Bruins get smoked by Devils, 5-1

Steve Conroy, Boston Herald on Jan 22, 2025

Published in Hockey

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The Bruins arrived in New Jersey with a four-game point streak (3-0-1), but after the Devils got through with them, that productive stretch seemed like ancient history.

Running hopelessly around in their own zone, the B’s gave up four second-period goals and suffered yet another lopsided road loss to a quality opponent, bowing to the Devils, 5-1, at the Prudential Center.

With every loss, and considering the ultra-competitiveness of the Eastern Conference race, the B’s hopes of a ninth straight playoff get dimmer and dimmer. And whether or not they do manage to make the postseason, it’s hard to witness a game like Wednesday’s — the likes of which have happened far too often this season — and still believe they’re an actual Stanley Cup contender.

Nights like this make that “retool” path seem more and more inevitable.

On Wednesday, the Devils scored on three of their six power plays and the B’s came up empty on their man-advantages, snapping a four-game power-play goal streak.

The Devils were riding a four-game losing streak and, on a high-energy first shift, it looked like they were intent on ending that skid.

But the B’s temporarily evened out the ice and scored the only goal of the first period at 5:50. Pavel Zacha picked off a Jesper Bratt breakout pass just inside the Jersey blue line and went back on the attack. From the middle of the ice, Zacha dished to David Pastrnak on the right wing. Pastrnak froze goalie Jacob Markstrom and dished over to Morgan Geekie, who scored his 12th of the season on a one-timer.

The B’s got the first power play of the game and it nearly blew up on them. On a puck retrieval, Bratt got under Mason Lohrei and knocked him off his pegs. Lohrei’s desperate attempt to swipe at the puck only served to give it right to Bratt just feet from the net. Jeremy Swayman made the initial save on Bratt and then the rebound shot from the slot on Jack Hughes to thwart what would have been a very ugly goal against.

That kill gave the Devils a little momentum. They had two straight dominant shifts in the B’s zone and, on the second one, Jordan Oesterle had to take an interference penalty. The B’s came up with the kill and got to the buzzer with the 1-0 lead.

But the Devils had a 11-5 shot advantage and some momentum going into the intermission. And the B’s played right into it, as the Devils tied the game at 1:24 of the second.

First, Brandon Carlo fell down with the puck in his own zone and, after getting up, his flip-out was kept in by Jersey. The B’s regained control but Oesterle’s breakout pass went off Charlie Coyle’s skates and the Devils made it count. Eventually, Dawson Mercer evened the game on a turnaround shot from the slot.

Jersey then took the lead at 4:12 on a controversial power play. On a 2-on-1, Justin Brazeau’s chip shot hit Markstrom and off the post as Brazeau crashed into Markstrom. With Markstrom down and in pain, Brazeau was called for goalie interference, though it appeared Brenden Dillon had gotten his stick in his skates. The injured Markstrom had to give way to Jake Allen.

On the PP, Bratt found an open cross seam and fed Dougie Hamilton for a one-timer goal and the lead the Devils would not relinquish.

The Devils then threw everything at the B’s and Swayman kept it close for as long as he could. On one shift, Andrew Peeke was kept on the ice for 3:50 and Nikita Zadorov was stuck out there for 3:16.

But eventually, the inevitable collapse happened with the Devils opening it up with two goals in 12 seconds. On a power play after Coyle was called for an offensive zone hook, a fortunate bounce led a Stefan Noesen goal at 16:01 from the side of the crease.

Then on the ensuing shift, Lohrei over-skated the puck behind the B’s net, leading to Mercer’s second of the night.

The B’s had a chance to get one back in the final minute of the period, but Allen robbed Oliver Wahlstrom, who had a lot of net at which to shoot after a nice setup from Elias Lindholm.

Down by three and being outshot 28-15 after 40 minutes, and the Ottawa Senators in Boston waiting for the B’s for Thursday’s game at TD Garden, coach Joe Sacco decided to sit Swayman for the third and give Joonas Korpisalo the final 20 minutes.