Patrice Bergeron gets shootout winner as Boston Bruins end season skid against Philadelphia Flyers 3-2
Being a Stanley Cup defending team, losing four games in a row during the final games of the 2011-2012 National Hockey League (NHL) regular season certainly does not have a good effect on their playoff entrance.
Boston Bruins finally made a comeback, surprisingly against a tough rival team, Philadelphia Flyers, as Patrice Bergeron made the game winner in an intense shootout competition on Saturday night, March 17, 2012, at the sold-out TD Center in Boston, Massachusetts.
The home team was ahead finishing the first 20 minute mark of the matchup but Boston failed to maintain the gap, allowing Philadelphia to rebound and force the overtime extension.
It was their first win in the past four as Washington Capitals edged Boston, followed by a loss to Pittsburgh Penguins, Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers.
"We realize that when we play for the whole game and we keep putting pressure, we keep working hard and we keep staying with it, and we're not getting down on ourselves, we all find a way to get on top of it and to get a win," said Bergeron. "It's a perfect
example and it's a huge statement game for us and we've got to obviously build from it. It's only one game."
Chris Kelly and rookie, Tyler Seguin, scored two straight in the opener a little over 10 minutes apart to keep the Boston momentum up entering the second period.
Matt Read got the first of the night for Philadelphia midway through the next on a power play advantage with Boston’s Tyler Seguin on the bench for slashing.
With less than five minutes remaining, Jakub Voracek scored the equaliser to give Philadelphia a reason to celebrate and put Boston on the edge in order to keep themselves alive.
After a scoreless overtime extension, Boston scored on all three shootout attempts with David Krejci, Tyler Seguin and Patrice Bergeron securing the win. Daniel Briere had the chance to level the match on their third but failed to get it past Tim Thomas
as the crowd went wild realising their home team had won.
"Sometimes I like to visualize what it's going to feel like when you win right before the shootout, actually," said Thomas.
Bruins are gaining momentum and have the next against a playoff thirsty Toronto Maple Leafs team on Monday.
Philadelphia on the other hand has the next at home against a hot Pittsburgh Penguins team on Sunday.
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