The Boston Bruins lost in overtime to the Carolina Panthers Thursday, but the one-point they earned in the game was enough to take the Atlantic Division lead. The Bruins have a one-point advantage over the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers, and they are hoping to hold it as the playoffs draw closer.
The Bruins got off to a slow start this season, and for a time, it looked like the team would not even make the playoffs. But all that has changed in the second half of the year, as the team has gone 17-7-3 since mid-January. Despite the 3-2 loss to the Hurricanes Thursday night, Boston has the lead in the division, but the race expects to be tight until the start of the playoffs.
"I don't think we're going to make that big of a deal in being first place," Boston coach Claude Julien said. "We lost a game tonight and even if it means that point got us in first, we're certainly not satisfied with that."
Phillip Di Giueseppe scored the winning goal for the Hurricanes on Thursday, putting the puck past Rask just 1:30 into the overtime period. Elias Lindholm and Nathan Gerbe scored earlier for Carolina, while Loui Eriksson and David Pastrnak scored for the Bruins. Rask had 25 saves in the game for Boston.
While the Bruins took first place in the Atlantic Division by earning a point in the game, not everyone was pleased with the situation. Rask vented about the new overtime rules instituted this season by the NHL, which turned things to three-on-three skating after previously being four-on-four. The matchup with Carolina was the fourth straight game that went to overtime for the Bruins.
"I mean, I've had it with these three-on-three overtimes," Rask said. "It's just scoring chance after scoring chance. But, you just try to win the games, right? I was hoping (the Bruins) would score a quick goal like last game (against the Tampa Bay Lightning), but it didn't happen."
The Bruins have played very well during the last month, winning games over teams that will be in the playoffs, including the Chicago Blackhawks and Pittsburgh Penguins, as well as division rivals in the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning. The Bruins have now won four of their last six games and have gone 6-1-2 over the last nine to push into first place. But can they keep it? Only time will tell.
