DETROIT -- It wasn’t one of Boston’s best efforts of late, but the Bruins still found a way to post a 3-2 victory over Detroit Red Wings Tuesday night at Little Caesars Arena.
Fortunately for the Bruins, rookie forward Danton Heinen turned in a solid performance and finished with a goal and assist en route to victory. Both plays reached elite-level status and proved crucial.
Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask extended his career-best point streak to 21 games as he finished with 26 saves.
Pregame notes.
Forward Brad Marchand served his final game of his five-game suspension tonight. The Bruins went 4-1-0 without his services, but he'll return to the lineup on Wednesday against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden.
Meanwhile, the Bruins are focused on the Red Wings. Boston has enjoyed recent success against Detroit with a 6-0-1 record in the last seven meetings. The Bruins defeated the Red Wings 3-2 in overtime on Dec. 13 and again in a 3-1 win on Dec. 23. Boston hasn't lost to Detroit since a 6-5 decision on Feb. 14, 2016.
Overall, Boston is 19-2-4 in its last 25 games.
The lineup's a bit different without Marchand, Noel Acciari (lower body) and Kevan Miller (upper body). Frank Vatrano's been back in the lineup the last four games, while the Bruins recalled Austin Czarnik from Providence. Coach Bruce Cassidy isn't making any changes to the lineup against the Red Wings. Acciari and Miller did not travel with the team to Detroit, but both could rejoin the team on Wednesday in New York.
Tuukka Rask will start for the Bruins. He's in the midst of a career-best 20-game point streak with an 18-0-2 record. Overall, he's 21-8-4 with a 2.09 goals-against average and a .925 save percentage. In 19 career games against the Red Wings, he's 11-5-2 with a 2.61 GAA and a .902 SP.
Observations from the third period.
- This hasn't been one of Boston's best performances, but once again the Bruins are finding a way.
- Brad Marchand who? Danton Heinen is having an outstanding game and gives the Bruins a 3-1 lead with 11:39 remaining in regulation. He just sniped a goal from the slot. Sick shot.
- No Vatrano for the third period. He exited late in the second and has not returned.
- With 22.6 seconds remaining Patrice Bergeron and Justin Abdelkader both going off for roughing.
- With authority, David Krejci drills home a loose puck from the slot to give Boston a 2-1 lead with 5:43 remaining in the second.
- What an outstanding all-around play by Sean Kuraly and results the game-tying goal. He kept the puck in at the blue line then attacked the net when he received the puck back from David Pastrnak for the goal. Heinen made a sick no-look pass to Pastrnak to set up the tally.
- Jimmy Howard with a timely, right-pad save on Patrice Bergeron, who unleashed one from the high slot.
- Red Wings capitalize on the man-advantage for a 1-0 lead. Martin Frk sneaks a one-time through Rask's 5-hole.
- Charlie McAvoy going off for hooking. Detroit with its first power play of the game.
- Bruins outshooting the Red Wings, 13-7, to end the first.
- Ryan Spooner struggling with his puck management in the first period. However, he's made a couple of solid defensive plays.
- Jake DeBrusk draws a penalty and the Bruins get the first power play of the game.
- Spooner getting too cute with the puck. Needs to shoot when he has the puck in that situation in the slot.
- Rask snares the puck with a phenomenal glove save to keep this game scoreless. He stole a potential goal from Red Wings' Nick Jensen, who blasted a slap shot from the point.
- Heinen rings one off the post with 13:50 remaining in the period. Best scoring chance for the Bruins so far. The way he's shooting the puck tonight, he's going to get one.
- Part of Krejci's ability to slow the game down is knowing where the puck will be before it gets there.
- Hometown boy Torey Krug wearing the 'A' on his sweater tonight.