Point Streak Ends As Bruins Get Pushed Around By Ducks
You knew it was only a matter of time before not having Brad Marchand and Charlie McAvoy in the lineup would catch up to the Boston Bruins.
Tonight was that night as they lost 3-1 to the Anaheim Ducks on home ice to snap their 18-game point streak.
The Ducks had their way with the Bruins during first period, scoring twice and outshooting them 15 to 5.� They had a little help in scoring their first goal from captain Zdeno Chara.
Just over nine minutes into the game, Anton Khudobin could not glove a shot from Jakob Silfverberg and the puck went right back out in front. Chara inadvertently kicked the puck past his goaltender as he was falling to the ice while battling with Silfverberg.
Adam Henrique extended his point streak to six games and doubled the Anaheim lead with a power play goal about five minutes later.� Henrique took a pass from All-Star Rickard Rakell in the right circle and quickly snapped a shot through a Corey Perry screen and in behind Khudobin.
Shortly before the first Ducks goal, Anders Bjork went straight the locker room after taking a cross-check from Francois Beauchemin.� The team announced in the second period that he would not return to the game with an upper-body. Bjork looked to be favoring his arm or shoulder after the hit.
Whatever Bruce Cassidy said during the first intermission worked as the Bruins played much better during the second period.� They outshot the Ducks 13-4, but John Gibson was able to keep the Bruins off the board.
Gibson was shaken up early in the third period off a shot from Patrice Bergeron hit him up high.� He remained down and was looked at by the Anaheim training staff for about two minutes, but stayed in the game.� However, he eventually came out and was replaced by Ryan Miller with 7:25 left in the game.
Late in the game, David Backes was helped back to the locker room after he was drilled by Nick Ritchie.� The Ducks took liberties with the Bruins all night long and there was very little response from the guys in black.
Ryan Spooner got the Bruins on the board with 40.7 seconds left in the game with a shot from the point.� Torey Krug and David Pastrnak had the assists on Spooner's eighth goal of the year.
The goal was too little, too late as Henrique ice the game and the Bruins longest point streak in nearly 50 years with an empty net goal in the final seconds of the game.
The Bruins will be back in action Thursday night when they host another tough Western Conference opponent in the St. Louis Blues.�
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