This game had all the makings of a playoff match-up it was hard hitting, fast pace, low scoring and came down to the final seconds to determine a winner. The New York Rangers prevailed in the matinee 3-2 with just 0:03.2 seconds remaining in overtime.
Boston controlled the pace of play in the first period, especially in the first four minutes of the game. The Bruins kept the puck deep in the Rangers end of the rink for a good two minutes without turning the puck over.
The first period ended scoreless but the B’s had three power play opportunities they could not cash-in on.
Joe Corvo made the first idiot play of the second period. With time winding down on a Bruins power play, Corvo carried the puck deep into the Rangers end and while parallel with the goal line took a, no angle, slap shot on net. The Rangers defenseman intercepted the shot scooped the puck out of the zone to Ryan Callahan, just out of the box, who carried the puck into the B’s zone on a 2-on-1 and ripped a shot, short side beating Rask on his blocker side.
The Bruins needed a spark after the Callahan goal. Claude sent Shawn Thornton onto the ice to challenge the biggest Ranger on the ice, in Mike Rupp. Although Thornton didn’t win the bout he gave his team the spark it needed.
Boston answered the Callahan goal 1:57 later when Andrew Ference (4) took a hit from a Rangers forward behind the Bruins net while trying to break the puck out of the zone. Ference then jumped into the play and was the third man high, received a pass from David Krejci, paused for a second, pulled the puck to his back hand and beat a sprawling Lundqvist for the goal tying the game 1-1.
Marian Gaborik picked up a loose puck which came off the stick of Dennis Seidenberg after he blocked a shot attempt. Gaborik fired the puck on net, handcuffing Rask as the puck squeezed just between the glove and body of the net minder.
Bruins Adam McQuaid (2) evened the score just before the periods end. Off the face off Andrew Ference dished a pass across the blue line to McQuaid, he walked in and took a slap shot which deflected off a diving Brian Boyle and propelled over the shoulder of Lundqvist.
The game remained 2-2 through the end of the third period and most of overtime.
It wasn’t until Andrew Ference was assessed a 5 minute major and game misconduct for this hit, which gave the Rangers a power play for the final 3:10 of overtime.
The B’s did a good job killing the penalty but it was the final seconds of overtime which finally got to the Bruins. A scramble for the puck in front of the net, ended up on the stick of Marian Gaborik who found just the right opening to beat Tuukka Rask and win the game.
The Bruins will most likely be without Ference in future games because he made a hit which made a big noise and if your a referee in the NHL and a Bruin makes a hit like that it is now grounds for a game misconduct and probably a chat with Brendan Shanahan.
This game had all the makings of a playoff game, with every goal in the game, it had that pit feeling in the bottom of your stomach that something wasn’t going well. The Bruins still have yet to score more than two goals on Lundqvist in a game.
B’s get back at it tomorrow in a game probably no one will watch because everyones attention will be on the Patriots v. Ravens game which starts the same time as the Bruins, 3 p.m.
