It has ended.
The Anaheim Ducks snapped the Boston Bruins’ 18-game point streak with a 3-1 win Tuesday night at TD Garden. Ducks goalie John Gibson finished with 25 saves to post the shutout.
Boston scored with 40.7 seconds remaining in regulation but that's as close as its would get in this one. Anaheim added an empty-net goal with 6.1 seconds left.
It was also the eighth consecutive game the Bruins allowed the first goal, but during that stretch they figured out a way to battle back to earn at least a point. That wasn’t the case tonight. The best teams in the NHL have the ability to quickly respond with a bounce-back game, so it’ll be interesting to see how Boston plays against the St. Louis Blues on Thursday at TD Garden.
Here are the pregame notes. Also, here's a video of Brad Marchand talking about his All-Star Weekend experience.
Observations from the third period.
- Zdeno Chara taking a few swings at Ryan Getzlaf with 2:57 remaining in regulation. About time someone showed some grit, but it's a bit too late.
- David Backes shaken up after a late hit by the Ducks' Nick Ritchie. It appeared to be a shoulder-on-shoulder hit. No penalty on the play.
- Ryan Miller now playing net for the Ducks. John Gibson has been banged up a bit in this game.
- Once again, Kevan Miller is playing a solid game at both ends of the ice. He's having the season of his career.
- Two massive saves by Anton Khudobin on Jakob Silfverberg early in the period. I actually thought the first one was going in.
- Gibson stunned after a Patrice Bergeron shot. Gibson was also shaken up after stopping a Chara slap shot in the second period.
- The Bruins are 1-9-3 this season when trailing after two periods.
- At least twice in this period, Ryan Spooner had a chance to take the puck to the net and both times decided against it. Got to get to the dirty areas against this team.
- Bruins announce Anders Bjork will not return due to an upper-body injury.
- No Bjork to start the second. So, Frank Vatrano is playing with Riley Nash and David Backes. Just like that Vatrano gets a delay-of-game penalty. It's his third penalty in his last two games.
- It's the eighth consecutive game the Bruins have allowed the first goal. Boston has been able to fight back in every one but it might be a tall task against a heavy Ducks team.
- Ducks flooding the slot when Boston defensemen get the puck at the blue line.
- With Torey Krug in the box, the Ducks capitalize on the power play to get a 2-0 lead.
- With Bjork out, Tim Schaller now playing with Riley Nash and David Backes.
- Ducks take a 1-0 lead after Khudobin couldn't hang onto the puck with his new catching glove. Puck bounced out and a sliding Zdeno Chara knocked it in for a 1-0 Anaheim lead.
- Bjork going to the room after suffering what appeared to be a shoulder injury. He was on the receiving end of cross check in front by the Ducks' Francois Beauchemin.
- That was the worst power play of the season for the Bruins.
- Matt Grzelcyk keeps his legs moving through the neutral zone and draws a penalty. It's those types of plays that keeps him in the lineup.
- Equipment alert: Anton Khudobin is using a brand new catching glove tonight. It's his fifth this season and he's played only 17 games. He also has a practice-only glove. Tuukka Rask normally goes an entire season with only one set of gloves.