NHL Game Summary - New Jersey at Boston
(Tuesday, January 29th)
Final Score: Boston 2, New Jersey 1 (SO)
Boston, MA (Sports Network) - Brad Marchand's sixth-round shootout goal lifted
the Boston Bruins to a 2-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday at TD
Garden.
After both teams scored on their first attempts in the shootout, the next
eight shooters came up empty before Marchand charged in and fired a wrister
that slipped through the five-hole of New Jersey goaltender Johan Hedberg.
Marek Zidlicky had a chance to send the shootout to a seventh round, but
Tuukka Rask, who finished with 25 stops, made a nice glove save on the
defenseman's wrister to secure Boston's third straight victory.
"We did a good job," Marchand remarked. "We were resilient and we showed we
can win in all situations, whether we're up or down or tied, it doesn't
matter."
Nathan Horton scored the game-tying goal with just over four minutes left in
regulation for the Bruins, who have opened a season with points in their first
six games for the first time since 1970-71 when they started 5-0-1.
David Clarkson registered the lone New Jersey goal, while Hedberg, making his
first start of the season, turned away 27 shots for the Devils, who have
recorded a point in every game this season despite dropping their second
straight contest.
Boston entered the contest a perfect 23-for-23 on the penalty kill and was
able to kill off New Jersey's first power play of the game in a scoreless
opening period, but the Devils finally broke through on the man advantage at
the 8:30 mark of the second period.
After Clarkson drew a tripping penalty against Boston defenseman Johnny
Boychuk at the 7:22 mark, Zidlicky ripped a hard shot from the left point that
Clarkson got a piece of on its way past Rask to give New Jersey a 1-0 edge.
Hedberg and the Devils were able to hold Boston at bay for the rest of the
second and most of the third until Horton tied the game at the 15:55 mark of
the final stanza.
Milan Lucic carried the puck down the left wing before sliding a pass into the
high slot for David Krejci. Krejci then swung the puck to Horton on the
right wing before the winger let fly a wrister from just inside the right
circle that snuck through the five-hole of Hedberg.
"Breaks in the game happen, and they got a good break there," Hedberg said of
Horton's game-tying goal. "We still had a good chance; a game like this can go
any way. Unfortunately, they got the chance to tie it up."
The teams combined for just three shots in the extra session.
Game Notes
Boston and New Jersey remain the only two teams in the Eastern Conference
without a loss in regulation ... Krejci's assist on Horton's goal was the
200th of his NHL career ... Boston has won five straight and nine of its last
10 regular-season games against New Jersey ... New Jersey went 1-for-5 on the
power play, while Boston finished 0-for-3.
01/29 23:35:28 ET
| 
