BOSTON — The Bruins wasted a third-period comeback as Carolina’s late goal sent the stunned TD Garden home disappointed on Wednesday.
Seconds after Spencer Martin stopped David Pastrnak’s bid for a game-winner, Jordan Martinook got behind the Bruins defense and put the Hurricanes up 3-2 with 2:27 left on a goal Linus Ullmark would like to have back.
Boston couldn’t answer, snapping its five-game winning streak and eight-game point streak.
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The loss was the last home game before the All-Star break for the Bruins (29-9-9). They’re at Ottawa on Thursday and Philadelphia on Saturday and don’t play again until Calgary visits on Feb. 6.
After three straight high-intensity games — the rival Canadiens between the cup-contending Avalanche and Jets — the Bruins weren’t sharp. Martin Necas scored a power goal late in the first period and Teuvo Teravainen scored another with the man advantage just past the midway point in the second to put the Bruins in a 2-0 hole after the second intermission.
Jim Montgomery has often praised Brad Marchand for dragging the Bruins into the fight. The Boston captain’s goal 90 seconds into the third period ignited his teammates and seemed to wake up TD Garden’s sleepy crowd.
He kept pulling them along. With 12:40 left, Spencer Martin stopped Charlie Coyle’s initial shot, but Marchand followed the rebound and poked it through the five-hole to tie the game 2-2.
Carolina’s elite penalty kill best Boston’s elite penalty kill — Coming in the Hurricanes were third in the NHL in power play percentage at 27.0% behind only the Rangers and Lightning. The Bruins were fourth in the league in penalty kill percentage at 83.9 percent. But the visitors’ special teams were a little more special with two goals in three chances.
The Bruins’ penalty kill has struggled of late though. Coming in, they’d allowed four goals on their opponents’ last 12 power plays.
The Hurricanes have the Bruins’ number — Wednesday’s result gave Carolina a 5-0-2 record in their last seven regular-season games against the Bruins and 9-3-2 if the postseason is included. Boston hasn’t beaten the Hurricanes in the regular season in regulation since Dec. 3, 2019.
It’s been a good 2024 for Brad Marchand — Marchand registered his fourth two-goal game since the ball dropped in Times Square. He had 10 goals in January with two games left to give him 23 this season.
His two goals moved him into a tie for fifth on Boston’s career goal list with Ray Bourque.
Short-time Bruins defenseman Dmitry Orlov returns — Orlov, who the Bruins acquired last year at the deadline, had an unmemorable return to TD Garden in the midst of a difficult season for him. He played just 15 minutes overall and was called for a third-period holding penalty.
