Bruins defeat Islanders in OT in Game 3, take series lead

UNIONDALE, N.Y. --Brad Marchand scored at 3:36 of overtime, and the Boston Bruins defeated the New York Islanders 2-1 in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Second Round at Nassau Coliseum on Thursday.

Marchand took a pass from Charlie McAvoy and scored with a wrist shot from a sharp angle close to the left boards to give the Bruins the lead in the best-of-7 series.
It was Marchand's second overtime goal in these Stanley Cup Playoffs; he scored for a 4-3 win against the Washington Capitals in Game 2 of the first round.
"Obviously not a great one, but any puck, especially in overtime, has a chance to go in," Marchand said. "That's always something I think every team talks about going into overtime is you can't pass up a shot, and that's another example of it."
Tuukka Rask made 28 saves, including five in overtime, for the Bruins, the No. 3 seed in the MassMutual East Division.
"I think both teams had some chances," Rask said. "Both power plays, both penalty kills played well, so it just happened to be a low-scoring game. In the past there's been some bounces going both ways, kind of a goalie's nightmare, so to speak. … Today was a very tight game."

Mathew Barzal scored, and Semyon Varlamov made 39 saves for the Islanders, the No. 4 seed.
Teams that win Game 3 are 366-156 (65.5 percent) winning a best-of-7 NHL playoff series after it is tied 1-1, including 4-2 last season. Game 4 is here Saturday (7:15 p.m. ET; NBC, CBC, SN, TVAS).
"I've got to watch the replay," Varlamov said. "We just finished the game. I didn't even see the replay. So I've got to kind of go back in the locker room and I don't really have an answer for you right now. It was kind of a weird shot, but the puck found the net. So, it was a good play, I guess, by Marchand."
Barzal tied it 1-1 with 5:26 remaining in the third period when he got to a rebound off the end boards and jammed the puck in at the left post for his first goal of the playoffs.
Barzal had a chance to win it in overtime, but Rask made a pad save on his rebound attempt at 2:08.
"Tuukka made a great save," Barzal said. "Usually in those situations, I thought I was in tight and just wanted to sneak one five-hole, but he was there. He was big all night for them as was 'Varly.' So it's unfortunate."

Rask made a pad save against Anthony Beauvillier on a breakaway with 3:16 left in the third, and New York failed to score on a power play after Sean Kuraly cross-checked Kyle Palmieri with 2:15 remaining.
The Bruins outshot the Islanders 21-9 in the third period.
"I thought we were clearly the better team (in the third)," Boston coach Bruce Cassidy said. "We're going into overtime, we have to have that attitude that we have been, understand what they do well and put that play behind us where they scored. Guys did a good job with that."
Craig Smith gave Boston a 1-0 lead with a wrist shot from the slot after a pass from Taylor Hall at 5:52 of the first period.
Rask denied Beauvillier on a breakaway at 7:46 of the first and on a one-timer from point-blank range during an Islanders power play at 9:44 of the second period, then made a save against Jean-Gabriel Pageau at 12:39 after Palmieri powered his way to the net.
"I thought when we scored the goal and even at the end of [regulation] on the power play, I thought our power play had some really good looks," Islanders coach Barry Trotz said. "Then, we had the puck, we had the game on our stick a couple times, one right at the end of the power play at the end of regulation, and then we had a really good look on them in overtime that [if] it slides 2 or 3 inches a little more in our wheelhouse, we put it in the back of the net and we're the ones cheering after the game. So you just go with it.
"We're going to forget this game. We'll move forward and just focus on Saturday. That's all you can do."
NOTES: Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo left the game at 6:11 of the third period after a hit into the end boards by Islanders forward Cal Clutterbuck. Cassidy said Carlo has not been ruled out for Game 4 and will reevaluated Friday. … Marchand tied Phil Esposito for fourth in Boston history with his 102nd playoff point (42 goals, 60 assists). Ray Bourque is first with 161 (36 goals, 125 assists). … Smith had four shots in 14:45 of ice time after missing Game 2 because of a lower-body injury. … Varlamov has allowed a goal on one of the first three shots he's faced in each of his four starts this postseason. … Islanders forward Oliver Wahlstrom (lower body) missed a fourth straight game. … New York was 0-for-3 on the power play; Boston was 0-for-2.