NHL scores 2017: The Bruins needed a win and got it in dramatic fashion

Way, way back at the end of November, we wrote about how a key overtime win for the Islanders saved the job of Jack Capuano. Of course, the Islanders’ bench boss got canned just a few weeks ago, but Bruins fans can breathe a bit of a sigh of relief that their team won in overtime on Tuesday.

It wasn’t easy. The Bruins gave up leads of 1-0 and 2-1 in the game, though ultimately came back to tie the Red Wings 3-3 and force the overtime period. David Pastrnak was the hero with the game-winner, his first in 18 games. He likely saved the job of his head coach for another day.

The situation in Boston is a bit more precarious than the Islanders. It was almost assured that Capuano would be leaving sometime this season, given how the team was under-performing. His stint in New York wasn’t anything to write home about, as he led the Islanders to the playoffs three times in his six-and-a-half-year career with the second round the highest they went. Capuano certainly wasn’t bad by any stretch, but his clout doesn’t hold the same weight as Claude Julien.

Julien’s near-10-year tenure for the Bruins has seen Boston win the Stanley Cup once and make the playoffs in all but the most recent two seasons. He’s well-liked by many in the Bruins community — he brought home a Stanley Cup to Boston, after all — and many agree that firing him now would be a mistake. Julien even hinted that the reason for the Bruins’ recent failings was because of general manager Don Sweeney and the organization’s lack of talent.

That, plus an aging Zdeno Chara, an under-performing Patrice Bergeron, and the lack of goaltender depth have exacerbated a problem that mostly falls on Sweeney. Julien wouldn’t be the first coach to get canned because of his GM’s mistakes, and he wouldn’t be the last.

Thankfully, however, Pastrnak’s goal has likely calmed the storm while breaking their four-game losing streak. Rest easy for now, Boston.

Boston Bruins 4, Detroit Red Wings 3 (OT)
Los Angeles Kings 3, New Jersey Devils 1
New York Islanders 4, Columbus Blue Jackets 2
St. Louis Blues 3, Pittsburgh Penguins 0
Montreal Canadiens 5, Calgary Flames 1
Ottawa Senators 3, Washington Capitals 0
Buffalo Sabres 5, Nashville Predators 4 (OT)
San Jose Sharks 4, Winnipeg Jets 3
Tampa Bay Lightning 5, Chicago Blackhawks 2
Minnesota Wild 3, Dallas Stars 2 (SO)

1. Cory Schneider’s off-year continued

It’s hard to tell what’s causing Schneider’s slide this season. The Devils’ goaltender hasn’t been his usual stalwart self in net, with a .910 save percentage through 36 games. Schneider’s been doing better as of late after putting up an .885 save percentage from Thanksgiving to Christmas, but on Tuesday he was pulled from the net after allowing three goals on 13 shots against the Kings.

The move may have been an attempt to spark the Devils after opening the game 3-0, as coaches often do when their teams start flat. It’s not hard to wonder, however, if Schneider didn’t struggle so much for a month would they be higher in the wild card race.

2. Brent Burns is scoring goals at a historic pace

We’ve seen offense from Burns in the past, but this season has been something magical. On Tuesday, Burns scored his 21st goal of the season, putting him on pace for something a defenseman hasn’t done in over 30 years.

Burns now leads NHL defensemen in goals by double digits and has a 12-point lead over noted offensive-defenseman Erik Karlsson. It’s definitely the beard giving him these powers, no doubt.

3. The Capitals’ point streak has come to an end

It was only a matter of time before the Capitals would have a clunker. Unlike their high-energy 8-7 loss to the Penguins that broke their winning streak, Washington looked uninspired in the 3-0 shutout loss to the Senators.

Meanwhile, the Senators won four of their last five and have kept a hold of their playoff spot in the Atlantic as the Bruins have sunk.

4. Jonathan Toews can still score!

It’s been a highly disappointing year for the Blackhawks captain, who had just eight goals coming into Tuesday night. Toews was selected to the All-Star Game, sure, but even he admitted the honor wasn’t thanks to his below-average season. Yet, the captain is starting to heat up after scoring goals in consecutive games for the first time since ... the start of November.

The Sabres came back from a two-goal deficit to force overtime against the Predators in the last six minutes of the third period. Jack Eichel had a magnificent overtime winner, completing Buffalo’s comeback to win their third in a row.

The Flames lost again, their sixth in their last seven games. It’s been a bad, bad time for Calgary’s goaltenders recently.