Bruins Fall Short to Montreal as Zacha Reaches Goal Milestone
Written By Josie Dinonsie
MONTREAL— Despite Pavel Zacha’s immense effort with two goals for the Boston Bruins, the Montreal Canadiens came out on top Tuesday night, 3–2, with 22 seconds left in overtime.
The longtime rivalry between the Bruins and Canadiens continued Tuesday with a fierce, back-and-forth game, the final meeting of the season between the two teams. Cole Caufield put an end to the contest with a beautiful redirect goal, his 40th of the season.
Despite the loss, Zacha delivered a strong performance, notching two goals, including one on the power play, to reach a career-high 22. Just over two minutes into the game, on a four-minute power play, Zacha buried a nifty backhander past Jakub Dobes, putting the Bruins up 1–0.
The Canadiens responded by turning up the pressure. Midway through the first period, captain Nick Suzuki slid into the slot alone and beat Jeremy Swayman with a backhander over the shoulder. The game remained tied 1–1 through the rest of the opening period.
Starting the second period strong, the Bruins’ second line continued to produce, further establishing itself as one of the more effective units in the NHL. With 14:22 remaining, Casey Mittelstadt forcefully entered the offensive zone. Looking for support, he sent the puck to Viktor Arvidsson, who was set up in position. Zacha drove to the net and redirected a dart from Arvidsson into the back of the net. With the goal, Zacha set a new career high with his 22nd, while Mittelstadt and Arvidsson each recorded their 21st assist.
Not only did he reach a career high in goals, but the tally also marked Zacha’s third in two games. He emphasized the energy and chemistry he’s developed with his linemates.
“We are clicking with our line, and it is a lot of fun playing with them. I also think power play helps a lot, too,” Zacha said.
Bruins head coach Marco Sturm spoke about Zacha’s role on the team and his contributions.
“But he’s just feeling it this year,” Sturm said. “He’s been very good. I give him the support, we give him the support.”
After Zacha’s go-ahead goal, the Canadiens continued to push back. At 13:15 of the second period, Josh Anderson tipped one past Swayman during a dominant offensive shift, tying the game 2–2 and setting the stage for an intense third period.
Both teams battled hard in the third, searching for the go-ahead goal and a regulation win. Neither side found the back of the net, forcing overtime despite several quality chances. For the second game in a row, on back-to-back days, the Bruins were headed to overtime in hopes of securing the full two points.
For a moment, it looked like the Bruins would leave the Bell Centre with a win, and Zacha with a hat trick, as he broke in on a breakaway. However, he was unable to capitalize on the opportunity.
The Bruins could not outlast Montreal’s late push in overtime. At 4:38, Caufield buried his 40th goal of the season, sealing the 3–2 victory and securing two points for the Canadiens.
The result was not ideal for the Bruins, but with Zacha’s offensive performance and the team’s ability to compete beyond regulation, there are positives to take away.
“Having a point again is good for us. But I think even in the third period, we had a good game. It’s just a shame we couldn’t win it in overtime,” Zacha said. “Overall, I think it was a good team effort. Sway was playing unbelievable.”
“I can’t say enough about my team, they try everything…on a game like today, they give it all and as a coach that's all what I want,” said Sturm.
The Bruins closed out their road stretch with four points (1-0-2) and have since won 6-1 at home Thursday night against the Winnipeg Jets.
