The Chicago Blackhawks and Boston Bruins faced off in an Original Six game on Wednesday night (Dec. 4) at the United Center. The Bruins are currently looking to turn their season around with their new bench boss, Joe Sacco. Going into this tournament, the club went 5-2-0 against Sacco, and is in third place in the Atlantic division (13-11-3). Boston was riding a two-game winning streak, and came back for a third. The Blackhawks, who finished last in the league at 8-15-2, were trying to save three in a row. Their last game against the Toronto Maple Leafs (Dec. 2) was one of their most consistent and aggressive games, despite losing 4-1.
Related – Blackhawks Fall to Maple Leafs; Lost 4-1
Adding to the plot, a number of Blackhawks were formerly Bruins, including Taylor Hall, Tyler Bertuzzi, Pat Maroon and Craig Smith as well as Blackhawks captain Nick Foligno. Heck, even Ryan Donato was originally drafted by the Bruins. On the other side of the ice, Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov played for the Blackhawks in the 2020-21 season, as did D-man Jordan Oesterle back in the 2017-18 season.
In net, Jeremy Swayman got the nod for the Bruins and Petr Mrazek suited up for the Blackhawks.
Here's how the game went down.
Blackhawks & Bruins Exchange Goals in First Period
Just one minute and 23 seconds into the game, Blackhawks defenseman Alex Vlasic opened the scoring, deflecting a nice pass from Foligno into the back of the net. It was Vlasic's first goal of the season, along with 10 assists. It was the 15th time this season that the Blackhawks scored first.
cucumbers go well with goals 🥒 pic.twitter.com/4itbyi3twF
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) December 5, 2024
Bruins forward Morgan Geekie tied things up soon after with his third goal of the season. He followed up with his own shot, which went in behind Mrazek.
The Blackhawks had a scare when defensive end Alec Martinez left the game after blocking the ball. He returned for just one more shift before heading back to the locker room again. Losing another veteran D-man would be a big blow with Seth Jones already out with a foot injury. Fortunately, Martinez came back in the second half and finished the game.
Late in the first Bruins captain Brad Marchand took a shot off the goal. When the Hawks tried to block it, defenseman Wyatt Kaiser hit the net with his foot. He was called for delay of game, putting the Bruins on their second power play.
The Second Frame features the Marchand & Pastrnak Show
The Blackhawks killed the Bruins' power play to start the second half, but Marchand wasted no time, scoring two quick goals to give his team a 3-1 lead. Both goals were assisted by Marchand's partner in crime, David Pastrnak.
Brad is coming 🔥 pic.twitter.com/4Uo8h1zrFP
– Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) December 5, 2024
Things were looking bad for the Blackhawks, but they hung on, and were rewarded at the end of the period with a timely goal by Jason Dickinson, to cut the score to 3-2.
What a shot from Dickinson 🔥 pic.twitter.com/4gbGg14rAk
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) December 5, 2024
Great patience and determination from Dickinson for his fifth goal of the season, as well as smart play and a good pass from Ilya Micheyev, who provided the assist.
Third Woe to the Blackhawks
The third period featured a lot of back-and-forth and plenty of opportunities for both sides. The Blackhawks were trying to take advantage of the Bruins' tired legs, as their 3-2 victory over the Detroit Red Wings required overtime the night before.
But Boston once again found a way to move forward. Chicago's third line of Mikheyev, Dickinson and Foligno had some pretty good turnovers, but the turnover led to Geekie's second goal of the night and fourth of the season to make it 4-2 to the Bruins.
Geeks are geekin 🤫 pic.twitter.com/knyfxDZfTi
– Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) December 5, 2024
At the end of the game, the Blackhawks were called too many men on the ice, as their extra forward jumped before goaltender Mrazek could get to the bench. The Bruins power play that followed clearly ruined any final push by the Blackhawks. They ended up losing 4-2.
The Bruins played a smart game and capitalized on their chances, while the Blackhawks played a sloppy game and paid the price.
Final Thoughts on the Blackhawks and Bruins
-It was a tale of two tonight for the Bruins. Marchand and Geekie each had two goals, while Pasternak, Oesterle, Mason Lohrei and Justin Brazeau all had two assists.
-The Bruins are now 6-2-0 since Joe Sacco took over from Jim Montgomery as head coach. They adapt well to change.
-Blackhawks defenseman Martinez had a rough night. Not only did he leave the game briefly after the interception, but he was in charge of all four of the Bruins' goals.
-On the plus side, Hawks D-man Connor Murphy registered two assists (ten on the season), two shots on goal, one goal and three blocked shots in 21:03 minutes of ice time (second only to Vlasic's 24:26 minutes. ).
-Blackhawks' young star Connor Bedard seemed out of sync after showing improvement over the past few contests. He never seemed to be in the right place on the ice, and he never had an impact on the game. His second meltdown continues.
Related – Tommy's Take: Bruins Edge Out 3-2 Victory Over Red Wings
The Bruins improved to 14-11-3 and will host the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday, Dec. 7. Meanwhile, the Blackhawks fell to 8-16-2. They will face the red-hot Winnipeg Jets, also on Saturday, at the United Center.
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