The Bruins took advantage of a questionable boarding call on Steven Stamkos late in the game to set-up a game-winner from Mark Recchi with 19.7 seconds left in the third period as the Bruins escaped with a 4-3 road win over the Tampa Bay Lightning.
After missing the last 3 games with an undisclosed injury, Brad Marchand was back in the lineup being his normal pest self. Marchand quickly made his impact felt when he got under the skin of Sean Bergenheim to draw an additional two minute penalty and set up an early power play for the B's. 8 seconds into the man advantage, Michael Ryder found the back of the net for a 1-0 lead just 28 seconds into the game. Mark Recchi's shot went wide and caromed off the end boards and out front to an opportunistic Micahel Ryder, who snapped home his 11th goal of the season.
The Lightning reset the game with a power play goal of their own at 7:10 of the first period with Adam McQuaid off for high-sticking. Stamkos jammed home a rebound in the middle of a wild scrum in Tim Thomas' crease. Stamkos' power player marker was his 29th goal of the season.
Steven Kampfer's first NHL goal gave the Bruins a 2-1 lead 3:27 into the second period. Nathan Horton worked the puck down low to Marc Savard in the right wing corner and Savard fed a centering pass to Kampfer at the left circle. Kampfer gathered the puck in his skates, got it to his stick blade, and beat Dan Ellis 5-hole with a quick wrister. The goal was not just a career milestone for Kampfer, also Savard. Savvy picked up his 700th career point with the assist.
Vincent Lacavalier tied up the game for the Lightning with 5:58 left to play in the middle period. Tim Thomas over-committed and flopped down to the ice and could not scramble back into position before Lacavalier jammed in a wrap-around shot at the right post for his 7th goal of the seaon.
Brad Marchand's backhander 3:00 into the third period gave the B's a 3-2 lead. Marchand gathered a rebound on the door step off of a Shawn Thornton shot and put a bankhand shot over the outstretched glove of a sprawling Dan Ellis for his 5th marker of the season.
Martin St. Louis tied it up at 3-3 with 9:10 left in the third period. Steven Stamkos had the puck in the right wing corner and threaded a cross-crease pass to St. Louis at the left post. St. Louis' quick shot found a path between the near post and Thomas' right pad for St. Louis' 15th tally.
The Bruins went on the power play late in the game when Steven Stamkos was whistled for a controversial boarding call for a hit on Gregory Campbell. Stamkos laid what appeared to be a clean shoulder to shoulder hit on Campbell, but Campbell absorbed the hit awkwardly and went crashing head first into the end boards. The sight of Campbell crumpled by the boards drew the attention of several Bruins and a minor scrum ensued. The only additional penalties were matching roughing minors to Brad Marchand and Sean Bergenheim.
On the power play, Mark Recchi fired a wrister from the high slot that beat Dan Ellis low on the stick side for the game-winner with 19.7 seconds left on the clock.
Notes:
- Urban Meyer (no relation to Freddy), who recently announced he is stepping down as Florida head football coach and his son were the guests of the Lightning tonight and announced "let's play hockey" before the game...and were resoundly booed by the Tampa Bay crowd.
- Happy 50th Birthday to Ray Bourque!
- Brad Marchand was pretty busy in his 11:47 of ice time. Marchand scored a goal, drew 5 minor penalties, and took 2 minor penalties for roughing,
- That was a B.S. call on Stamkos at the end of the game. It was shoulder to shoulder and Campbell turned into the boards after taking the hit. You hate to see a referee decide a game like that. The Bruins caught a huge break there. The worst part about this is that all the Campbell conspiracy theorists with their tinfoil hats are going to come out of their bunkers and claim that the B's and Gregory Campbell get preferential treatment.
- Mark Recchi (goal and assist) and Dennis Seidenberg (2 assists) had multi-point games.
- The Bruins return to action on Thursday when they travel to Atlanta to take on the Thrashers. Will emotions still be riding high?
- For more on tonight's game, head over to Raw Charge