After nearly knocking off the league’s hottest team, the Boston Bruins will look to get back on track when they face the Arizona Coyotes on Friday night in Glendale, Ariz.
On Wednesday, the Bruins built a 3-1 lead on the road heading into the third period against the Colorado Avalanche, who had won seven straight games and a franchise record 16 consecutive at home.
But Boston goaltender Linus Ullmark surrendered a pair of goals in the final 9:14 of regulation and ceded an overtime winner to Cale Makar in a disappointing 4-3 setback that still managed to come with a point in the standings.
“I think we expected a push. We wanted to keep playing the same way,” Bruins center Charlie Coyle said. “They came hard and it’s unfortunate. Linus played such a great game and he deserved better from us in that third.”
Coyle scored the second of Boston’s three goals in the middle period at the 12:16 mark to put his team up 2-1.
Brad Marchand netted his team-leading 21st goal and Jake DeBrusk also lit the lamp for the Bruins. Ullmark finished with 37 saves on 41 shots.
Boston was outshot 21-7 from the start of the third period through overtime.
“The biggest thing, for me, was watching us play the whole (third) period in our own end because we couldn’t execute a breakout pass,” Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said. “We continually iced it, off the glass and out. You’ve got to keep playing hockey.”
The loss was Boston’s second in a row and third in five games following an 8-1-0 stretch.
Arizona is likely to welcome the return to home ice after dropping three in a row to cap a disappointing four-game road trip.
On Tuesday, the Coyotes took a 3-2 lead against the Penguins early in the third period before goalie Karel Vejmelka (30 saves) allowed four answered goals en route to a 6-3 loss at Pittsburgh.
“When they tied the game, I think there was panic on our side,” Arizona coach Andre Tourigny said. “We were anxious, and instead of just relaxing and staying with it, we drove outside and tried to force plays.”
Nick Schmaltz’s second goal of the game, just 2:54 into the final period, gave Arizona a one-goal advantage. His first of the night opened the scoring at 8:23 of the second.
Clayton Keller netted his team-leading 16th goal on a power play at 16:22 of the middle period to put the Coyotes in front 2-1.
“It was unfortunate because I thought we were pretty good for the first two periods,” Schmaltz said. “We just gave up a couple of power-play goals; they have a really good power play. But other than that, we didn’t really give them a whole lot.”
Overall, the Coyotes have gone 4-6-2 since the resumption of play following the league’s COVID-related schedule pause.
The 25-year-old Vejmelka has never faced Boston. Coyotes backup goalie Scott Wedgewood is 1-2-0 with a .921 save percentage and a 3.01 goals-against mark in three career games against the Bruins.
Ullmark is 1-0-0 with a sterling .980 save percentage (48 saves on 49 shots) and a 0.66 goals-against average in two career games versus Arizona.
Meanwhile, longtime Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask owns a lifetime 12-1-0 mark with a .939 save percentage and a 1.69 goals-against average in 13 prior appearances versus the Coyotes.
–Field Level Media
