Brad Marchand, Bruins Overcome Penalties in 3-2 Overtime Win Against Senators

Despite the Ottawa Senators erasing Boston’s 2-0 lead thanks to a pair of power-play goals, Brad Marchand’s overtime winner put the Bruins back in the win column on Thursday.

It wasn’t pretty for the Boston Bruins. Despite committing nine total penalties, allowing six power-play opportunities and getting outshot 37-23, the Bruins clawed their way to a 3-2 overtime win against the Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre on Thursday.

As he showed behind the bench with his reactions throughout the game, Bruins coach Jim Montgomery made it clear he was not happy with the officiating.

"I don't think we dodged a bullet. I think we took about eight bullets," he said.

"They had six power plays, we had one. That is one-sided."

Brad Marchand scored the winner at 1:48 of overtime. Jeremy Swayman’s pad save on Tim Stutzle rebounded past Brady Tkachuk – who would have had an exposed net to shoot at – and out to Charlie Coyle. Coyle sent it across to Marchand on the 2-on-1 rush, and the Bruins captain buried it low from the left circle to secure the win.

"'Sway' made a great save. Kind of bounced to the wall there, and [Coyle] did a great job kind of getting ice and getting it over early so I'd have time to make a play," Marchand said.

Swayman made 34 saves for the Bruins, who improved to 30-9-9. David Pastrnak and Trent Frederic scored the other goals. Marchand’s goal marked the 396th of his career, which passed Ray Bourque for sole possession of fifth-most in Bruins history.

Boston went 17:24 between its first and second shot on goal, but it made its third one count. Pastrnak broke open the scoring with a power-play one-timer at 18:36. Coyle won the face-off back to Charlie McAvoy, who sent it across the ice to Pastrnak.

"Just getting our legs under us and trying to play simple," McAvoy said about the conversations in the locker room during the first intermission. "Transition well, quick. Back-to-backs aren't easy, but I thought we grew our game the right way."

The Senators nearly tied it with a power-play goal of their own from Drake Batherson at 8:03 of the second period, but Swayman just managed to keep the puck out despite losing track of it.

The Bruins quickly turned it the other way as it went back to even strength, and Pavel Zacha set Frederic up from the neutral zone to skate in and fire it past Ottawa goalie Joonas Korpisalo at 8:19. It was just Boston’s ninth shot on goal of the game.

The Senators continued to get chances with the Bruins continually sending players to the penalty box – although some calls were more questionable than others – and they finally capitalized on their fifth opportunity when Thomas Chabot cut it to 2-1 with 28 seconds left in the second period. Tim Stutzle sent it down to Batherson, who sent a backhand pass across the crease with his back turned to Chabot at the net front.

Josh Norris appeared to tie it at 13:18 of the third, but Mathieu Joseph used his glove to bat the puck down out of the air and towards Norris to negate the play after an official review.

However, when handed another power play at 15:21 with a Parker Wotherspoon cross-check, the Senators took advantage. Vladimir Tarasenko tied it 2-2 at 16:42 of the third, ripping it short side on Swayman from the left circle.

The shots evened out to 6-6 after Tarasenko's tying goal through Marchand's winner.

"I think the biggest thing is finishing off a game that looked like an uphill battle sometimes," Swayman said. "Really special to get a back-to-back [win] as well, and finish it off in overtime. ... Feel-good win for us, and excited to move forward."

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