Comeback Kids Strike Again

PHILADELPHIA -Time never seems to run out on these Bruins. They simply won't allow it.
On a day when Boston could have easily shut it down and fast-forwarded through the final 15 minutes of its Easter Sunday matinee with the Philadelphia Flyers, the Black & Gold - as they have all season long - found a way to get something for their efforts, overcoming a two-goal deficit when Patrice Bergeron punched home the tying goal with 3.8 seconds to play in regulation.

"It's what we've done all year," said Brad Marchand. "We play right to the last buzzer. Some games work out for us, some games it doesn't."

In the end, this was one of the games that didn't. But the Bruins were still able to salvage what was perhaps their most unlikely point of the season in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Flyers at Wells Fargo Center.
Boston, which extended its points streak to nine games, now sits 2 points clear of the Tampa Bay Lightning for first place in the Eastern Conference with one game in hand. The two Atlantic Division rivals meet again on Tuesday night at Amalie Arena.
"This team, it's fun to play together," said Torey Krug. "We have each other's backs and it doesn't matter the time or the score, we just keep battling. That's a great point. There's things throughout the game we could have done better…thought we created a lot and they took advantage of their chances when they got them. It's good to get the point and we'll move onto Tampa now."
Facing their second two-goal deficit of the afternoon, Boston began its climb back at 6:54 of the third period when David Pastrnak whipped home his 33rd of the season with an unassisted power-play tally to bring the B's within 3-2.
"It's been fairly typical of our group," said Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy. "We've done it before, where we've played from behind and were able to come back and get points out of the game. Our guys know that they're capable of it.
"The power-play goal gave us a chance. After the 3-1 goal, it would have been easy to say, 'Hey, we've played a lot of hockey…' But we stuck with it and were able to get a couple goals and get a point out of it."

The Bruins' dogged determination was on full display in the final seconds of regulation with Anton Khudobin on the bench. Wayne Simmonds had about one step to go to clear the zone, before running into the stick of David Krejci. Philadelphia tried tirelessly on at least three more occasions to swat the puck out, but Boston formed a brick wall at the Flyers blue line.
"To keep pucks alive, we didn't quit on it, that's for sure," said Cassidy. "It looked like they were going to get it out a few times and we stayed on it and got to the right spots. I think we've had a few 6-on-5 goals in the last little bit than we did at the start of the year. That's encouraging. Even then it's gone our way lately on those."
The puck eventually was jostled free to David Backes, who backhanded a pass through the slot that clanked off a Philadelphia defender and right to Bergeron at the top of the left-wing circle.
Bergeron settled the puck and ripped a wrister by Petr Mrazek to tie the game, 3-3, with 3.8 seconds on the clock and set off a wild celebration on the Boston bench.
"We all believed that we would get it done," said Zdeno Chara. "Very proud of the way we battled and got that extra point from that situation. It's a battle. We kept the puck in and got rewarded."

Chara Returns

The Bruins had their captain back on Sunday as Chara returned to the lineup after a nine-game absence with an upper-body injury. The 41-year-old was paired with Nick Holden and played 21:14 and landed two shots on goal and five hits.
"It was nice to be back playing and be part of it and be back in the action," said Chara. "It's one of those things that you get pretty into it quite early on. You've got to keep moving your feet and moving the puck. Those things kind of come back quite quickly. You don't have much time to think about what it was like. That's always nice."

Injury Report

Before the game, Cassidy provided updates on Brandon Carlo and Riley Nash, both of whom left Saturday's win over Florida with injuries.
Nash needed 40-plus stitches to his ear/head after being struck by a puck and did not travel with the team. The veteran center could meet the team in Florida once the discomfort from the stitches dies down and he is able to comfortable wear a helmet.
Carlo, who was ushered from the ice on a stretcher after an awkward fall by the Zamboni entrance in the third period, also did not travel for the trip. Cassidy said the blue liner had a lot of swelling in his leg, meaning a final determination on the extent of the injury has not yet been made.
"We should know more very soon…looking at the video, it's probably not going to be good news," said Cassidy. "But I don't have definitive answers today. If he does [miss the playoffs, it [stinks] for a guy that's played almost every regular season game, been healthy through two regular seasons."
Last season, Carlo suffered a concussion in the final regular season contest and missed all of Boston's six-game playoff series with Ottawa. The 21-year-old missed only one game this season, as a healthy scratch.
"I think the whole group felt bad for him, seeing him go off the ice on a stretcher," said Cassidy. "Let's face it, you go off the ice on a stretcher, it's probably not good news. But we're holding out hope it's not as bad as it looked."
Charlie McAvoy, out since March 3 with a sprained MCL, is with the team and skated on his own prior to the game. He could return on Tuesday in Tampa.