BSJ Game Report: Bruins 4, Flames 3 (OT) – Boston comes away with ugly win in Calgary to sweep northwest swing

Everything you need to know from the Bruins’ 4-3 overtime win over the Calgary Flames, with BSJ insight and analysis…

BOX SCORE 

HEADLINES

Bruins pull out miraculous win at Calgary: Charlie McAvoy scored with 4.3 seconds remaining in overtime, and the Bruins pulled away with a 4-3 win at the Calgary Flames on Thursday.

McAvoy buried a one-timer at the bottom of the left circle on a feed from Patrice Bergeron after Brad Marchand kept the play alive below the goal line.

Linus Ullmark set a career-high and Bruins franchise record with 54 saves. Dmitry Orlov had two goals and an assist for Boston (47-8-5). 

Blake Coleman, Dylan Dube and Jonathan Huberdeau scored for Calgary (27-22-12). Former Bruin Dan Vladar stopped three of five shots in the first period, and Jacob Markstrom made 13 saves in relief to close out the game. 

Orlov opened the scoring on Boston’s first shot of the game just 4:47 into the game, leading the rush, taking the space the Flames gave him and snapping one over Vladar’s blocker.

He doubled the lead just under 10 minutes later when he uncorked a bomb from the point on a set play off the face-off. Bergeron won it back to Jake DeBrusk, who tipped it over to Orlov for the one-timer. 

Ullmark was sharp from the drop. One of his biggest saves came against Huberdeau, denying his fast-break opportunity in the first period, and another came on Mikael Backlund’s shorthanded breakaway in the second. 

Coleman cut it to 2-1 just 1:07 into the second when he picked the corner from the high slot off a feed from Rasmus Andersson.

In the third period, however, the dam burst. Boston lost Dube in coverage as he finished Tyler Toffoli’s saucer pass off the rush to tie it, 2-2, 8:16 into the third. Just 1:17 later, Huberdeau gave Calgary its first lead of the night, making it 3-2 when his backdoor pass to Jakob Pelletier banked in off the defense. 

Pavel Zacha tied it, 3-3, with 5:53 to go in regulation when he redirected Orlov’s shot-pass at the far post after DeBrusk took a big hit to get the puck to Orlov.

TWO UP

Linus Ullmark: Ullmark was simply sensational in this one, adding to his Vezina Trophy candidacy. He stopped 18 of 19 high-danger chances, according to Natural Stat Trick, and smashed his previous career-high of 44 saves. He was unfazed in overtime, denying all six shots he faced down the stretch before the game-winner. 

Dmitry Orlov: The Russian did it all for Boston, offensively, tonight. Whether it was his goals off the rush and off the face-off, or his prowess quarterbacking the second power play unit, his versatility was on display. Defensively, nothing was particularly spectacular for the Bruins, but Orlov managed a Corsi-for of 34.29 percent, which led all Bruins defensemen at 5-on-5 in what was a lackluster defensive effort as a group.

TWO DOWN

Grzelcyk-McAvoy: McAvoy obviously came up big in overtime, but this pair was a tough watch on Calgary’s first two goals. McAvoy lazily threw the puck up the boards, leaving Grzelcyk to try to chip it out with a forechecker bearing down on him before Coleman’s goal. On Dube’s equalizer, both defenders overcommitted to the left side, leaving Dube all alone streaking down the left wing. 

Brad Marchand: Similar to McAvoy, Marchand was clutch in the end, but it was a forgettable 60 minutes or regulation before overtime. He dogged it in a footrace with Andersson as the Flames blue-liner skated the puck in and fed Coleman for his goal. He later took what could have been a costly penalty late in the second as the Bruins continued to unravel. 

PLAY OF THE GAME

Orlov's feed to Zacha for the tying goal late was a thing of beauty. He now has five points in his first three games with Boston.

LOOSE PUCKS

Ullmark’s previous season-high for saves was 38, which he tied in two periods against the Flames.

Nick Foligno left the game with a lower-body injury in the second period and did not return after a collision with Nikita Zadorov along the boards.

LOOKING AHEAD

The Bruins will return home to face the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday. Puck-drop is set for 7 p.m. at TD Garden.