Recap: Bruins score three in the third to end Tampa’s streak with a 4-1 win

Some Streamables tonight via Chris. If you don’t see the embeds on mobile, click the link at the end of each sentence.

David Backes decides he liked fighting against San Jose so much that he’d do it for the second game in a row. He tagged Adam Erne with a few solid punches too.

Louis Domingue sense a tip coming from the crashing Brad Marchand. Instead, Jake DeBrusk’s shot/pass tips off a Tampa defender and in midway through the second. 1-0 Bruins.

After he forced a turnover along the wall, Noel Acciari buries the rebound of a Chris Wagner shot to make it 2-0 Bruins.

Danton Heinen hits Patrice Bergeron with a great pass in the slot, and Bergeron doesn’t miss. 3-0 Bruins.

Brad Marchand flubs his shot attempt, but still manages to beat Louis Domingue five-hole on the breakaway. The rout is on, and it’s 4-0 Bruins.

Ondrej Palat’s shot is tipped in traffic by Anthony Cirelli, allowing Tampa to save face in the third. 4-1 Bruins.

And that’s all she wrote! The Bruins send Tampa’s win streak (and point streak) packing with a solid 4-1 win.

Game notes

• Most of the talk after the game focused on how Tampa was tired, playing back-to-backs, etc. Even Bruce Cassidy cited that as a factor in the game. Still, teams play back-to-backs all the time. The Bruins have fared pretty well in back-to-backs this season. You can cut Tampa some slack with the fatigue excuse, but the fact remains that the Bruins wiped the floor with the Bolts for significant stretches tonight. “But they played their back-up,” you say. Sure, and the Bruins were without their best goal-scorer. You don’t want to overreact too much, of course, but to shrug this game off as a built-in loss for Tampa seems silly.
• Speaking of their back-up, hockey was cruel for Louis Domingue tonight, eh? He was amazing in the earlier parts of this game, robbing Danton Heinen and Joakim Nordstrom just minutes apart and generally playing great in a game that his team was chasing all night. Then, in a span of about two minutes of game time, he gave up three goals and wound up breaking his stick over the post. Life comes at you fast!
• Noel Acciari was in rough shape after the game, sporting two large cuts on his lips and a bit of a lisp from the loss of two teeth and subsequent swelling. Still, he was in good spirits, saying he knew he was going to play the entire time. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to thank the Hockey Gods or Bubble Gods for rewarding him for his efforts tonight.
• The legend of the Bubble continues. Sean Kuraly sported the bubble and became an offensive dynamo, and now Acciari springs to life. Cassidy joked that the Bruins may have to invest in a few more bubbles down the stretch.
• Tuukka Rask had a largely quiet night, but was big when called upon. He made a few pad saves when the game was still close that sapped most of the energy from the Bolts.
• Marcus Johansson didn’t end up on the scoresheet, but he and David Krejci combined for a few sterling chances. The two seem to be building chemistry by the period, making it unlikely that they get split up once David Pastrnak returns.
• It was a quiet night for Tampa’s big guns, with Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov combining for just 3 shots on net. That’s not going to happen very often.
• A funny moment postgame: Rask appeared in front of his locker, fully dressed and ready to take questions...but no one came. After a few minutes, the Bruins’ PR staff yelled out “last call for Tuukka,” and a few reporters wandered over. Must be a nice change for Rask to not be swarmed by hot takes for once.
• During his press conference, Cassidy mentioned that along with being tired, Tampa might not have had as much to play for as the Bruins. He was referring to the playoff race, of course, with Tampa comfortably out in front of everyone in the East. It will be interesting to see if this becomes an issue for the Bolts. It’s only natural to get complacent, and they may have trouble “turning it on” for the playoffs, like some of those high-powered Caps teams from a decade or so ago. Probably wishful thinking.
• I give David Backes credit for standing up for himself, but he really should stop fighting, for his own sake. The last thing he needs is another concussion.
• Brandon Carlo appeared to leave the bench in the third, but Cassidy had no knowledge of any injury. Sean Kuraly was taken to the quiet room after being hit high by Braydon Coburn, but Cassidy had no concrete info on him either.

The Bruins are back at it Saturday night against the New Jersey Devils.