The Bruins hosted the Edmonton Oilers at the TD Garden on Tuesday, March 5th. It was a close game that could’ve gone either way… However, the Oilers won 2-1 in overtime after two scoreless periods. Leon Draisaitl scored both goals for Edmonton, getting to the 32nd mark, and Pavel Zacha scored the lone goal for Boston. Connor McDavid recorded two assists, reaching 99 points (23 goals, 76 assists), one point away from his seventh, as well as fourth straight 100-point season. This was the Oilers’ fifth straight win.
Oilers lineup against the Bruins:
Draisaitl – McDavid – Hyman
Kane – Nugent-Hopkins – Janmark
Foegele – McLeod – Perry
Brown – Holloway – Ryan
Ekholm – Bouchard
Nurse – Desharnias
Kulak – Ceci
Skinner
Pickard
Bruins lineup against the Oilers:
Marchand – Coyle – DeBrusk
Heinen – Zacha – Pastrnak
van Riemsdyk – Geekie – Frederic
Lauko – Boqvist – Brazeau
Grzelcyk – McAvoy
Lohrei – Carlo
Wotherspoon – Shattenkirk
Ullmark
Swayman
Both the first and second periods were completely scoreless. Linus Ullmark and Stuart Skinner stopped all nine shots they faced in the opening 20… Ullmark stopped all 12 in the second, and Skinner stopped all 8.
Pavel Zacha broke the ice early in the third period at 15:34 to get a 1-0 lead for the Bruins. Zacha received a cross-ice pass from Danton Heinen and scored a one-timer for his third goal in two games. Later into the third at 1:20, Leon Draisaitl tied the game 1-1 for his 31st goal of the season. He had a net-front shot that went up off Linus Ullmark and then into the net off his back.
At 2:42 in overtime, Leon Draisaitl struck his second of the night and his 32nd goal of the season for the 2-1 final. Connor McDavid cycled the zone to create the play, and Draisaitl sent a one-timer that went off Brandon Carlo’s stick to win it.
Linus Ullmark on the Bruins’ overtime loss: “The feelings afterward feel more like a playoff game because it felt like we had it, slipped out of our hands last final minute. I mean, I got to take ownership of it as well. There’s no reason for me to freeze that puck, we had to keep it rolling, and maybe turn it around and score an empty-netter.”
James van Riemsdyk on his overall thoughts on his 1,000th from his first, and the journey that had taken him here: “It’s crazy. I think looking back, you kind of remember when I came into the league, the guys that were the age I am now and just kind of how far away that felt at that point. So to be here at this age and to hit a milestone like that is pretty cool and something you definitely don’t take for granted,” – “As much as I feel good about it, I think it’s one of those things too where it’s a chance for me to kind of recognize a lot of people that really helped me get to this point. I think that’s one of the cooler things about this. Whether that’s different family stuff or friends or coaches along the way, things like that, people in your life that impact and influence you. I think that’s what’s been pretty cool about this milestone is connecting with those people.”
Notes:
– Linus Ullmark made a total of 24 saves for Boston, and Stuart Skinner made a total of 25 saves for Edmonton.
– Evan Bouchard recorded two assists. Connor McDavid’s two assists extended his point streak to 12 games… McDavid has 28 points (two goals, 26 assists) during his streak. Leon Draisaitl’s overtime goal was the 12th of his career, being the second-most among all Edmonton Oilers players behind McDavid, who has 16.
His tying goal was the 57th of his career, and only four other players since Draisaitl entered the NHL in 2014-15 have as many: Alex Ovechkin (74), Jeff Skinner (63), Connor McDavid (61), and Steven Stamkos (57).
– James van Riemsdyk had two shots on goal in 11:41 of ice time in his 1,000th NHL game.
