Bruins Rally From Deficit, Survive Islanders

By KC Downey in Bruins, Featured, Top Story ⋅ October 11, 2009 at 2:24am ⋅ Post a comment

Marc Savard (Photo by Steve Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images)

After the second period was over, it seemed like the Bruins were headed to their fourth straight lopsided affair to start the season, after a 4-1 loss opening night, a 7-2 win over the Hurricanes last Saturday, and a 6-1 loss to the Ducks in their previous game. Against the Islanders Saturday night at the TD Garden, the Bruins fell behind 3-0 and appeared headed to a 1-3 start.

With eight minutes to go in the game, nothing had changed. The Bruins still faced a 3-0 deficit, and the only thing they had going for them was that they were facing one of the NHL’s worst teams, the Islanders. Somehow, some way, the Bruins scored three goals in the final eight minutes and won the game via the shootout. How did this happen?

With 8:01 to go in the third period, Marc Savard got the Bruins on the board with his second goal of the year. Byron Bitz followed almost four minutes later to make it a 3-2 game, and Matt Hunwick capped off the comeback with less than three minutes to go in regulation. What a disastrous period for Islanders goalie Dwayne Roloson!

In overtime, both teams were held scoreless, and the game moved to a shootout. Blake Wheeler and Marc Savard scored on the Bruins first two attempts. New York’s Rob Schemp scored on the first attempts for the Islanders, but after two more misses, the Bruins had successfully survived a three-goal deficit to earn two points. The Islanders, meanwhile, dropped to 0-0-3 on the year.

Tuukka Rask started in net for the B’s, and save for a horrific second period (three goals allowed on nine shots), he was superb. Rask finished with 35 saves in regulation and overtime, and allowed just one goal in the shootout.

Jon Sim, Radek Martinek, and John Tavares scored the goals for the Islanders.

The Bruins next play the Avalanche at 1 p.m. on Columbus Day.

About KC Downey

KC is the "head coach" of the Sports of Boston, LLC blog network. Follow him on Twitter: @kc_downey

Tags: Bruins, Byron Bitz, Marc Savard, Matt Hunwick, New York Islanders, Tuukka Rask

Discussion

4 comments for “Bruins Rally From Deficit, Survive Islanders”

Bruins Rally From Deficit, Survive Islanders: After the second period was over, it seemed like the Bruins were .. http://bit.ly/3iyHM0

Posted by Sports of Boston | October 11, 2009, 1:52 am
Bruins Rally From Deficit, Survive Islanders | Sports of Boston http://bit.ly/35qCSi

Posted by NHL Playoff | October 11, 2009, 10:02 am
[...] Ice Breakers: Bruins-Avalanche, Monday 10-12 By Brian Kintz in Bruins, Featured ⋅ October 12, 2009 at 5:02am ⋅ Post a comment After playing like garbage for much of Saturday night’s matchup with the New York Islanders, the Bruins’ offense came alive in the last ten minutes of the third period. Three quick goals to tie it and a scoreless five-minute overtime session later, the young Bruins’ netminder Tuukka Rask was facing Islanders’ veteran goalie Dwayne Roloson in Rask’s first NHL shootout. He would eventually get emerge victorious, after Marc Savard potted the game winner past Roloson to steal two points from New York, winning 4-3 in astonishing come-from-behind fashion. [...]

Posted by Ice Breakers: Bruins-Avalanche, Monday 10-12 | Sports of Boston | October 12, 2009, 5:02 am
[...] Featured ⋅ October 12, 2009 at 6:11pm ⋅ Post a comment After the Boston Bruins’ 4-3 shootout-come-from-behind victory over the New York Islanders on Saturday, a great deal of discussion was devoted to the momentum the team would carry into Monday’s game [...]

Posted by Bruins Overcome by Avalanche Early, Unable to Dig Selves Out | Sports of Boston | October 12, 2009, 6:11 pm