Bruins Snap Skid, Take Down Avalanche: 'Effort from Everybody'

BOSTON –– When Marco Sturm looked down his bench, there was a quiet confidence about his team.

The Boston Bruins had successfully defended their lead for the majority of the afternoon and were minutes away from snapping a six-game losing streak.

“I actually felt like the bench was really calm, even in the third period. There was absolutely no panic,” the head coach said. “I thought the guys handled it really well the second half of the game.”

The composure – and sound defensive showing – earned the B’s a 3-2 win over the Colorado Avalanche Saturday at TD Garden. It was a glimpse of how the team wants to play on a nightly basis.

​“It feels good to beat one of the top teams in the league, and to get it done at home shows the resilience we have in this locker room,” said Jeremy Swayman, who made 31 saves. “It’s something we can really build on. It’s early in the year, a lot can happen still – that’s our mindset.”

Artturi Lehkonen put Colorado up 1-0 at 4:26, but the Bruins got ahead before the end of the first period with goals from Viktor Arvidsson and Mikey Eyssimont.

Mason Lohrei dropped the puck down to Arvidsson behind the Colorado net, where he banked a shot off of goaltender Scott Wedgewood’s back and in at 14:16 to tie things 1-1. It marked Arvidsson’s first goal with the Bruins after joining the team in July.

“Just relief. I think I’ve been all over it and shooting a lot. It was nice to see it finally go in,” Arvidsson said. “I thought our line was playing the last three or four games, and had been creating and scoring. It just hadn’t been me who had the last touch. It was nice to have it today.”

Boston earned the lead just 39 seconds later when the third line of Eyssimont, Fraser Minten and Tanner Jeannot broke in on an odd-man rush. Jeannot carried the puck down the right side before backhanding it across to Eyssimont, who knocked it in at 14:55 to make it 2-1.

Morgan Geekie extended the Bruins’ advantage with five seconds remaining in the period. David Pastrnak dumped the puck into the offensive zone, and Geekie scooped it from the boards and snuck it behind Wedgewood’s pad for the 3-1 boost ahead of the third. It was Geekie’s sixth goal of the season, which now leads the team, and fourth in three games.

“My dad would be proud of that one, probably. It was maybe the perfect storm,” Geekie said. “That’s not going to happen every time, but when you get those opportunities to get behind the D like that, just trying to get it on net as fast as I can.”

Lohrei picked up the secondary assist on the play, marking his fourth point in two games and third of the afternoon. The defenseman skated on the second pair with Andrew Peeke on Saturday for the first time this year.

“Obviously, it’s an effort from everybody. We got the two points and that’s the biggest thing,” Lohrei said. “Every day is a new day. You go out there, and I know what is expected, and I know what I expect of myself.”

​Lehkonen’s second goal of the matchup pulled Colorado within one, 3-2, with 18 seconds remaining in regulation, but the Bruins held on for the win.

​Boston finished the night with 34 blocked shots, too, while Colorado totaled seven. The buy-in was evident and helped Swayman be at the top of his game. ​

“The best thing ever. It’s a momentum shifter, I think, in a game. Guys selling out, not getting out of position, but sacrificing their body for the greater good of the team. That’s important for us,” Swayman said. “Really thankful to have these guys in front of me.”

The Bruins now hit the road for Monday’s 7:30 p.m. game against the Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre.

“Through everything that we’ve been through here at the start of the year, I think there is one thing that has never been in question and that’s just the group we have and the character we have in this room,” Geekie said.