Zadorov Seals OT Win for Bruins and Exits Ice Without Celebration
Written by Gina Anton
The Boston Bruins staged an impressive comeback in their second preseason matchup of the year, rallying to defeat the New York Rangers 5-4 in overtime on Sept. 23.
Boston fell into a deep hole early, trailing 4-1 after two periods. But the Bruins refused to fold, storming back with a dominant third period. Mikey Eyssimont scored twice to narrow the gap, and Marat Khusnutdinov buried the third, gaining some extra time for this Boston team.
Overtime proved decisive. Defenseman Nikita Zadorov capped the comeback with a composed finish with 1 minute and 33 seconds to spare. Carrying the puck into the zone and beating Rangers goaltender, Talyn Boyko he placed a perfect shot concluding the preseason game.
Zadorov’s celebration — or lack thereof — quickly became a talking point. Instead of basking in the moment, he skated directly off the ice. Asked about his muted reaction, Zadorov said: “I just want to go home with my family.”
The dramatic exit offered an early highlight to Boston’s preseason and gave fans a glimpse of the team’s resilience. For Zadorov, the hope is that his decisive play will carry over into the regular season.
In the lead-up to Tuesday’s matchup, head coach Marco Sturm underscored Nikita Zadorov’s importance to the Bruins, highlighting his value both on and off the ice.
“We want him to play hard,” Sturm said. “We want him to close as quickly as possible because of his reach. We just need to get him going again. We need him this year — to be a leader, to be a presence on the ice, and to establish himself as one of our top defensemen moving forward.”
