Bruins cough up late lead, lose to Senators in shootout, 6-5

Steve Conroy, Boston Herald on Jan 18, 2025

Published in Hockey

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If Bruins’ management does indeed decide to take the “retool” path at the trade deadline, then they may look back at Saturday’s game in Ottawa as the game that sent them down that road.

In a wildly entertaining and raucous game, the Bruins had their most emotional win of the season in their grasp only to cough up a two-goal lead late in the final 3:13 of regulation with the goalie pulled and lose in a shootoout, 6-5.

Tim Stutzle had the only goal in the skills competition while Jeremy Swayman (38 saves) became the first Bruins goalie to face 40 or more shots in three straight games since Eddie Johnston did it in 1963, the dark ages of Bruins’ hockey.

For the second time in a week, the B’s gave up the equalizer with less than 20 seconds left and the opposition’s goalie pulled, this time off the stick of Josh Norris.

Both teams had great chances to win in OT — Boston’s best chance coming when Charlie Coyle hit the post on a 2-on-0.

It was not to be for the Bruins, and now they’re on the outside of the playoff bracket, having been catapulted by the Sens.

The Bruins were not ready to play and, by the time 7:35 had elapsed on the clock, they were down 2-0. It felt like a blowout was coming. But thanks to some opportunistic goal scoring and stellar play from Swayman, the B’s scratched back to tie it before the period was out.

The first goal against came just 1:47 after Mason Lohrei passed the puck directly to a Senator from behind his net. Eventually Adam Gaudette tucked home the puck from the back door.

They continued to bumble their way through their own zone. Ottawa took a 2-0 lead at 7:35 as the B’s started to run around as Brandon Carlo and Nikita Zadorov wound up on the same side of the ice. Stutzle’s first shot was blocked but then he gathered the rebound and roofed it over Swayman’s shoulder.

Ugly.

But the Sens decided to help out the B’s. Josh Norris took an offensive zone penalty and the B’s cashed in at 11:07. Pavel Zacha helped win the puck back to Lohrei at the blue line before heading to the net. Lohrei dished it down to David Pastrnak on the right wing and Pastrnak hit the cutting Zacha for a backhand goal, his 11th of the season.

At that point, the B’s leaned on Swayman. Elias Lindholm had taken an unsportsmanlike penalty after the Zacha goal after apparently giving it to a ref for what he felt was an uncalled penalty. On the kill, Swayman robbed Gaudette on another backdoor play.

When the teams got back to full strength, Pastrnak’s turnover at the Ottawa blue line gave Shane Pinto a clean breakaway but Swayman stoned him. Pinto would be robbed again on a slot shot later in the period.

Then the B’s tied it up on an Ottawa gaffe in the final minute of the period. Morgan Geekie and Pastrnak pushed the puck through the neutral zone on what was a 2-on-3, except all three Sens converged on Geekie, leaving Pastrnak open on the right wing. Geekie fed him and Pastrnak whistled his 21st past Leevi Merilainen with 38 seconds left in the period.

The B’s didn’t lose the momentum in the intermission and they took their first lead on a beautiful play at 1:08 of the second. From the left boards, Pastrnak made a pretty backhand pass to Zacha at the top of the crease. Zacha, in turn, made a perfect backhand pass to Geekie, who lifted it over Merilainen for a 3-2 lead.

Then things went haywire. Lindholm was hit from behind, sending him into a Bruin head-first, shaking him up. After no call was made, the B’s were incensed. After Trent Frederic tried unsuccessfully to get at perennial pest Nick Cousins, Brad Marchand did get to him, but he got the extra two minutes in the fracas.

The Sens quickly tied it on the PP. With Brady Tkachuk lurking at the top of the crease, Jake Sanderson’s wrist shot was tipped by Norris past Swayman at 5:41.

After a Mark Kastelic bout with Zach Ostapchuk — which produced an unsuccessful Bruin PP — the game settled down for a bit. But after an Ottawa icing, the B’s regained the lead on a gift goal at 14:38. Kastelic won a faceoff to John Beecher and Beecher, who had not scored since Oct. 16, circled out high and flipped a long distance shot that somehow got through Merilainen.

In the third period, the B’s could not convert on two power plays. But after the second chance, the B’s kept on the pressure and extended the lead to 5-3 at 11:23. From behind the Ottawa net, Justin Brazeau fed Vinni Lettieri for the journeyman’s first goal as Bruin.

But the Sens scratched back for a goal with 3:13 left in regulation. The B’s could not get a hold of a loose puck before it kicked out to Nick Jensen, who slipped it past Swayman on the shortside.

And with 12 seconds left, after Swayman’s attempt for a goalie was thwarted and numerous other giveaways, Norris ripped home the equalizer.