BOSTON (AP) — Brad Marchand scored 2:06 into overtime to lift the Boston Bruins to a 2-1 comeback win over the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday.
It was the Bruins’ third straight victory and completed their four-game sweep of the season series with their archrivals for the first time since 1994-95.
Boston defenseman Charlie McAvoy suffered what the club called “a lower body injury” on the game’s opening shift. It only took a few minutes for the team to announce that he was “not likely” to return, and it gave no further information.
Marchand had the puck along the left boards, circled the net and snapped in a wrist shot for the Bruins’ 50th shot on goal.
Boston was coming off an eight-goal game — its highest total since 2012 — in a win over Pittsburgh on Thursday. The Bruins didn’t score Saturday until Jake DeBrusk’s tying goal with 2:45 left in regulation.
With Boston in danger of being shut out for the second time this season, DeBrusk tipped Nick Holden’s shot past Antti Niemi after center Jonathan Drouin was sent off for a delay-of-game penalty.
Anton Khudobin made 27 saves for Boston.
Brendan Gallagher scored and Niemi made 48 saves for the Canadiens.
Gallagher gave Montreal the lead when he stole a puck from defenseman Kevan Miller near the blue, skated into the slot and beat Khudobin with a wrist shot inside the left post 9:16 into the game.
The Bruins tied their season high for a period with 19 shots on goal in the second — and even a two-man power play for 41 seconds — but Niemi had solid positioning and controlled the rebounds.
Khudobin had the better highlight saves, though. His best was a sprawling right-pad stop with his legs completely split on Logan Shaw’s shot from the edge of the crease.
Boston forward David Pastrnak missed an excellent opportunity when he hit the left post at the end of a 3-on-1 break six minutes into the game.
NOTES: The Canadiens entered with the NHL’s worst road record with only 20 points. … It was Bruce Cassidy’s 200th game as coach of the Bruins. … In a brief token of peace between rival fans: The crowd booed when an adult male dressed in a Canadiens red jersey climbed onto the boards to get a puck stuck in the net, but he got a cheer when he turned around and gave it to a young boy in a Bruins jersey.
UP NEXT
Canadiens: Play the third of a six-game trip at the Devils on Tuesday.
Bruins: Host the Red Wings on Tuesday in the fourth of a six-game homestand.
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