RECAP: Boston Bruins defeat Philadelphia Flyers 5-4 in shootout at TD Garden

The Philadelphia Flyers took on the Boston Bruins in the first of two games and it was nothing short of exciting. The game eventually ended in a shootout as the Flyers came up short. They lost the game 5-4 but still managed to grab a point despite a third period collapse.

Here is a period-by-period look at the game.

First Period

Carter Hart was the story of the first period stopping 14 shots. The Flyers mustered up a measly 3 shots on the net.

Claude Giroux got a tripping penalty four minutes into the game as Hart had to make a few stops, notably a redirection feed from the point off David Krejci and another stop of the stick of Patrice Bergeron.

Boston moved the puck well but couldn’t get any prime scoring chances. The Flyers opened the period with a couple of solid shifts that would end up being the only pressure they had all period.

Mark Friedman drew a penalty that resulted in another successful penalty kill for the Bruins who had yet to allow a goal on the penalty kill.

The Bruins controlled the rest of the period winning puck battles and sustaining offensive zone pressure with a relentless forecheck.

Nicolas Aube-Kubel was called for slashing to close out the period. Boston opened up the second period with 13 seconds remaining on the power play.

Second Period

The Flyers flipped the script in the second period, winning the puck battles and creating opportunities off the transition game.

Overall, the Flyers had three powerplays in period and moved the puck well. Jakub Voracek had a great period and pummeled the crossbar with a slapshot. Shortly thereafter Captain Claude sizzled a wrister top shelf from the hash marks on the sideboard to open up the scoring 6:17 into the period.

It was the first power play goal the Bruins had given up all season after 13 successful attempts.

Mark Friedman was caught on the wrong end of a Brad Marchand skirmish and went to the locker room for some stitch work after he was dumped to the ice and landed on his head.

They were unable to connect on the next two powerplay opportunities but JVR made it 2-0 with 2:29 left in the period off some continued pressure shortly after a powerplay ended with a nice pass from Jakub Voracek to the slot.

Boston did have a couple of chances, but Carter Hart had all the answers. Bergeron had a point-blank blast in the slot with around 6 minutes remaining in the period that Carter Hart somehow robbed him of. Bergeron was visibly frustrated after the chance. Patrice Bergeron has been the best player on the ice for the Bruins with multiple high-quality chances in the game, but Hart continued to stand tall.

Third Period

Bruins come out storming in the third period with seven shots in the first four minutes.

David Krejci made a nice pass across the slot that Jack Studnicka tapped in to make it 2-1 :57 seconds into the period. It was his first NHL goal.

About a minute later, the Flyers failed to clear the zone and some sloppy defensive zone play lead to a Charlie Coyle turnaround wrist shot to make it 2-2 2:06 into the third.

The Flyers regained the lead Jakub Voracek patiently carried the puck into the Bruins defensive zone and threw the puck on net. The puck deflected off Travis Sanheim’s skate and through the five-hole of Tuuka Rask 7:13 into the third. Flyers lead 3-2.

The game really opened up after that with some up and down the action. Scott Laughton took a regrettable penalty behind the Boston net with a cross-check. Boston would capitalize on it with David Krejci poking the puck across the slot to Nick Ritchie. Ritchie one-timed it and barely got it over Hart 13:22 into the third. Tie game.

The Bruins took their first lead of the game 15:18 into the third with an absolute howitzer from the point top-shelf over Hart after sustained zone time had left a lot of tired Flyers on the Ice.

With 3 minutes and 32 seconds left in the game, JVR notched his second of the night on the powerplay with a tic tac toe passing play from Kevin Hayes cross-ice to Voracek into the slot where JVR buried it. It was on to overtime after that

Overtime

Chances for both sides stood out but the Flyers had multiple point-blank high-quality opportunities. Laughton might want to give back his game check after failing to shoot on a beautiful hustle play and pass from Giroux and later he ended up shooting a point blank chance over the net. It may has grazed the shoulder of Rask on the way by.

Voracek had a backhand rebound chance that Rask incredibly stopped with his glove hand.

Shootout

Jakub Debrusk was the only player to score with a nifty top shelf wrist shot over Hart’s blocker to wrap up the come from behind win for the Bruins.

Another game and the same talking points. The Flyers were badly outshot and, with exception of the second period, they were badly outplayed. Hart was brilliant for two periods and then the wheels fell off.

The Flyers let up 40 shots on goal to Buffalo on Tuesday and won. They let up 43 shots tonight and lost. Most of the time you won’t win giving up that many shots against.