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Bruins Postgame: A Gutsy Comeback, Elias Lindholm’s Bigger Impact
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- Bruins Postgame: A Gutsy Comeback, Elias Lindholm’s Bigger Impact
IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
"We'll take the points, right?" said Marco Sturm postgame. "I know we didn't play our best, but again, I'll take the points."
The Boston Bruins (10-4-1) erased a two-goal third-period deficit and beat the Chicago Blackhawks (4-9-1) 5-4 in overtime on Halloween at TD Garden. Elias Lindholm scored the game-winner, while David Pastrnak , Casey Mittelstadt , Mason Lohrei and Morgan Geekie scored in regulation. Michael DiPietro made a career-high 37 saves in the win.
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Also Read: Bruins Complete Late Comeback in Overtime, Snap Losing Streak
"It's huge. I think, for us, this road trip and the last couple of stretches of games were definitely not our best, or to our standard as a team," Geekie, who scored the tying goal with 10.2 seconds left in regulation, said postgame. "For us to kind of come out and have a gutsy win like this, I think it kind of speaks to the character and the leadership group. Those guys stepped up tonight, and it was huge. It's one of those things that we're going to watch tomorrow, and there's going to be a lot to learn from it for sure, but I think for us it's more about the gutsy win that we have and kind of how we can get things done when we're not at our best."
The Bruins, for the second time this season, did not have a lead throughout the game. The Blackhawks opened the scoring and broke the tie twice before taking a two-goal lead with 7:40 remaining in the third period.
The Blackhawks controlled the first 40 minutes of play. They held a 41-22 advantage in 5-on-5 shot attempts, according to Natural Stat Trick , and they outshot the Bruins 28-13. They finished with 41, and Saturday marked the first time this season that the Blackhawks finished with more than 29 shots in a single game .
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"Yelling," Sturm said with a smile when asked what changed. "Maybe about midway through the second there, we just… It's almost like we wanted to carry the puck in, in the net, and I thought we learned some lessons there in Carolina. St. Louis was a little bit better, but still it was not there today. So I mean, that's an area we definitely have to get better. We do. I'm a big believer in volume shooting, especially in [the] start of games. And for some reason, we've been lacking in that a little bit lately. I'm just going to keep barking at them, and I'm going to yell this at them till they get it."
The Blackhawks looked to suck the life out of TD Garden on a Saturday afternoon when Connor Bedard scored a breakaway goal to put Chicago up 4-2. However, the Bruins woke up, as did the 17,850 in attendance on Causeway.
Mason Lohrei scored just 46 seconds after Bedard, slicing the Blackhawks' lead in half.
Morgan Geekie, who led the Bruins with 39 goals last season, had just one entering Saturday's game. His last goal came on October 8, in a 6-1 win over Utah, but with 10.2 seconds left, he unleashed a rocket that beat Arvid Soderblom and forced overtime.
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Also Read: Bruins' Morgan Geekie Looks to Regain Scoring Touch
"Yeah, that was huge. It means, I think, a little bit extra knowing that we won the game, and kind of gets us to that point," Geekie said. "We didn't really have our A-game for two and a half periods, but we were able to find a way to get one for sure. And to close it out like that was really good for us."
And yes, the crowd was loud. It's not often that you feel the ground shaking, but it was.
There's no place like home.
Sound ON 🔊 pic.twitter.com/2rhF4vdnm8— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) October 31, 2026
Michael DiPietro made some crucial saves in overtime before Elias Lindholm brought the crowd to its feet one last time. DiPietro made three in overtime, but none bigger than a breakaway attempt by Anton Frondell , who was bidding for a hat trick.
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Lindholm then caught a stretch pass from Charlie McAvoy , beat Oliver Moore , and went backhand-to-forehand to beat Soderblom for the winner. The goal marked Lindholm's fifth of the season and his first overtime winner in a Bruins sweater.
"Oh, he's been unbelievable," Geekie said of his old linemate. "I know a lot of people rip on him the last couple years, but I mean, he brings his all every night. I think you see it up and down the ice as a 200-foot player, and I don't think he gets enough credit for how good he is night in and night out. We all see it in here, and to see him get rewarded like that, you know, taking it to the net and getting the game-winner was huge. So definitely genuinely happy for him."
Lindholm has also found success in a new role alongside Casey Mittelstadt and James Hagens on the third line. The Blackhawks outattempted the third line 11-7 in 9:52 of 5-on-5 time together, but the line outshot the Blackhawks 4-2 on Saturday. When Sturm put the lines together, he referenced Lindholm's and Mittelstadt's character and how that will help Hagens grow . After nine games together, the line has been one of the Bruins' most reliable lines, but the two veterans are playing a critical role in helping the 19-year-old develop into an NHLer.
Also Read: Bruins' Elias Lindholm Feels Healthy, Sturm Talks 'Target on His Back'
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"I have to tell you, Casey and Elias take care of Hagens," Sturm said. "That's the bottom line, and he's soaking everything in right now, and they help him. They've been really good to him, and that, I think, makes the whole line too. They talk a lot off the ice too and just try to help each other and try to help the kid out. Again, that shows you the character of those two guys, and that's one of the bigger reasons why they've been so good because they're actually communicating."
The Bruins, namely Marco Sturm , have given Hagens an opportunity to establish himself in the NHL during his rookie season. He is tied for the lead in rookie scoring with five goals and 11 points, and since moving to a line with Mittelstadt and Lindholm, he has recorded nine of his 11 points (3-6–9).
"It's fun being able to play with those guys, you know, to be around them," Hagens said. "Even on the ice, off the ice as well, I sit next to both of them [in the locker room], so just being able to talk, communicate, whether you had a tough shift or a good one, you know, it's really nice. You just feel comfortable, and I know that we all trust each other out there."
The Bruins will have Sunday off. They will hit TD Garden ice for a Monday morning skate ahead of their game against the Vegas Golden Knights (9-5-0).
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