnak (88) during the first period at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

It took 11 games for someone to knock off the Boston Bruins in regulation, but it finally happened, and it took a furious third-period comeback by the Detroit Red Wings.

Detroit scored three times in the third period and erased two different deficits on Saturday night at Little Caesars Arena, as the Bruins were handed their first regulation loss of the season by a 5-4 final. The Bruins are now 9-1-1 on the season.

Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark allowed five goals on 39 Red Wings shots (.872), as Detroit stormed back from down 3-2 to go up 5-3. David Pastrnak scored late in the third to get within one, but late penalties doomed the Bruins in the end in this one.

Nov 4, 2023; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Boston Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark (35) during the second period against the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

Nov 4, 2023; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Boston Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark (35) during the second period against the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

Jim Montgomery shook up his forward lines again for the game, and it paid off at first. James van Riemsdyk opened the scoring just over five minutes into the game as the newest linemate for Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha, finishing the rebound after Pastrnak fired it on net just off the faceoff. Red Wings goaltender Ville Husso couldn’t handle the rebound, then van Riemsdyk made a heads-up play to tuck the loose puck in.

“JVR” broke a seven-game scoring drought with the goal, his fourth of the season.

  • Later in the period, the Bruins went up two, off the stick of their precocious rookie center, Matt Poitras. The play started with Poitras keeping the puck alive in the Detroit zone, then finding open ice for a short pass from Kevin Shattenkirk. Poitras did the rest with a smooth deke around Husso and a backhand goal, making it 2-0 Bruins.

    The 19-year-old Poitras now has six points (four goals, two assists) in his first 11 NHL games.

  • Detroit began to battle back late in the first period, and they did it with their power play. Facing a Bruins penalty kill that had only given up one power play goal in 39 opportunities, the Red Wings’ Lucas Raymond found the back of the net after he was left open, then fired a wrist shot through Ullmark’s five-hole.

  • About midway through the second period, Detroit struck again, and they again did it on the man advantage. This time it was Jake Walman ripping a one-timer over Ullmark’s shoulder to tie the game 2-2. The Bruins’ penalty kill plummeted to 93.6 percent after going just 3-for-5 on Saturday night.

  • The tie only lasted three minutes and 42 seconds, because the Bruins struck right back to regain the lead. The play in the offensive zone began and ended with Charlie Coyle, who pulled off a unique-looking give-and-go with linemate Jake DeBrusk.

    Coyle fed it to DeBrusk just after gaining the zone, then DeBrusk made a scintillating high-to-low pass to Coyle by the right post, where Coyle redirected the puck through a tight window into the net for a 3-2 lead.

  • Dylan Larkin grabbed the next equalizer for the Red Wings off a rush during the third period. Larkin used his elite speed to get around the defense and box them out, then flipped the puck through Ullmark to tie the game 3-3.

  • David Perron put the Wings on top for the first time in the game just 2:06 after Larkin tied it. He whiffed on his initial shot attempt, which seemed to catch Ullmark off guard, as the second chance effort got through to give Detroit a 4-3 lead.

  • The Bruins made it interesting with Pastrnak’s power play goal late in the third, as he fired a missile through Husso from the high slot to cut the deficit to 5-4. Pastrnak had gone two games without a goal, a long time by his standard, but now has nine in 11 games.

    But not long after lighting the lamp, Pastrnak found himself in the penalty box for a trip, just as the Bruins pulled Ullmark. And not long after that, Coyle got whistled for holding to give the Red Wings a 5-on-3 advantage to close out the game. Tempers flared toward the end, as Brad Marchand exited early after a heated scuffle, as did Larkin and Hampus Lindholm.

  • (Click here to subscribe to the Sports Hub Underground podcast.)

    Up Next: The Bruins head to Dallas next, for a tough matchup against the Stars on Monday.

    Click here for complete Boston Bruins coverage at 985TheSportsHub.com.

    Matt Dolloff is a writer and podcaster for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Check out all of Matt’s content here.

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