BSJ Game Report: Golden Knights 4, Bruins 3 (SO) - Bruins rally, but fall to Cassidy, Knights in shootout

Everything you need to know from the Bruins’ 4-3 shootout loss to the Golden Knights, with BSJ insight and analysis:

BOX SCORE

HEADLINES

Cassidy, Golden Knights snap B’s winning streak at TD Garden: The Bruins once again surged back from a multi-goal deficit and nearly snatched up another two points in the standings on Monday night — but it was Bruce Cassidy and the Golden Knights who had the last laugh at TD Garden. 

Trailing 3-0 early in the second period, the Bruins turned what looked to be a laugher into a riveting showdown between the two top powers in the Eastern/Western Conference — but a stout showing by Vegas rookie goalie Logan Thompson kept the Knights off the mat, with Boston eventually falling in the shootout as part of a 4-3 loss. 

With Monday’s defeat, the Bruins fall to 20-3-1 on the season and saw their record-setting, 14-game win streak on home ice to open the season snapped by their former coach.

Of course, you could draw plenty of silver linings from a night like this — with Boston snapping out of a DREADFUL stretch of hockey in the first 30+ minutes to earn a point against one of the top teams in the league.

“They never quit,” Jim Montgomery said. "They never stopped believing. They never stopped playing. Down 3-0, we didn’t start on time. We got beat through the middle of the ice too often tonight. That usually doesn’t happen to us. It kind of reminded me of the game in Ottawa, but this time we found a way to get back in the game, get a point. … Unfortunate the streak came to an end, but we all knew it was gonna come to an end at some point.”

But by that same token, the Bruins have to be kicking themselves that they dug themselves a major hole due to plenty of self-inflicted miscues — especially against a team like Vegas. 

That's hockey, I suppose. 

TWO UP

Brad Marchand: Surprise, surprise. On an evening in which the Bruins were sleepwalking for extended stretches, it was Marchand who gave Boston a jolt — with the B’s top left wing knocking a puck past Thompson off of a quick passing sequence conducted by Patrice Bergeron midway through the second period.

Taylor Hall: Hall scored Boston’s equalizer at 3:08 in the third period, but he easily could have generated another two or three tallies in this one. He was flying all over the ice in this one, using those wheels to put Vegas skaters on their heels in transition and winning loose pucks in Grade-A ice.

TWO "EH"

David Pastrnak: Yes, Pastrnak eventually made it a one-goal game with his snipe in the closing seconds of the second period. But honestly, he could have had a hat trick and still would have landed in this purgatory section of our ratings — just because that lazy turnover that directly led to Jonathan Marchessault’s first-period goal was so dreadful.

Jeremy Swayman: You could definitely make the argument that a lot of the damage done against Swayman had little to do with his own play — at least for two of Vegas’ three tallies. But even with a couple of key stops at critical junctures of the evening, the B’s would have liked a save on Paul Cotter’s second goal of the evening. 

THREE DOWN

Brandon Carlo: He bounced back on a few PK shifts as the game progressed, but Carlo was pushed around and out-muscled in the D-zone in the seconds leading up to Cotter’s tally on Vegas’ first shot of the evening. 

Derek Forbort: Let’s face it, a majority of Boston’s skaters were discombobulated and disjointed with their puck play and execution on Monday. But a couple of bobbles and miscues by Forbort led to a frantic stretch that gave Cotter the room he needed to beat Swayman clean in the second period. 

Tomas Nosek: Nosek doesn’t necessarily get paid to drive play in the offensive zone, but the B’s 4C was stapled to the bench for close to five minutes after passing up a quality look on the rush in the first period. Also took a rough holding penalty against Chandler Stephenson shortly after Hall’s equalizer. 

PLAY OF THE GAME

LOOSE PUCKS

Good to see the Bruins give Cassidy a video tribute on Monday night, with the former B’s coach clearly emotional after receiving a standing ovation from the Garden crowd. 

LOOKING AHEAD

The Bruins will now head out on the road for a three-game trek out west, starting with a matchup against the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday night. Puck drop is set for 9 p.m.