The Boston Bruins scored two goals in a span of 13 seconds midway through the second period, before holding on to defeat the Colorado Avalanche 5-3 on Wednesday night.
Despite a perfect efficiency of 3 in 3 on the massive attack and three-point performances from Cale Makar and Mikko Rantanen, the Avalanche’s setbacks continued at the start of the season, with a fourth defeat in a row in regulation time.
We have to go back to the 1998-1999 season to remember the last time that the Denver team started a regular schedule by losing its first four games.
This edition, led by Joe Sakic, Peter Forsberg and Patrick Roy, however, regained control to reach the Western final against the Dallas Stars, eventual Stanley Cup champions.
Defensive play continues to be lacking for Jared Bednar’s team, which has now allowed 25 goals to its opponents.
That’s the highest total in the NHL, and the minus-12 rating that goes with it is the worst on the Bettman Tour.
Cole Koepke, Charlie Coyle, David Pastrnak, Hampus Lindholm and John Beecher – the latter in an abandoned cage at 17:59 of the third period – hit the target for Boston (3-2-0).
Colorado was looking for the tying goal with six skaters deployed when Nathan MacKinnon (author of a two-assist performance) fumbled a Makar handover in the neutral zone. Beecher grabbed the disc and didn’t miss his chance from long distance.
Joonas Korpisalo, who gave up three times on 24 shots, obtained his first victory in the Buins colors.
For his part, Alexander Georgiev allowed four goals on the same number of shots as his opposite number. Small consolation: he managed to plug the gaps by whitewashing the visitors in the second half of the match.
The Avalanche continue to carry on with a reduced roster; for this meeting, in addition to long-term absentees Artturi Lehkonen and Valeri Nichushkin, he also had to manage without Devon Toews and Jonathan Drouin.
The Denver team may also have lost the services of Miles Wood, who suffered an upper-body injury during the third period and did not return afterward.
Carlsson beats Ingram in overtime
Leo Carlsson scored a great goal in overtime and the Anaheim Ducks won their ninth straight opener, 5-4, over the Utah Hockey Club.
Clayton Keller gave Utah a 4-3 lead with just over nine minutes remaining in the third period, but Pavel Mintyukov tied the score with 5:05 remaining with his second goal of the game.
Carlsson, second pick in the 2023 draft, then scored his first goal of the campaign on a pass from Troy Terry. Nick Schmaltz was the victim of the turnover in his zone.
Robby Fabbri scored his first goal in a Ducks uniform and Terry found the back of the net for the second time this season.
Lukas Dostal made 26 saves.
Keller and Barrett Hayton each scored their fourth goal of the campaign in this match. Jack McBain and Michael Kesselring also made the red light sparkle.
Connor Ingram stopped 29 shots for Utah, which is now 3-1-1.
