After allowing six goals in a home loss to the New York Rangers on Friday, the Boston Bruins bounced back with a scrappy Saturday night win over the Detroit Red Wings.
The Bruins held a 2-1 lead with under two minutes to play in regulation, and Michael Rasmussen scored during a 6-on-5 situation with 1:54 remaining to force overtime.
After Boston missed the opportunity to win in regulation, Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman made sure his team still came away with two points at the end of the game.
Elias Lindholm took a minor penalty for hooking Alex DeBrincat at 1:24 of the extra frame, putting his team shorthanded, but Swayman stood tall.
“It seemed like he was just like in the zone or a flow state or whatever he was in,” Mark Kastelic told reporters after the win. “He’s been huge for us in the shootouts this year, that’s for sure.”
After making 24 saves in regulation, Swayman made four saves in overtime as Boston weathered the overtime penalty and ensured his team would make it to the shootout, where he stopped all three shots he faced.
“I knew that it was going to be a big momentum win for us, so staying with that one-shot-at-a-time mentality, just focusing on that breakaway at hand,” Swayman said. “Just excited to be part of it. I couldn’t be happier to be a Bruin, couldn’t be happier to be part of this team, playing in this league. That gratitude really overwhelms me. I like to play with that gratitude and that happiness. Good things happen.”
Casey Mittelstadt scored the lone shootout goal to secure the 3-2 win for Boston.
Here are more notes from Boston’s shootout win:
— Morgan Geekie lit the lamp twice for Boston and has six goals in the last five games.
”Just try to find the right spots,” Geekie told reporters. “Both goals tonight don’t happen without ( Elias Lindholm) in the first one and (Mittelstadt) on the second. Just try to be in the right spots for those guys to see me, and hopefully, good things will happen. Lately, they’ve been finding me.”
Geekie is once again tied with Nathan McKinnon for the most goals — 20 — in the league.
— Before the game, Boston recalled defenseman Michael Callahan on an emergency basis after placing Henri Jokiharju on injured reserve. David Pastrnak also missed his second straight game with an undisclosed injury. Pavel Zacha returned to the lineup after missing the matinee loss to the Rangers.
“He wasn’t out that long, but he wanted to help the team because he didn’t like the way we played yesterday, too. And he felt it,” Bruins head coach Marco Sturm said of Zacha during his postgame press conference. “That for me just shows the character we have in our room. When the older guys or the guys who have been around are doing it, I think it’s easier for young guys to follow.”
— Boston’s penalty kill was perfect in the win, killing off all five of Detroit’s power plays. Swayman stopped all six shots he faced while the Bruins were shorthanded.
— The Bruins travel to Detroit on Tuesday for the second half of the home-and-home with the Red Wings. Puck drop from Little Caesars Arena is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET on NESN and 98.5 The Sports Hub.
Troiani Rink Report 
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