Matt Grzelcyk’s first goal of the season with 2:33 remaining in the third period lifted the Boston Bruins to a 3-2 win over the host Edmonton Oilers on Thursday night.
Grzelcyk unleashed a slap shot from the top of the right circle to beat Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner low stick-side. It was the defenseman’s first goal since Game 4 of the Bruins’ first-round playoff series against Washington last May 21.
Brad Marchand added his team-leading 10th goal of the season and Jake DeBrusk also scored for Boston. Linus Ullmark made 41 saves for the Bruins, who had lost two straight and five of their last eight games (3-3-2).
Leon Draisaitl scored his league-leading 22nd and 23rd goals of the season for Edmonton. Skinner stopped 27 of 30 shots as the Oilers suffered a fourth consecutive defeat.
Marchand opened the scoring at 16:15 of the first period. The Bruins’ alternate captain capitalized on a shorthanded breakaway, deking right and backhanding the puck past Skinner to make it 1-0.
DeBrusk doubled Boston’s lead with his power-play goal 2:02 into the second. The left wing collected a no-look backhand pass from Taylor Hall in the left circle and scored on a wrister through a tight window into the top left corner.
Draisaitl’s first goal pulled the Oilers within 2-1 on a power play at 18:14 of period two. He fired a snap shot in the low right circle to beat Ullmark after receiving a pass from Tyson Barrie.
The Oilers’ alternate captain added another power-play goal from the low right circle on a one-timer set up by NHL assists leader Connor McDavid (29 assists) to tie it at 2-2 at 9:50 of the third. McDavid also had the secondary helper on Draisaitl’s first tally.
Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy remained away from the team for a fifth straight game while in the league’s COVID-19 protocol.
Boston visits Calgary on Saturday to conclude its three-game road trip against Canadian teams. Edmonton plays the fourth of six straight home games against Carolina on Saturday.
–Field Level Media
