Bruins Suffer Another Third-Period Collapse to Lightning
BOSTON –The Boston Bruins needed a win to clinch a playoff spot, but they will have to wait for help on Saturday evening; if not, they have another chance on Sunday.
The Bruins (43-27-10) fell 2-1 to the Tampa Bay Lightning (49-25-6) on Saturday afternoon at the TD Garden. The loss marks the Bruins’ fifth straight (0-3-2). It is also their second regulation loss when leading after 40 minutes (31-2-4), both coming to the Lightning.
Morgan Geekie (38) scored the lone Bruins goal, his fourth in the last two games.
Jeremy Swayman made 22 saves but is now 30-18-4 on the season.
Neither team scored in the first 20 minutes; the Lightning led shots 5-4.
With three minutes remaining in the first period, Swayman robbed Gage Goncalves as he tried to wrap the puck around the Bruins’ goaltender.
Andrei Vasilevskiy followed a huge save on Mark Kastelic at the beginning of the second period, which kept the game scoreless.
Charlie McAvoy played a long stretch pass to Morgan Geekie, sending him on a breakaway. He picked his corner and beat Vasilevskiy high glove to open the scoring at 10:47 of the second period.
With the assist, McAvoy reached his 50th of the campaign, the first time in his career he has hit that number.
The Bruins and Lightning were even at 13 shots through two periods, but Morgan Geekie’s goal was the difference.
Brandon Hagel got the Lightning on the board at the 6:37 mark of the third period.
Emil Lilleberg scored the game-winner with 95 seconds showing on the clock, burying a rebound outside of the crease to dampen the Bruins’ chances at clinching a playoff spot on Saturday.
The Bruins got their first power play with 33 seconds left, called a timeout, but did not beat Vasilevskiy on either of their two power-play shots.
Clinching a playoff spot is still possible on Saturday. If Detroit loses in regulation, the Bruins will need one of Philadelphia or the NY Islanders to lose in regulation to clinch a playoff spot.
If not, the Bruins will be back on the ice in Columbus with another opportunity to clinch. They face the Blue Jackets (39-28-12) on Sunday at 6:00 PM.
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