Bruins vs Flames Game Recap

Flames tame the beast

Flames take down Bruins 4-1 in first game since Elias Lindholm was shipped to Vancouver

By Ryan Mosher

 

Boston – February 8, 2024 — The Boston Bruins faced the Calgary Flames in both teams’ first contest after the All-Star break. Boston entered the night tied for first in the NHL in points with 71 in 49 games played and a record of 31 wins, nine regulation losses, and nine overtime/shootout losses.

Calgary entered the game with a record of 22 wins, 22 regulation losses, and 5 overtime/shootout losses. This put the Flames sixth in the Pacific Division, but only five points out of a playoff spot with their 49 total points in 49 games played.

The goaltending matchup was bound to be a good one as it featured 2024 all-star Jermey Swayman up against two-time all-star, Jacob Markstrom.

It didn’t take long for Andrei Kuzmenko to open the scoring. He buried a shot on the powerplay four minutes and 20 seconds into the first period with assists from Jonathan Huberdeau and Nazeem Kadri. The goal was Kuzmenko’s ninth of the season and first since he was traded from the Vancouver Canucks as a part of the Elias Lindholm trade.

The Flames powerplay came virtue of a Brandon Carlo holding penalty. With a key part of the Bruins eight ranked penalty kill in the box, Charlie Coyle was denied on partial breakaway, then Kuzmenko scored from the slot on the ensuing counterattack.

Nearly nine minutes later Conor Zary scored goal number 11 of the season with an assist from Kadri, his second of the game. A bad offensive zone turnover from Brad Marchand led to an odd man rush, where Zary received the feed from Kadri, danced around Swayman, and tucked it home.

After the Bruins dug themselves a hole to begin the game, they looked for a spark to ignite their offense. A scrum ensued in front of the Calgary net and Martin Pospisil received a five-minute major and a game misconduct for cross-checking Marchand in the face. Even with a five-minute powerplay and the fifth best powerplay percentage, the Bruins couldn’t generate much offense.

Boston started the second period with a minute remaining on the Pospisil major, but were never able to enter the zone with control of the puck as the penalty expired. There was not much action for the entire second period. Calgary was holding the fifth best scoring offense in the NHL to nothing through the first 40 minutes.

In contrast to their first two periods, the B’s came out flying and generated a scoring chance one minute into the third when Charlie McAvoy broke through and beat Markstrom, but hit the post. Not long after, Pavel Zacha drew a hooking penalty against Brayden Pachal to give the Bruins an early third period powerplay. Less than a minute later, Mackenzie Weegar took a four-minute double minor as he caught Marchand with a high stick that drew blood.

Boston capitalized on the opportunity and scored on the two-man advantage to cut their deficit to one. Zacha buried the goal on a one-timed pass from David Pastrnak, and Coyle picked up the secondary assist. Zacha’s eleventh goal of the season deflected off defenseman Noah Hanafin, which gave Markstrom no chance.

Boston scored 34 seconds into the two-man advantage, so they still had three minutes and 26 seconds of powerplay time remaining, but the Flames third-ranked penalty kill would hold strong, and the Bruins would halt their own momentum with a too many men on the ice penalty.  

Moments later, Huberdeau restored the Flames’ two goal lead after Kadri stripped McAvoy of the puck in the slot and fed the second-year Flame for his seventh goal of the year.

Now chasing the game, Coyle would take a slashing penalty for Boston and Calgary would add to their lead when Hanafin found Swayman’s five hole. Huberdeau and Markstrom were credited with the assists for the Flames second powerplay goal of the game. This was Markstrom’s third assist of the season, which matches his career high. Boston was unable to answer, and the Flames would capture win number 23 of the season.

The Flames are now only three points from the last Wild Card spot in the western conference and look to cut into that deficit when they visit New Jersey on Thursday Feb. 8.

The Bruins will look to bounce back at home against Vancouver on Thursday Feb. 8.