B’s are Jersey sure
Cap season series sweep over Devils
BRUINS 5 DEVILS 3
NEWARK, N.J. — The Bruins have a proven formula for success on the road, and it manifested itself in last night’s 5-3 victory over the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center.
The Bruins improved to 16-5-4 on the road with the combination of outstanding special teams and phenomenal goaltending from backup Anton Khudobin (35 saves). The Bruins scored two shorthanded goals, a power-play goal and killed seven penalties, including four in the third period.
The Bruins completed a series sweep of the Devils and improved to 19-2-3 in their last 24 games. The B’s last regulation road loss was a 5-3 setback at Nashville on Dec.4.
“We are just trying to dictate the play early and not let the other team use their home-ice advantage,” said Bruins defenseman Torey Krug, who scored two special-teams goals.
“We just make sure we are skating and we are going and making them react to us. I think every game we’ve given ourselves a chance to win the game going into the third period, and we got the job done in the third.”
It was the 10th of the Bruins’ 14 back-to-back sets this season following a 4-2 Garden loss to the Sabres on Saturday. The Bruins are 7-2-1 in first games and improved to 5-3-2 in the second.
“I think this was a character statement,” said Tim Schaller. “It shows we have a lot of fight in the room, and at this point of the season that is going to take us a long way if we can keep it up.”
The Bruins went up 4-3 on a freak goal by defenseman Adam McQuaid at 11:55 of the third. McQuaid was on his heels on the right point when he took a Riley Nash pass and flung a shot on goal. The puck flew through the zone, deflected off Drew Stafford’s stick and slipped past New Jersey goalie Eddie Lack for his first of the season.
“Nash was skating up toward me and I was trying to give him some space and he kind of moved it late,” said McQuaid.
Patrice Bergeron scored his 25th of the season into an empty net with 38.9 seconds remaining for the final margin.
The Bruins went up 1-0 on an unassisted shorthanded goal by Krug at 13:32 of the first. Krug got control of the puck behind the Devils cage, and his feed in front went off the stick of Devils defenseman Mirco Mueller past Lack for his ninth of the season.
The Devils tied the game on a timely play by Miles Wood at 16:26. Left winger Blake Coleman sent a clear into the neutral zone just as Wood exited the penalty box. Wood collected the puck, skated in alone and beat Khudobin with a backhander through the 5-hole for his 15th of the season.
The Bruins retook the lead on their second shorthanded goal with three seconds to play in the first. Lack handled a long clearing shot down the middle of the ice and dumped it toward Taylor Hall on the end boards. Schaller took the puck from Hall, circled the net and tucked home a wraparound backhander for his ninth of the year.
“I knew there wasn’t much time left and I knew the goalie would be out of position,” said Schaller. “It was lucky that it could slide across the goal.”
Hall tied the game 2-2 just 31 seconds into the second period. Krug put Boston up 3-2 on the power play at 2:03, but Hall set up Kyle Palmieri to tie it again at 11:07.