The Bruins kept the Philadelphia Flyers at bay for a 6-5 final on Saturday, March 16th at the TD Garden. Boston won two straight games following a 5-1 loss against the St. Louis Blues on Monday, and they secured their 40th win of the season. Charlie Coyle scored two goals for the Bruins, ending his eight-game goal drought. Johnny Beecher recorded his first goal for Boston since being back from the Providence Bruins (eight points; six goals, two assists). Joel Farabee scored two goals for the Flyers.
Flyers lineup against the Bruins:
Farabee – Laughton – Konecny
Tippett – Frost – Foerster
Deslauries – Couturier – Atkinson
Cates – Poehling – Hathaway
York – Sanheim
Staal – Attard
Zamula – Johnson
Sandstrom
Ersson
Bruins lineup against the Flyers:
Marchand – Coyle – DeBrusk
van Riemsdyk – Zacha – Pastrnak
Heinen – Geekie – Frederic
Beecher – Boqvist – Brazeau
Grzelcyk – McAvoy
Lindholm – Carlo
Wotherspoon – Peeke
Swayman
Ullmark
Philadelphia took the 1-0 lead at 15:42 of the first period when Ryan Poehling recorded his ninth goal of the season. He sent a one-timer past Jeremy Swayman, finishing off the odd-man rush. Later into the opening 20, Morgan Geekie tied it 1-1 at 4:09 for his 16th of the season to finish up the first with Boston on the board. Geekie completed a rush with a clapper at the right circle after Swayman stopped a partial breakaway by Travis Konecny.
At 7:59 of the middle frame, Joel Farabee put the Flyers on top 2-1 after their power play expired and he redirected a point shot from Owen Tippett. Charlie Coyle put the Bruins back on the board to end the second in a 2-2 tie when he tapped in a cross-crease pass from Brad Marchand at 4:38.
Charlie Coyle flicked in his second of the night and his 23rd of the season to put Boston on top early into the final frame at 18:52. Shortly after at 16:15, Johnny Beecher put in his own rebound at the doorstep for his sixth goal of the season… Jake DeBrusk extended the Bruins’ lead to 5-2 at 15:56, he went forehand to backhand. Cutting it 5-3 later into the third at 5:48, Nicolas Deslauries crammed the puck from around the post, behind the goal line. Morgan Frost made it 5-4 with an absolute beauty, boosting the puck over Jeremy Swayman. At 2:59, Danton Heinen went for the 6-4 lead off the rush, and Joel Farabee scored a wraparound goal on a 6-on-5 for the 6-5 final.
Charlie Coyle on the third period, the way the Bruins played, and the win: “It was kind of a roller coaster. We started out great, we extend the lead, and feeling good about our game – they’re a tough team. They play hard and they’re trying to keep a playoff spot, and get in. We knew they weren’t going to sit back… there are some things we can clear up and I think our game dipped a little bit there as it went on – we can’t afford to play like that and have that mindset, it’s up to us to correct that and it’s things we can still get better at and work on. It’s nice to grab two points and to be able to work on that stuff at the same time.”
Notes:
– Jake DeBrusk had a goal and an assist, and Jeremy Swayman made 24 saves for Boston.
– Charlie Coyle’s first goal was his 22nd, which had set his NHL career high. In 2015-16, he scored 21 goals with the Minnesota Wild.
– Pavel Zacha recorded an assist, extending his point streak to seven games. In the seven-game span, he has five goals and five assists.
– Andrew Peeke’s primary assist on Johnny Beecher’s goal was his first point with the Bruins since he arrived in a trade on March 8th from the Columbus Blue Jackets.
– Owen Tippett recorded three assists, and Felix Sandstrom made 24 saves for Philadelphia.
– Joel Farabee has 21 goals, setting an NHL career high. In the 2020-21 season, he scored 20 goals.
