It took the Bruins almost 54 minutes to solve netminder Reto Berra in their last meeting with the Calgary Flames, a 2-1 victory over Berra and company exactly one week ago. But a second period power-play goal from Boston captain Zdeno Chara proved to be all the Bruins needed at TD Garden on Tuesday as the Black-and-Gold downed the lowly Flames by a 2-0 final.
Skating to a scoreless draw after an even first period, the Bruins survived an early second period tripping call against Jordan Caron before an errant stick to the face of Boston defensemen Kevan Miller (mere moments after Chara took an uncalled one to the eye) gave the homebody Black-and-Gold a four-minute power-play.
And while the Bruins were unable to generate a goal in the first leg of the double minor, an amazing look from David Krejci found an all alone Chara, who absolutely pummeled the puck home on a one-timer.
Good for No. 33’s eighth goal of the year (his fifth on the power-play), the goal was the headline of a second period that saw the B’s defense simply baffle with the Calgary offense, holding them to just four shots in the frame, and was just the beginning of Chara’s night.
With Boston back on the man-advantage in the third, courtesy of yet another Lance Bouma high stick against Miller, the 6-foot-9 Slovak parked himself out front, and off a rebound banged home his ninth of the year, giving the Bruins and 2-0 edge and tying him for second on the team in goals.
Chara’s two power-play goals were also his first two power-play goal night since Jan. 17, 2011.
It was also enough for Rask, who finished the night with a 21-save shutout, his third of the year, and improved to 3-0-0 with just one goal allowed on 73 shots in three career games against Calgary.
Cunningham makes NHL debut
After 330 games between Vancouver and Portland in the Western Hockey League, and after 178 contests with the Providence Bruins of the American Hockey League, the 5-foot-9 Craig Cunningham’s skates finally touched down on NHL ice tonight.
Called up from Providence on an emergency basis yesterday and playing in place of Matt Fraser, the 23-year-old Cunningham, whose Providence resume includes two 20-goal seasons and a 9-5-14 statline in 27 contests this season, got the call on the Boston fourth line.
And while he only skated 14 shifts (amassing just over eight minutes of time-on-ice), the joy for the undersized speedster out of Trail, British Columbia was evident all night long. He played hard, fought in the corners, and didn’t let his size shy him away from some big Calgary bodies.
Not bad for a fourth round pick from 2009.
Thornton appeal scheduled for Friday
There was somebody in tonight’s crowd with a ‘Free Thornton’ shirt.
On Friday, Thornton will find out just how long it’ll be before he’s freed from his suspension, as his appeal with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has been confirmed for Friday morning. The NHL hit the 36-year-old Thornton with a 15-game ban this past weekend for his assault on Pittsburgh’s Brooks Orpik.
If upheld, Thornton will miss almost another month of play, and will forfeit nearly $85,000 in salary.
Thornton and the B’s will look to use Thornton’s previously clean record in over 10 NHL seasons as a means of reducing the number of games he’s forced to sit out.
Up next
The Bruins will head to Buffalo for a Thursday night battle with the Sabres that’ll kick off a home-and-home with the division rivals. The Bruins won the only other meeting between the two in 2013-14, and currently hold a 29-point advantage over the Sabres in the Atlantic Division.