Bruins win rematch as Joonas Korpisalo blanks Flyers in Philadelphia - The Boston Globe
The Bruins are right back at it on Sunday (5 p.m.) as they host the Seattle Kraken.
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PHILADELPHIA — In desperate need of getting their game together, the Bruins appeared to find a foothold Saturday afternoon, pinning a 3-0 shutout on the Flyers at the Wells Fargo Center.
Joonas Korpisalo, who took over for No. 1 goaltender Jeremy Swayman amid a blowout loss Thursday, recorded his fifth career shutout, turning away 20 offerings by the 4-7-1 Broad Streeters.
Matt Poitras and Justin Brazeau scored goals — both at even strength — for the Bruins, who chipped closer to .500 (5-6-1) ahead of their return to action Sunday (5 p.m.) at the Garden vs. the Kraken.
Bruins captain Brad Marchand knocked home the final goal, sailing a 150-footer into an empty net with 3:30 to go.
The win came only four days after the Flyers came to Boston and rubbed out the Bruins, 2-0, the second time the Bruins have been shut out this season. Korpisalo took the loss in that one but played well, and now he could be challenging Swayman for the club’s No. 1 spot.
The Bruins were far more connected to their game from puck drop in the first period, an encouraging sign after their disheveled effort in their humbling 8-2 loss Thursday night in Carolina.
Upon the conclusion of the opening 20 minutes, they held a 1-0 lead and a whopping 14-5 shot lead. In Carolina, they could barely find their way to the net, finishing with a lopsided 37-15 shot deficit.
Poitras connected for his sixth career goal — his first after his truncated rookie season — for the lead 13:28 into the first, chipping home a doorstep backhander after Hampus Lindholm went off-net/left with his wrister from near the top of the left circle. Lindholm’s attempt banged off the rear wall and the ricochet went the way of an alert Poitras, whose backhand tap went through the legs of netminder Alexei Kolosov.
Kolosov, who began the day as backup to Samuel Ersson, entered the action at 7:36 of the first, not long after play had stopped because one of Ersson’s blades popped out of his skate at the 6:50 mark. Looking in need of more equipment fixing after a brief return to net, he exited for the dressing room and Kolosov took over with the score 0-0 and the Bruins holding an 8-3 shot lead.
Brazeau’s goal, his third this season, at 11:23 of the second, came 3-5 seconds after he popped over the boards on a line change with fellow right winger David Pastrnak. Skating on a straight diagonal toward the right post, the biggy-sized Brazeau snapped in a one-timer off Marchand’s feed.
Their 2-0 lead at the end of 40 minutes represented the Bruins’ first two-goal lead since Oct. 16 at Colorado.
The Bruins finished the day with a 31-20 shot advantage.
