The Boston Bruins lost to the New York Rangers on Friday afternoon. This 5-2 defeat was the Bruins’ third loss at TD Garden in their last four tilts at home. The B’s stay out of a wild card position for the moment, sitting at 10-7-0 while the Detroit Red Wings (9-9-3), Pittsburgh Penguins (9-6-4), and Columbus Blue Jackets (11-6-0) remain ahead of them.
The first Boston lead of the game came from a Craig Smith goal 14:46 into the period and lasted for roughly five minutes. Ryan Strome tied it late in the first period thanks to a feed from Artemi Panarin.
The second and final Bruins lead came on a Patrice Bergeron goal assisted by Brad Marchand and Matt Grzelczyk. The goal came as Bergeron’s third point in his last two games and also Marchand’s 15th point in his last 11 games. Much like the first Bruins lead, this one didn’t last long either. Dryden Hunt tied it 2-2 with his second goal of the season and eighth of his career.
The third period came with an onslaught of Ranger offense. They scored three goals on seven third-period shots. The Bruins recorded the same number of shots but didn’t score any goals. With this loss, the Bruins have been outscored 14-2 by playoff teams in the third period.
Igor Shesterkin continues a stellar season as the number one goalie in Madison Square Garden. Shesterkin saved 34-of-36 shots for a .944 save percentage and earned the first star for his performance. The 25-year-old Russian has a .933 save percentage, 2.24 GAA, one shutout, and an 11-3-2 record on the season.
Fellow young goaltender Jeremy Swayman didn’t have quite the ideal game. Swayman started off well, saving 26 of his first 28 shots faced. Unfortunately for Swayman, the New York offense was too much for him to handle. He gave up goals on his next two shots faced and ended with a .867 save percentage. Currently, the 23-year-old has a .908 save percentage, 2.23 GAA, and 6-4-0 record.
The Bruins lost their second game in their last three thanks to the red-hot Rangers. Next, they’ll look to secure a win at home versus the struggling Vancouver Canucks. The game at TD Garden will take place at 7:00 pm on Sunday, November 28.
(Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)