The Boston Bruins were coming off a third-period collapse that caused a 4-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres and playing inside a building where they had yet to ever win, but some timely goal-scoring from the visiting team helped propel them to a 3-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets on Feb. 17.
Inside the MTS Centre, the Jets actually took the first lead of the game when Alexander Burmistrov scored after the start of the second period. However, Tyler Seguin answered at the midpoint of the second. This is a far cry from when he was scratched from a Winnipeg game in December 2011 for missing a team breakfast. On his goal, he got an assist from Zdeno Chara. The goal was reviewed by the NHL war room in Toronto, but the call on the ice stood and it was good.
Much later in that period, the excitement began. Evander Kane brought the Jets ahead once more when he scored at 19:33, but that lead lasted only seconds. Daniel Paille tied it at two at 19:58, making the third period very important for the visiting Bruins.
Unlike the last game, this time the Bruins did good things in the third. The period began with Brad Marchand streaking down the ice on a breakaway, then earning a power play opportunity when Ron Hainsey tripped him. Marchand then used the power play to his advantage, scoring his eighth goal of the season.
In the end, that was all it took, even though Tuukka Rask was often tested and described the end-of-game ruckus in front of his net as "a bit of a yard sale there." Just as the final buzzer sounded, the puck looked like it went in behind him, but it was no goal.
It will be a while before the Bruins play again. Their next game will be on Feb. 21 against the Tampa Bay Lightning. But, tomorrow, many of the Bruins and head coach Claude Julien will make a visit to Newtown, Conn. Hockey clinics, autographs, pictures, an appearance from the Stanley Cup and special gifts for the town's first responders are all on the agenda as the team gives Newtown a nice day of fun.
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