McAvoy Scores Game-Winner In OT, 2-1 Against Kings

 

In a game where goals were hard to come by, the Boston Bruins outlasted the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday at TD Garden, securing a 2-1 victory in overtime. Mason Lohrei broke the ice for Boston, only to see Drew Doughty answer for the Kings to force an extra frame. Charlie McAvoy secured the win for the Bruins in overtime. Both netminders were nearly perfect; Jeremy Swayman turned aside 14 shots for the win, while Darcy Kuemper stood tall with 22 saves in the losing effort. The Bruins stay home to host the San Jose Sharks on Thursday, while the Kings continue their road trip on Friday against the New York Islanders.

Los Angeles Kings Lineup:

Panarin - Kopitar - Kempe

Moore - Byfield - Laferriere

Turcotte - Laughton - Wright

Malott - Helenius - Ward

Anderson - Doughty

Edmundson - Clarke

Dumoulin - Ceci

Kuemper

Forsberg

Boston Bruins Lineup:

Khusnutdinov - E. Lindholm - Pastrnak

Mittelstadt - Zacha - Arvidsson

Eyssimont - Minten - Geekie

Jeannot - Kuraly - Kastelic

Aspirot - McAvoy

H. Lindholm - Lohrei

Zadorov - Peeke

Swayman

Korpisalo

In the second period, Scott Laughton had a chance to give Los Angeles the lead while short-handed when he collected the loose puck to break in alone on Jeremy Swayman after Hampus Lindholm, from the point, whiffed on a shot. Late in the frame, Charlie McAvoy, who got hit by a puck in November and needed facial surgery, left the game, but returned for the third period, sporting an abrasion on his face.

Mason Lohrei finally opened the scoring, recording his seventh goal of the season, getting the Bruins on the board first at 11:38 of the third period when he took a pass from Hampus Lindholm, who collected the puck on the left side after Viktor Arvidsson got it free and away from the Kings at the end boards before he made a pass to Lohrei. From the top of the right circle, Lohrei beat Darcy Kuemper blocker side with a wrist shot off the post. With 6:00 to go in the frame, Drew Doughty responded for the Kings to tie it 1-1, scoring his fourth of the season when he skated in off the bench, taking a pass from Trevor Moore, who picked up the puck along the right boards before handing it over to Doughty for a one-timer from the right point that deflected in off Elias Lindholm's skate.

McAvoy put the puck home only 39 seconds into overtime to win it for Boston on his seventh goal of the season, beating Kuemper with a backhand deke. The Bruins got the puck away from the Kings, and Mark Kastelic circled the Bruins' net before sending a stretch pass from the left corner to David Pastrnak, who was at the blue line and quickly fed McAvoy for the 2-1 final.

Notes:

- This was Jeremy Swayman's 25th win of the season, which ties an NHL career high.

- The Bruins (36-22-6) have won 13 straight games on home ice. ...In the past 49 years, this streak is one of the only three streaks of that length for the franchise.

- The Kings are 26-23-15, and just came off a 5-4 overtime win at the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday.

- Charlie McAvoy's game-winning goal marks his 67th career tally and ties Torey Krug for ninth place on the Bruins' all-time list among defensemen. ...He also scored the third-fastest goal to start overtime by a defenseman in Bruins history. He's behind both Krug (0:34 on November 25th, 2013) and Lionel Hitchman (0:36 on February 16, 1926).

- Viktor Arvidsson assisted on Mason Lohrei's game-opening goal, and during Boston's home win streak, he's collected 7-4--11. During that stretch, only two Bruins players have more points: David Pastrnak (3-15--18) and McAvoy (2-12--14).

- With his game-tying goal, Drew Doughty has 30 game-tying goals in his career, and tied Rob Blake for the most by a defenseman in Kings history.