Bruins Post 5-4 Comeback Win Against Blackhawks in Overtime

BOSTON –– Morgan Geekie, stationed at the left circle, chipped the puck up to Charlie McAvoy, who gave it right back, setting up a fiery one-timer with 10 seconds remaining on the game clock.

Geekie’s second goal of the season tied things 4-4 at the end of the third period against the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday at TD Garden, forcing overtime and the eventual 5-4 comeback win. It was Elias Lindholm who secured the extra point in the 3-on-3 play.

“It was huge. It means, I think, a little bit extra knowing that we won the game and kind of gets us to that point,” Geekie said. “We didn’t really have our A game for two and a half periods, but we were able to find a way to get one. To close it out like that was really good for us.”​

The B’s trailed the Blackhawks by two with just about seven minutes to play, but clawed their way to their 10th win of the season.

“Take the points, right? There’s a lot – we didn’t play our best, but I mean, I will take the points. We will look at it. We will talk about it tomorrow, what we have to get better at. But a great comeback,” head coach Marco Sturm said. “I’ll take that any day.”

Before the Bruins found their stride, Anton Frondell put the Blackhawks up 1-0 on the power play at 6:04 of the first period. David Pastrnak tied it up with his 428th career goal, which bumped the captain into sole possession of third place on the B’s all-time goals list, trailing only Phil Esposito and Johnny Bucyk.

Michael DiPietro stopped a Chicago chance, and Pavel Zacha collected the rebound, backhanding an outlet pass up ice to Pastrnak for the breakaway. Pastrnak deked the puck in front of Blackhawks netmind Arvid Soderblom and flipped it in for his eighth tally of the season at 13:05.

“That’s a heck of a two points for us. Sometimes this is the kind of game that it takes to get back in the winning column. It wasn’t easy,” Pastrnak said. “Great job by the whole group to stick with it. It wasn’t pretty, but at the end of the day it was two points, and that’s all we were focusing on the whole game.”

Frondell’s second of the afternoon, this time a deflected shot at 3:31 of the middle frame, gave Chicago a 2-1 lead. The Bruins knotted things once again, this time with a goal from Casey Mittelstadt. James Hagens carried the puck down the left wall and dished it to Mittelstadt in the high slot for the snapshot at 12:34. It was Mittelstadt’s fifth of the season – and Hagens’ fourth point in as many games.

“It’s fun being able to play with those guys,” Hagens said of being on the third line with Mittelstadt and Lindholm. “To be around them – on the ice and off the ice as well. I sit next to both of them, so just being able to talk, communicate whether you had a tough shift or a good one, it’s really nice. You just feel comfortable, and we know that we all trust each other out there.”

Ryan Greene pulled the Blackhawks ahead, 3-2, at 9:38 of the third period before Connor Bedard made it 4-2 at 12:20. Mason Lohrei shortened the gap to 4-3 with his third goal of the year, assisted by JJ Peterka and Tanner Jeannot, at 13:06. Then came the Geekie slapshot at 19:48, which Peterka earned his second helper of the afternoon on.

“It just shows that we stick together,” Hagens said. “I think that kind of starts off the ice, honestly, just how close we are. Being able to come in here and know that we all have each other’s backs, I feel like that leads over to the ice, as we saw tonight.”​

DiPietro, who finished the game with 37 saves, made another clutch stop in overtime, keeping a Frondell shot off the rush out of the net. Lindholm was soon able to go the other way, sending TD Garden into a frenzy.

“Next goal wins, so try not to let it go by you,” DiPietro said of his OT mindset. “It was a crazy game, I think, back and forth. Obviously they are a good group over there, high-end skill, so just got to be ready and be sharp. And a great move by Lindy to make sure we won.”

​McAvoy, who had two points against Chicago, launched the puck up ice, bouncing it off the boards and over to Lindholm, who broke into the offensive zone. The 31-year-old center protected the puck on his way to the net, maneuvering it to his forehand to tuck past Soderblom for the win at 2:32. It was Lindholm’s fifth goal and 12th point of the season.

​“He’s been unbelievable. I know a lot of people rip on him for the last couple years, but he brings his all every night. You see it up and down the ice – he’s a 200-foot player. I don’t think he gets enough credit for how good he is,” Geekie said of Lindholm. “We all see it in here. To see him get rewarded like that, taking it to the net and get the game-winner, was huge. Genuinely happy for him.”

The Bruins will be back in action on Monday when they host the Vegas Golden Knights for a 7 p.m. matchup at TD Garden.