Jake DeBrusk’s promotion to the top line paid immediate dividends, as he scored twice, including the game-winner 33 seconds into overtime, to lead the Boston Bruins to a 3-2 victory over the Seattle Kraken on Thursday night.
“I’ve gotten some puck luck the last little bit, so it’s been trending in the right direction,” DeBrusk said. “So I was really excited.”
Boston kicked off a long road trip with its third consecutive win and welcomed Brad Marchand back from suspension. DeBrusk, elevated to the line with Marchand and Patrice Bergeron for the first time this season, scored his first two-goal game since January 2020.
David Pastrnak added his 28th goal of the season early in the second period, giving Boston a 2-1 lead.
Marchand, returning after a six-game suspension for roughing and high-sticking Pittsburgh goalie Tristan Jarry, played nearly 22 minutes, fired seven shots on goal, and stayed out of the penalty box. “I was happy with his game,” said Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy. “Obviously, we’ll look at the details tomorrow, but I thought he looked good on the surface.”
Linus Ullmark made 25 saves for Boston.
Mark Giordano and Jordan Eberle scored for Seattle, while Philipp Grubauer made 36 saves, the second-most this season. Despite Grubauer’s efforts, the Kraken lost their sixth straight game.
“We played our (butts) off tonight for 60 minutes, bottom line. Tough way to lose a hockey game,” said Seattle coach Dave Hakstol. “Proud of our effort.”
Seattle grabbed a 1-0 lead with Giordano’s second short-handed goal in three games. The Kraken managed to kill four penalties, including a double minor on Adam Larsson for high sticking, but Boston tied the game with a fluky bounce. Erik Haula’s pass deflected over the net, and Jeremy Lauzon’s attempt to swat it away ended with DeBrusk poking it in.
Boston took a 2-1 lead with Pastrnak’s one-timer off a cross-ice pass by Charlie McAvoy. However, the Kraken tied it when Eberle finished a 3-on-1 break with a backhander at 13:19 of the second period, his 15th goal of the season.
“The big picture is we’ve lost six in a row. I mean, that’s unacceptable,” Eberle said. “But we got to find a way to keep with it. … We’re playing better. We just got to find a way to play on our toes. We’ve got to be aggressive.”
MCCANN OUT
Seattle’s leading scorer, Jared McCann, was placed on injured reserve with an upper-body injury. Coach Dave Hakstol hopes for a short stint on IR for McCann, who leads Seattle with 33 points and a career-high 21 goals. McCann is one of four Kraken players on IR, alongside Jaden Schwartz, Brandon Tanev, and Karson Kuhlman.
Game Notes:
- Giordano has 12 career short-handed goals, the most among active defensemen and seventh-most in NHL history.
- Boston improved to 5-4 in overtime games this season. Seattle is 2-5.
- Seattle recalled F Kole Lind from Charlotte of the AHL to replace McCann. Lind was one of three scratches for Seattle.
UP NEXT:
- Bruins: At San Jose on Saturday.
- Kraken: At San Jose on Sunday.
