Bruins survive Shark scare, beat Sharks, 6-3

Steve Conroy, Boston Herald on Jan 20, 2025

Published in Hockey

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BOSTON — Charlie Coyle scored twice in the third period to save the Bruins the ignominy of losing to the 31st-ranked San Jose Sharks, lifting the B’s to a 6-3 victory at TD Garden on Monday.

The B’s coughed up a pair of leads and entered the third period down by a goal. But considering their situation, the B’s will take the points and move on.

Brad Marchand and Elias Lindholm finished it off with late empty-netters.

The Bruins had numerous high danger chances in the first period and could have had a comfortable lead if not for goalie Yaroslav Askarov and their own misfires. They wound up having to settle for a 1-1 tie going into the first break.

With Trent Frederic out to due to illness, coach Joe Sacco had Elias Lindholm centering waiver pickup Oliver Wahlstrom and AHL callup Vinni Lettieri. That’s not exactly the kind of duty that was envisioned for Lindholm when he was signed to a seven-year, $54.25 million deal in the summer, but Lindholm had pretty much played his way out of the top six.

Nonetheless, it was that line that got the B’s on the board at 9:21. Wahlstrom, back in the lineup after two scratches, dropped a puck off for Jordan Oesterle at the right point and the defenseman flung a shot toward the net that Lettieri tipped past Askarov for his second in as many games.

The B’s, who held an 11-6 shot advantage in the first, could not build on the lead and at 13:16, the Sharks tied it on a fourth line goal. Ty Dellandrea dumped a puck behind the B’s net. Nico Sturm burst past Andrew Peeke and, with Nikita Zadorov in the corner anticipating a pass from Peeke, Sturm fed it out front for a wide-open Barclay Goodrow, who beat Joonas Korpisalo to even the game.

After the B’s weathered a concerning San Jose flurry to start the second, they took their second lead of the game on the power play. David Pastrnak drew the call and then scored the goal, taking a feed from Pavel Zacha from behind the Shark net and banking a shot off defenseman Jake Walman for his 22nd.

But the B’s can’t stand prosperity as they cough ed up the lead again at 8:32. John Beecher could not handle a Zacha pass just outside the Boston blue line and the Sharks went on the attack. Former Boston College Eagle Will Smith, one half the of the Sharks’ dynamic rookie duo, ripped a shortside shot past Korpisalo, who just whiffed with his glove.

Then came the killer – and the B’s first deficit.

After another Pastrnak-drawn power play in which the B’s first unit kept the puck in the San Jose zone for the full two minutes to no avail, Marchand made another rush into the zone before dropping it to Lindholm. Lindholm had his shot blocked and the Sharks’ Fabian Zetterlund went on the attack. Still, the B’s had three men back but the B’s defense was soft. With Morgan Geekie and Brandon Carlo down low and Parker Wotherspoon right behind Zetterlund, Korpisalo made the initial stop but Zetterlund was granted enough time and space to gather the rebound, get it to his forehand and score at 15:08.

The B’s tied it up t 8:22 of the third off a good grinding shift of the Marchand line. The captain battled through two Sharks along the boards and moved the puck to Matt Poitas, who in turn made a deft feed for Charlie Coyle at the bottom of the right circle. Riding a 10-game goal-less streak, Coyle scored his 11th of season on a quick, low snapper.

After Marchand took an O-zone tripping penalty, Korpisalo kept the game even with a tremendous save on Collin Graf from the seat of his pants.

Then the B’s got some more luck when they regained the lead at 14:11. Off the rush, Coyle took the puck deep and tried to feed it in front but it went off Askarov and in.

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