Bruins Beat Blackhawks 4-2 In Winter Classic, With Sean Kuraly Netting Game-Winner
BOSTON (CBS) -- Three years ago, the Boston Bruins hosted a Winter Classic and got run off the ice by their most fierce rival. This time around, the Bruins didn't let such a fate find them again.
The Bruins beat the Blackhawks, 4-2, on Tuesday at Notre Dame Stadium, in front of 76,000-plus hockey fans.
With the win, the Bruins improved to 2-1 all-time in the NHL's midseason marquee event. They won in 2010 at Fenway Park but lost in 2016 at Gillette Stadium.
Just past the midway point of the third period, Sean Kuraly broke a 2-2 tie when he buried a loose puck on a backhand past Cam Ward. The initial shot came from Matt Grzelcyk at the blue line and deflected off Bruins forward Chris Wagner.
The scoring opened with a Blackhawks goal 8:30 into the first period. Defensemen John Moore and Torey Krug were focused on the two Blackhawks skaters behind the goal line, incidentally leaving Brendan Perlini completely alone in front of the net. David Kampf fed Perlini, who beat Tuukka Rask with ease.
But the Bruins answered not long after, with David Pastrnak likewise being left unaccompanied in front of the net while on a power play. Pastrnak patiently waited out Cam Ward before firing a quick wrister past the netminder to even the score at 1-1.
The second period saw one goal for each team as well. Dominik Kahun redirected a point shot through Rask's legs at 11:24 of the middle period.
But Patrice Bergeron responded with a power play goal with a little over a minute left in the second. That goal came after the Bruins' alternate captain chased down Kampf, who was on a shorthanded breakaway but had his stick lifted by Bergeron.
Jonathan Toews hit the post with a shot with 1:35 remaining in the third. Rask finished with 36 saves on the day.
Brad Marchand added an empty-net goal with 32.8 seconds remaining to seal the win.
The Bruins return to action Thursday night at home against the Calgary Flames.
