CHICAGO – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston’s Brad Marchand scored two second-period goals 2:05 apart, Morgan Geekie also scored twice and Jeremy Swayman made 20 saves to lift the visiting Bruins to a 4-2 win against the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday.
Boston won for the sixth time in eight games until interim coach Joe Sacco, recovering from an early deficit to stretch its season-best winning streak to three.
Marchand sparked the Bruins with his second multi-goal effort of the season (Nov. 27), while Geekie had his first multi-goal game of the campaign.
Justin Brazeau, Mason Lohrei, Jordan Oesterle and David Pastrnak contributed two assists each.
Marchand’s first goal of the night came at 2:58 of the second period. Left unmarked as he darted from the slot to the right circle, he converted a backdoor feed from Pastrnak.
Marchand struck again soon after for what stood up as the game-winner, picking up a rebound of a Pastrnak shot and backhanding a second-chance opportunity past Blackhawks goaltender Petr Mrazek.
Chicago took a 1-0 lead just 1:23 into the game, as Alex Vlasic tallied his first goal of the season on a wrist shot from the right circle off a pass from Nick Foligno.
Sustaining momentum wasn’t to be, however, a familiar refrain as the Blackhawks lost their fourth straight to match a season-worst skid.
Boston got the equalizer at 12:17 of the first period. Geekie followed his own shot from the slot and stuffed it home when Mrazek was unable to control the rebound.
The Blackhawks drew to within 3-2 late in the second period as Jason Dickinson wristed a shot from the left circle past Swayman. Connor Murphy notched his second assist of the night on the play.
A Chicago flurry that produced two shots on goal, a blocked shot and a missed shot over a 19-second span early in the third period nearly tied the game. Boston restored the two-goal advantage at 5:02 of the third on a Geekie breakaway off a long pass from Brazeau.
Chicago was whistled for too many men with 1:55 to play after putting an extra attacker on the ice too quickly.
Mrazek stopped 23 shots for Chicago.
–Field Level Media