NHL Scores: Boston’s night gets flipped upside down

The Bruins had a tough Wednesday on and off the ice.

Mar 28, 2013, 11:00 AM UTC

USA TODAY Sports

Wow.

That expression was shared not only by the Bruins after their 6-5 loss on Wednesday, but by the entire hockey world when Jarome Iginla was stunningly traded to the Penguins after hours of reports he was headed to Boston. The rug was pulled right out from under the Bruins in more ways than one.

More: Full coverage of the Iginla trade

And really, the action on the ice took a backseat to the off-ice drama on Wednesday. Backdoor passes were ignored in favor of backroom dealings. In the end, the entire hockey world was turned upside down and suddenly the Penguins are the Cup favorites while the Bruins are left flat on their back wondering what happened.

The next few weeks are going to be fun.

All The NHL Scores

Get caught up on Tuesday’s NHL scores with recaps from our network of SB Nation team blogs. Here’s a quick glance at the full night of action:

Montreal 6, Boston 5 (SO)

Wild 4, Coyotes 3 (OT)

Flames 4, Avalanche 3

San Jose 4, Ducks 0

Five Answers

Prior to last night’s games, we presented five burning questions regarding the night’s action. Here are your cool, soothing answers.

1. Who will control first place in the Northeast Division following competition on Wednesday?

Montreal's 47 points lead the Northeast on Thursday, but just barely. The Canadiens will be hard-pressed to keep that lead the rest of the season. Montreal gets four games (against the Rangers, Hurricanes, Flyers and Jets) to try to separate themselves before playing the Bruins one more time in April.

2. How will Ryane Clowe fare in his return on Wednesday night?

He was certainly active. Clowe assisted on Joe Pavelski's opening goal with a strong rush up the ice and ignited the Sharks with this fight with Bryan Allen.

3. Will the Phoenix Coyotes end their five-game losing streak?

They came oh so close. In fact, they came within 54.3 seconds of ending the losing skid before Ryan Suter tied the game with a goal. Mikko Koivu ended it in OT and Coyotes goalie Jason LaBarbera called it "as big a kick to the [groin] as you're going to get."

4. Will the Colorado Avalanche allow the first goal?

Colorado let the Flames score the first two goals, actually, en route to a 4-3 loss and sole possession of the worst record in the Western Conference. So, congratulations?

5. Will the Bruins’ offense improve with new line combinations?

Boy, did it. The Patrice Bergeron, Daniel Paille and Tyler Seguin line combined for seven points and a +5 rating. Rich Peverley, Jordan Caron and Brad Marchand contributed three points and were all over the ice physically. The Bruins lineup looked incredibly energized with the new combinations.