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The Bruins turned a compromised evening into a memorable victory. Trailing by two goals in the third period, they caught up to the Blackhawks before Elias Lindholm gave Boston the win in overtime, 5-4. At 2:32 of the extra period, the Swedish center finished off a game that Chicago seemed to have taken control of.
The result particularly hurts the Blackhawks because their lead had held for a long time. Boston nevertheless found a way out in the final minutes of regulation, then imposed its calm when the game entered the zone where a single mistake is enough to erase everything. TD Garden saw the Bruins go from chasing to deliverance without the script granting them the slightest comfort.
The result particularly hurts the Blackhawks because their lead had held for a long time.
A third period turned around
Chicago had built its advantage thanks to an attack capable of punishing lapses in intensity. Anton Frondell notably scored two goals, while Connor Bedard also scored. Faced with that efficiency, Boston found itself facing a severe equation: coming back from two goals down with less than ten minutes to play, without leaving the opponent the slightest opening.
The Bruins responded with a collective push. David Pastrnak scored, Charlie McAvoy and JJ Peterka each added two assists, and Boston maintained the pressure long enough to draw level. Morgan Geekie scored the equalizer with twelve seconds left on the clock, a dramatic twist that changed the energy of the game in an instant.
For Chicago, that late goal erased the work accomplished during most of the evening. The Blackhawks had the arguments to leave with the two points, but hockey does not reward a lead if it does not survive the final seconds. This time, the hourglass played a particularly cruel trick on them.
Lindholm decides without waiting
Overtime did not last long. Lindholm won his duel after holding off two defensemen, then placed his backhand shot past Arvid Söderblom. The move concluded a play that mirrored the game: no path was open, one had to be created.
Goaltender Michael DiPietro made 37 saves for Boston and saw his team push to the end despite the difficulties. The Bruins thus brought their home record to 6 wins, 1 loss and no losses in overtime or shootouts. They also ended a two-game losing streak, which gives this comeback a double value: spectacular in form, useful in the standings.
Pastrnak, for his part, passed Patrice Bergeron to sit alone in third place among the best scorers in Boston's history. In an already eventful game, this milestone found its place without stealing the spotlight from the outcome. The Bruins above all needed a win; they got it at the end of a script that would have raised an eyebrow even for a sports-series screenwriter.
Chicago must digest the missed opportunity
The Blackhawks do not leave without positives. They scored four times in Boston, made a solid home team wobble and showed depth in their production. But a loss after leading by two goals in the final period rarely leaves a locker room indifferent.
Boston, for its part, can use this victory to restore momentum to its season. A comeback guarantees nothing for the next game, but it reminds a group that it possesses the resources to survive a bad stretch. For the Bruins, this evening against the Blackhawks will remain as a point taken by force, then turned into two.