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B's slide hits four with OT loss to Islanders |
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Ty Anderson
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Fresh off a loss in Toronto, Joe Sacco and the Bruins managed to make a Sunday night showdown with the Islanders at TD Garden a good news, bad news kind of night for the local hockey club.
On one hand, a pair of third-period strikes from the Bruins’ David Pastrnak allowed the Bruins to mount a comeback from down 4-2 and earn a point by way of a 4-4 score through 60 minutes. The bad news, however, was that the Bruins could not seal the deal with a fifth goal, and instead watched Bo Horvat do exactly that for the Isles on an overtime breakaway to extend Boston’s winless streak to four (0-3-1).
“Fighting our way back in the third, it showed a good sign of resiliency,” Sacco said after the loss. “Considering the circumstances, I was glad the guys hung in there until the very end.”
Up 1-0 behind a Cole Koepke pop-fly goal over Ilya Sorokin just 3:01 into regulation, the Bruins let those good vibes go to waste with a Horvat shorthanded goal just 21 seconds later, and a follow-up tally from Islanders defenseman Ryan Pulock just 2:11 after that.
Islanders captain Anders Lee also pushed the New York back out to two on two separate occasions, with goals in both the second and third period of this game, and even caught a break when he was called for a pretty blatant trip only to have it rescinded by the officials after a lengthy discussion.
From a B’s point of view, Pastrnak was pretty much one of the only positives one could take away from this contest, as No. 88 was engaged throughout and had some noticeable zest to his game. This was also the case in Toronto on Saturday night, and even in New York back on Thursday. For Pastrnak, this was arguably the best he’s looked all season, and you have to appreciate the anything-but-casual approach he’s taken to the ice as a leader on this team trying to work its way out of a funk.
In goal, B’s netminder Joonas Korpisalo took the loss for the Black and Gold behind a 32 of 37 performance, and has now given up at least four goals in three of his last four starts dating back to Dec. 12 after doing that just one in his first 10 (Opening Night down in Florida).
A five-goal night never looks good, but Korpisalo did his part to keep the Bruins in this game in the second period, and made two dynamite saves back-to-back with the Bruins scrambling in their own zone and unable to clear the puck out of danger. Unfortunately for Korpisalo though, all that’ll matter is the last save that could’ve been. And that was a brutal one, as he appeared to make the initial save on Horvat’s chance but was unable to stop the puck from trickling into the Boston cage for the overtime loss.
It will not get any easier for the B’s on Tuesday though, as they will welcome Connor McDavid and the Oilers to town. The Oilers defeated the Bruins in Edmonton by a 3-2 overtime final back on Dec. 19.
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