Final: Avalanche 4, Bruins 1 - B's lose first regulation game at TD Garden

The Bruins will close out their five-game homestand on Saturday night when they host the Avalanche in an anticipated matchup. Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. Follow along for updates from Saturday’s game.

WHO: Avalanche (18-8-2) at Bruins (20-3-6)

WHEN: 7:00 p.m.

WHERE: TD Garden

TV: NESN

RADIO: 98.5-FM The Sports Hub

LIVE BOX SCORE: NHL.com

TICKETS: BSJ ticket partner SeatsForEveryone.com

LIVE COVERAGE:



9:18: Final: Bruins fall to the Avalanche, 4-1.That’s the first regulation home loss for a Boston team since the Red Sox dropped a 9-4 game to the Orioles back on September 28, 2019.

9:15: Halak pulled. Bruins going with a 6-on-4 look. 2:21 left.

9:14: Bruins will get a power play with 2:21 left in regulation. Landeskog heads off.

9:06: Back to 5v5 hockey. Bruins look out of gas.

9:03: Donskoi is now whistled for a penalty. We will have 4v4 hockey for 1:35.

9:01: B's can't convert on the power play // Graves exits the box and gets a breakaway // Marchand is whistled for a penalty as Graves' shot goes wide.Boston's PK is up.

8:57: Bruins power play coming up. Graves heads off for a high stick.

8:56: Makar heads to the room.

8:53: Marchand with a big hit on Makar behind the Avs' net.

8:46: Third period underway.

8:30: End Second: Colorado leads Boston, 3-1. SOG in favor of the Avs, 13-8.

8:29: Andre Burakovsky capitalizes after a defensive breakdown from McAvoy/Grzelcyk.

8:25: Nice O-zone shift for the Bruins, but they can't get anything out of it.

8:14: Ian Cole gives Colorado a 2-1 lead with 10:43 left in the second.

8:11: A defensive gaffe leads to an easy look for Rantanen, but he can't bury it.

8:07: B's struggling to get quality looks down low. Often resorting to shots from the blue line.

7:59: Second period underway.

7:50:

https://twitter.com/ConorRyan_93/status/1203476807821012993

7:42: End First: Bruins and Avalanche are tied, 1-1. SOG in favor of Colorado, 9-4.

7:38: Pavel Francouz replaces Philip Gruabauer in net for Colorado. Looks like he tweaked something during Ritchie's breakaway attempt.

7:35: Valeri Nichushkin ties things up. 1-1 game with 2:35 left in the first.

7:33: Ritchie can't convert on a breakaway.

7:29: Wagner tips home a shot from John Moore. 1-0 Bruins.

7:15: Bruins struggling to get any sort of sustained time in Colorado's zone so far. Lots of dumping the puck in the O-zone, but the Avs have the size and speed to recover pucks quick and get back down the other end of the ice in a hurry.

7:10: Nathan MacKinnon - rull good at hockey.

7:09: Puck is dropped and we're underway.

6:59: Starters:

https://twitter.com/ConorRyan_93/status/1203463939847274496

LINEUPS

BOSTON 

Brad Marchand — David Krejci — David Pastrnak
Jake DeBrusk— Charlie Coyle — Danton Heinen
Anders Bjork — Sean Kuraly — Chris Wagner
Joakim Nordstrom — Par Lindholm — Brett Ritchie

Zdeno Chara — Charlie McAvoy
Torey Krug — Brandon Carlo
John Moore — Matt Grzelcyk

Jaroslav Halak
Tuukka Rask

Scratched: Steven Kampfer, Connor Clifton

Injured: Patrice Bergeron (lower body), Zach Senyshyn (lower body), Karson Kuhlman (fractured tibia), Kevan Miller (knee)

COLORADO

https://twitter.com/Avalanche/status/1203362382204063744

PREGAME NOTES:

Despite having their win streak snapped with an OT loss to Chicago on Thursday, the Bruins have still yet to lose in regulation at TD Garden this season, posting a record of 12-0-5. That’s the second-longest season-opening home point streak in franchise history behind a 21-game run in 1973-74 (19-0-2, 40 points).

Brett Ritchie will return to the lineup for Boston, but Bruce Cassidy did not state which forward will not play, noting that a couple of players are feeling under the weather. Jaroslav Halak will start in net. 

Colorado is 11-0-2 (24 points) in its last 13 games in Boston dating to Feb. 2, 1999 (BOS: 1-10-2), its longest road point streak against one opponent in franchise history and lengthiest by any team versus the Bruins in NHL history. Boston’s last win at home against Colorado in regulation came all the way back on March 30, 1998. 

The Avalanche, who have won five straight games, have benefitted from Gabriel Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen’s return to the lineup, but Colorado was still one of the most dynamic teams in the league even without two skaters on its top line. The Avs are still leading all NHL teams in scoring with 3.68 goals per game. 

Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon (18-26—44 in 28 GP) is tied with Brad Marchand for third in the NHL in terms of scoring this season, while rookie defenseman and former UMass product Cale Makar is the early favorite for the Calder after tallying eight goals and 28 total points through 28 games this season. 

 Only three seasons in NHL history have ended with at least one Avalanche/Nordiques player and one Bruins player among the top five in points (including ties): 1982-83 (Peter Stastny and Barry Pederson), 2000-01 (Joe Sakic and Jason Allison) as well as 2002-03 (Peter Forsberg, Joe Thornton and Milan Hejduk).