Bruins extend point streak to eight in shootout loss to Devils

NEWARK, N.J. --Damon Severson scored the deciding goal in the sixth round of the shootout in his 400th NHL game to give the New Jersey Devils a 3-2 win against the Boston Bruins at Prudential Center on Tuesday.

Severson scored his second NHL shootout goal on a backhand before goalie Mackenzie Blackwood stopped Patrice Bergeron to give the Devils (14-19-6) their second straight win.
The Bruins extended their point streak to eight games (4-0-4).
WATCH: [All Bruins vs. Devils highlights]
"I saw everyone else seemed to be going to the glove side," Severson said. "I figured if I could make a good fake and go backhand and get it upstairs, I'd have a better chance to score. Ultimately it went in; that was a big one and it felt good."
Blackwood stopped David Pastrnak and Jake DeBrusk in the tie-breaker. Charlie Coyle's shot missed the net, Brad Marchand hit the post and Chris Wagner scored after Devils center Jack Hughes scored in the fifth round.
"When they're coming down in the shootout, I try to make the save but I'm not thinking too much," Blackwood said. "I'm just trying to stay with it. "
Blake Coleman and Jesper Bratt scored, and Blackwood made 28 saves for the Devils, who are 5-2-1 in their past eight games after going 0-6-1 in their previous seven.
"This is a new group with a lot of new faces," Blackwood said. "Everyone has each other's back and no one has any quit in them. Whether we get down a goal or two, everyone plays the same way. I think we're really starting to learn how to win and what it takes to play the right way."

Marchand and Joakim Nordstrom scored, and Jaroslav Halak made 42 saves for the Bruins (24-7-10).
"We kind of sat back and they were getting quick chips into our zone with speed and getting some good offensive-zone time in our end," Bergeron said. "I think they simplified their game and got good results."
Bratt scored on a redirection of a shot from the point by P.K. Subban to tie the game 2-2 at 13:11 of the third period.
"I think winning just gives players and the team confidence," Severson said. "We held them to two goals and they've got some high-end offensive firepower. We did the best we could and they did the best they could. We played a solid game and it feels good to beat a really solid team in our conference."

Marchand gave the Bruins a 1-0 lead on a power-play goal when he swept in a loose puck behind Blackwood at 2:03 of the first period. Pastrnak took the initial shot from the left circle that trickled between the pads of Blackwood and into the crease.
"It's tough to lose that game," Marchand said. "We were in control. The Devils are playing really well, they're scoring a lot of goals and playing fast. They have nothing to lose. They're going to try and exploit you more than anything and we stopped taking care of pucks, allowed their transition game to come into play, and they were making a lot of plays. They were jumping four guys and we were lazy coming back, so we have to be better at managing the puck."

Nordstrom made it 2-0 with his first goal in 11 games when he deflected in a shot from the slot at 4:27 of the second period after Sean Kuraly attempted to jam the puck in at the right post.
Coleman capped off a give-and-go with Nikita Gusev on a snap shot from the slot to pull the Devils within 2-1 at 8:58 of the second period.

They said it

"At the end of the year, every point counts but we're here to win and not lose in a shootout or overtime. You get a 2-0 lead on the road ... typically we've been able to handle those situations well but not tonight. We leave with a point, but no one is satisfied." -- Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy
"(Blackwood) has been a difference-maker. He's a big reason for our success lately and we still have half the season left so he'll try to keep it rolling. He'll be a big part of that so if he continues like this there's no reason not to believe he can be a Calder Trophy candidate." -- Devils coach Alain Nasreddine

Need to know

Bruins defenseman Steven Kampfer left the game after blocking a shot in the third period. ... Pastrnak has 13 points (three goals, 10 assists) in an eight-game point streak. ... Marchand, who has scored at least 20 goals in seven straight seasons, has two goals and six assists in a four-game point streak. ... Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara played a game-high 27:50 in his 1,525th NHL game to pass Brendan Shanahan for 18th place on the NHL all-time list. ... Devils defenseman Will Butcher played 16:28 in his return to the lineup after missing one game with an undisclosed injury.

What's next

Bruins:Host the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; SNE, SNO, SNP, NESN, FS-O, NHL.TV)
Devils:At the New York Islanders on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; NBCSN)