Bruins score four to even series with Red Wings
By Michael Caples –
In Game 1, the Boston Bruins tried for a full 60 minutes to get a puck past Jimmy Howard.
It didn’t take long for them to solve their scoring riddle in Game 2.
Two goals in the first ten minutes jumpstarted the Bruins’ offense, as they picked up a 4-1 win to even their first-round playoff series with the Red Wings Sunday afternoon in Boston.
Justin Florek, Reilly Smith, Milan Lucic and Zdeno Chara all scored for the Presidents’ Trophy winners, who rebounded from a 1-0 loss Friday night to even their Eastern Conference Quarterfinals series at one game apiece.
Luke Glendening scored for the Red Wings, while Howard stopped 25 of the 29 shots he faced.
Tuukka Rask stopped 34 of the Red Wings’ 35 shots.
The series will now head to Detroit; Games 3 and 4 will take place at Joe Louis Arena on Tuesday and Thursday, respectively.
Boston capitalized on two power play opportunities Sunday afternoon, after the Red Wings held them scoreless on multiple tries in the opening game of the series on Friday.
Meanwhile, the Red Wings failed to capitalize on four power play chances over their own.
Florek scored his first NHL playoff goal at the 7:28 mark of the first period – the Bruins’ first goal of the series. Capitalizing on a poor exchange between Jimmy Howard and Brendan Smith, the Marquette native grabbed a loose puck and fired a shot into an empty Detroit goal.
Reilly Smith, brother of the Red Wings’ defenseman Brendan Smith, was the second to record his first playoff goal, just three minutes later. Smith, a product of the Miami RedHawks, drove to the Detroit goal and found the puck sitting behind Howard in the crease.
The first period ended with the Bruins holding a 18-10 shot advantage
Detroit, however, controlled the second period of play, leading in the shot chart by a 13-6 margin.
Glendening scored at the 13:20 mark of the middle period, when a shot from Darren Helm popped up and hit his body. After video review, the goal stood, giving the Grand Rapids native his first career playoff goal, as well.
That would be it for the Red Wings, however. In the final two minutes of the second period, Livonia native Torey Krug started a rush up ice with a pass to Lucic. After sending the puck over to Jerome Iginla, Lucic skated to the Detroit net, received a return pass, and fired a shot that was partially stopped by Jimmy Howard, but still ended up crossing the goal line.
Chara increased the Bruins’ lead to 4-1 just 2:27 into the third period, knocking in a rebound during an early Boston power play.