Barring something downright unbelievable closing out the stretch run of their regular season slate, a Throwback Thursday head-to-head between the Bruins and Penguins at TD Garden should go down as the best game of this highly entertaining season.
In fact, it'll be hard to find another game that even comes close to the entertainment value put forth from both sides in an 8-4 final for the Bruins.
"It was interesting, to say the least," Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy said of the game.
Through 20 minutes, you had a combined eight goals on 21 shots. Five came from the Bruins, as they chased New Hampshire native Casey DeSmith with three goals on five shots in just 5:27 and then scored another two on Tristan Jarry. But the Pens kept pace with three goals, including a Riley Sheahan tally scored with 2.2 seconds left in the period. In short, 38 percent of the period's shots on goal were deposited in the net.
"Oh my god," an obviously relieved Tuukka Rask, who began his night with just four saves on seven shots but rebounded with stops on 18 of his last 19 shots against, said after the win. "Yeah, (in) the first period I thought we were playing with white pucks. The only time I saw the puck was when I dug it out of the net. Had some Red Bull in the intermission there and I actually made a couple saves after that."
Torey Krug wasn't even sure what the score was after 20 minutes, and between disallowed goals and buzzer beaters, it was hard to blame him.
But somehow, the second period was even better.
David Krejci scored another two goals (both on the power play) to record his first hat trick since 2014. You saw the 6-foot-9 Zdeno Chara fight the 6-foot-7 Jamie Oleksiak after what was a 3:03 shift for the 40-year-old Boston captain. We witnessed Evgeni Malkin lose his mind and do everything in his power to pick up a roughing penalty, while Charlie McAvoy dished out some payback for a first-period hit that left him bloody.
Even Brian Gionta, playing in his first NHL game in nearly a full calendar year, got in on the fun with two assists and two shots in just 9:17 of time on ice after 40 minutes.
David Pastrnak added 'insurance' to close out the period, too, as he finished off a great dish from Chara to make it an 8-3 final after two periods. Eight goals in 40 minutes.
The third period served as a cooldown to what finished as the ever rare three-hour game, with just one measly goal scored in the final stanza. But don't mistake the mild end to what this 60-minute game was… and that's pure, electric insanity.
And honestly, I want to see more of this between these two teams.
It's just hard to remember the last time that the Bruins and Penguins had a dull showdown, and with the way these teams have played, a round-three showdown in the Eastern Conference Finals does not seem as crazy as it may have back in October.
That's because both teams spent to address their biggest weakness at the deadline -- the Penguins added Derick Brassard while the Bruins added a top-six winger in Rick Nash and bolstered their depth with Nick Holden, Tommy Wingels, and Brian Gionta -- and both are still immensely competitive without two of their foundational pieces in action. That's top-line do-it-all center Patrice Bergeron (broken foot) for the Bruins, and starting netminder and two-time Cup-winner Matt Murray (concussion) for Pittsburgh.
These are the kind of games that the B's undoubtedly get amped up for, and ones that tend to turn a superstar on at least one bench into a rage-blinded distraction. Malkin, as previously mentioned, played that part tonight, while Sidney Crosby vanished with two shots and wins on just eight of his 25 draws in 15:36 of time on ice. (This was accomplished without Bergeron in action and with four Pittsburgh power-play chances.)
"We have been [coming together] all year, it's been a trait of this team for so long and I don't think it's ever going to go away," Krug said. "It's something that we take a lot of pride in and as we move along with new bodies and they're going to be embraced in this locker room and they're probably going to end up doing the same."
So calling this season series finale a teaser of what's to come in the Eastern Conference Finals would be A-OK with me.
But those in the Boston room would naturally prefer to leave such predictions alone.
"They're back-to-back champs," Krug admitted with a grin. "I don't really wanna talk about it… but if you're gonna end up winning, it'd be nice to go through the best."
And there's no doubting that seven games of this kinda action would be the best.
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