Jake DeBrusk and Linus Ulmark he was the centerpiece of the Boston Bruins as the team defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 2-1 in the 2023 Discover NHL Winter Classic at Fenway Park, Boston on Monday night.
DeBrusk scored both of the Bruins’ goals and Ullmark blocked 25 of 26 shots as the home team overcame a 0-1 deficit to win 2-1 in the third period.
The Penguins took a 1-0 lead Kasperi Kapanen in the second period of the game, but the Bruins showed morale in the last 20 minutes and DeBrusk was able to wriggle his way to the net twice on the Penguins goalie Casey DeSmith up close – and become a hero to the home fans at Fenway in the process.
DeSmith replaced the Penguins’ starting goaltender Tristan Jarry who was forced off at 3.30pm in the first period with a suspected foot injury.
The 2023 Discover NHL Winter Classic kicked off with a bang as Bruins icons Bobby Orr, Johnny Bucyk and Zdeno Chara were on hand for player introductions. Orr was also helpful when team captains Sidney Crosby and Patrice Bergeron lined up for the first discus throw ceremony.
The Bruins and Penguins started the game at top speed, but both Linus Ulmark and Tristan Jarry got off to a strong start in goal. Ullmark was forced to make the two toughest saves of the period when first, 4.06 inches, he parried a shot attempt from Brock McGinn in connection with a Penguins fast break and then made a reflex save after 9.37 when Sidney Crosby threw in a pass that Bryan Rust directed towards the goal.
However, the first period remained scoreless, thanks in large part to Ullmark, who saved all 14 shots that came his way.
– Important saves from him (Ullmark) so far, said the Bruins forward Charlie Coyle in a halftime interview for the NHL on TNT. It’s been great for us all year round and this time was no exception.
Before the second period, Emergency Backup Goaltender (EBUG) Mike Chiasson prepared to step in if the Penguins needed to replace Casey DeSmith.
At 8.40 of the second half comes the first goal of the match. Jeff Carter it accounted for a tie for the Penguins, after which the puck ended up in the Bruins’ zone. Once there, the former Bruins forward worked Danton Heinen fram den bakom goal och serverade Kasperi Kapanen in front of goal som stökte in 1-0 till Penguins.
The goal was Kapanen’s sixth of the season.
However, the Bruins retook the lead in the second period, winning the shootout 9-6 – something that would set the tone for the final 20 minutes.
It was then Jake DeBrusk came into action.
First leveling at 1-1 7.46 in the period with the help of a powerful goal-line shot extended in front of goal. The preparatory work has been done Brad Marchand for in the form of a delicate draw on the blue line, followed by a layup by DeBrusk – Marchand’s 21st assist of the season.
With 2.24 left in the third quarter, DeBrusk struck again, this time after Taylor Hall he drove on goal from the left draw circle and found DeBrusk to the right of the far post.
The Penguins quickly knocked out the keeper and threw everything they had at Ullmark in the Bruins box, but the Swede managed to hang on and salvage victory for the home team, to great applause from the fans.
– It was a great game, DeBrusk told NHL on TNT after the final whistle. Not quite the match picture we wanted, of course, we would have liked to give the fantastic crowd here more to cheer about, but instead we offered some drama.
DeBrusk admitted the Bruins weren’t entirely happy with the fatigue in the first two periods, but that it does happen in special games sometimes.
Video: BOS-PIT: DeBrusk hero in Winter Classic
– You never know how you’ll handle games like this, especially when things have gone so well for us this season. But we said it in the dressing room; we go out and have a good third period, just like we have done all season.
– The end result was pretty good, though, DeBrusk said.
With the win, the Bruins (29-4-4) consolidate their lead in the Atlantic Division, Eastern Conference and the entire NHL with their 62 points recorded in 37 games.
Also, since the game at Fenway Park was considered a home game for the Bruins, they improved their home record to 19-0-3 this season — 22 home games without a loss in regulation time, in other words.
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