Winning their third game straight, the Bruins took on the Blackhawks on Wednesday, December 4th at United Center and defeated them, taking home a 4-2 victory. Brad Marchand and Morgan Geekie each scored twice for the Bruins to help secure this win, and both Alex Vlasic and Jason Dickinson scored the two goals for Chicago. With the game-opening goal, Vlasic scored his first of the season. It was an unfortunate loss for the Blackhawks as it extended their losing streak to four games after an incredible and huge win against the Dallas Stars on November 27th, defeating Dallas 6-2. The Boston Bruins head back to TD Garden on Saturday to host the Philadelphia Flyers, and the Blackhawks host the Winnipeg Jets next, also on Saturday.
Bruins Lineup:
Marchand - Lindholm - Brazeau
Geekie - Zacha - Pastrnak
Frederic - Coyle - Kastelic
Koepke - Beecher - McLaughlin
Oesterle - McAvoy
Zadorov - Carlo
Lohrei - Peeke
Swayman
Korpisalo
Blackhawks Lineup:
Hall - Bedard - Bertuzzi
Donato - Kurashev - Teravainen
Foligno - Dickinson - Mikheyev
Maroon - Reichel - Smith
Vlasic - Murphy
Allan - Martinez
Kasier - Brodie
Mrazek
Soderblom
Alex Vlasic took an early 1-0 lead for the Blackhawks just 1:23 into the first period, scoring his first goal of the season on a wrist shot that he fired past Jeremy Swayman's glove. Nick Foligno had gotten ahold of the puck, skating behind Boston's net, and passed it to Vlasic for the first goal of the night. Tying it with 7:43 on the clock, Morgan Geekie picked up his third goal of the season to make it a 1-1 tie when his shot slipped through Petr Mrazek's pads, tapping it in at the top of the crease following his shot from the slot.
At 17:02 of the middle frame, Brad Marchand put the Bruins in a 2-1 lead for their first lead of the night after he took a cross-ice pass from David Pastrnak, who received the puck from Mason Lohrei, and then sent it off to Marchand for a one-timer from the right circle. Marchand struck again soon after his first goal of the game with 14:57 on the clock when he lifted a backhand from below the right circle past Petr Mrazek off Pastrnak's shot to make it 3-1. Bringing the Blackhawks within 3-2 later into the frame, Jason Dickinson scored from the left circle on a turnaround shot, and the puck deflected into the net off of Brandon Carlo and Nikita Zadorov.
Morgan Geekie put the Bruins up 4-2 early into the third at 14:58 with his second of the game, as well as his fourth of the season on a breakaway, scoring on a wrist shot after Justin Brazeau sprung Geekie.
Brad Marchand on being on Team Canada, and the win against the Blackhawks: "Right now, we have to focus on the job and the task at hand, but as we get closer, the excitement will definitely ramp up. It'll be an incredible tournament to be a part of, and going through it with guys from back home will be even more special. ... Any time you get to put the Canadian jersey on and be a part of something like that, it truly is a massive honor," - "We were great in the third, we built up, and we got a really key goal there... the first two periods, we were good. This time of the year, with the travel, and the schedule with that back-to-back, we're definitely very happy with the win and getting those points. We have to continue to climb in the standings. Every point matters. So, huge win for us tonight, and one we can continue to build on."
Teuvo Teravainen on the loss, being on Team Finland, feeling down confidence-wise, and the Bruins: "It's not easy to win games, so you have to prepare, you have to be at your best to win every night, and just tough to be better... a little bit of everything," - "It means a lot, of course. It's always an honor to put the Finnish jersey on. It's great, but I feel like it's still kind of far away, so all of the focus right now is here. Kind of a bad mood after this game - It's just losing, and I feel like I pressure a lot of myself. I want to be better... I feel like I got to do something better, so it's always trying to find a way to get better. Just got to work hard. ...They played solid, they have a good team. For us, I think we need to find a way, it doesn't really matter who we're playing against, especially in the power play, we have to find a way to score goals, and just overall, win the battles, be hard on pucks, and when we have a little room, make some plays. If not, just play simple."
Notes:
- Jeremy Swayman made a total of 20 saves for Boston, and Petr Mrazek made a total of 23 saves for Chicago.
- The Bruins have won three games straight for the first time this season, so far. ...Since being under Joe Sacco, the Bruins are 6-2-0.
- David Pastrnak, Mason Lohrei, Justin Brazeau, and Jorda Oesterle all picked up a pair of assists.
- Connor Murphy recorded two assists.
- Brad Marchand has reached the 10-goal mark for the 15th time in a season in the NHL, and the only other Bruins skaters do have more are Ray Bourque (21), Johnny Bucyk (20), and Patrice Bergeron (17). ...Marchand had also scored his 81st career game-winner and ties Bergeron for the second-most in franchise history. Bucyk is the only other player to record more with 88.
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