Bold opening: A thrill-filled night proves big-league drama still thrives in the NHL, with a jaw-dropping Detroit-Boston showdown and Ottawa scrambling to win on the road.
On a busy slate of National Hockey League action, the night’s marquee matchup featured an all-Original Six duel that lived up to the hype.
Detroit Red Wings 5-4 Boston Bruins
In Michigan, the Detroit Red Wings edged their Original Six rivals 5-4 in a game packed with momentum swings. Detroit sprinted to a 2-0 lead after a fast start, with James Van Riemsdyk and Moritz Seider putting the Red Wings on the board early.
Alex DeBrincat struck for his 13th of the season just 90 seconds after the second period began, extending Detroit’s cushion. Boston finally got on the scoreboard after falling behind 3-0, sparked by Jonathan Aspirot’s hopeful strike.
Alex Steeves pulled one back for the Bruins, shrinking the deficit to a single goal, but Ben Chiarot restored Detroit’s three-goal edge 37 seconds later. Lucas Raymond then added a power-play tally at 4:55 remaining to push the lead back to three.
Boston, shuffling goaltenders after allowing five, mounted a late push to force overtime. Marat Khusnutdinov chipped in a goal, and Steeves added his second with 12 seconds left, yet it wasn’t enough to complete the comeback.
The Red Wings snapped a four-game losing streak, climbing back into ninth place in the Eastern Conference and moving ahead of the Bruins on points, though the teams remain tied in the standings.
Montreal Canadiens 2-5 Ottawa Senators
Ottawa leaned on a strong start to topple Montreal 5-2. The Canadiens struck first on Juraj Slafkovsky’s power-play goal just 3:37 in, but the lead lasted only about 30 seconds as Fabian Zetterlund evened the score.
Artyom Zub put the Senators ahead late in the first period, and Ottawa doubled its advantage in the opening minutes of the second. Jake Sanderson and Drake Batherson extended the cushion, putting Montreal in a tougher spot.
Nick Suzuki’s power-play goal gave Montreal renewed hope, but the Habs couldn’t find another goal despite racking up 31 attempts. Brady Tkachuk capped the scoring late to seal Ottawa’s win.
Montreal slipped to 12th in the conference, while Ottawa earned its ninth win of the season, lifting them to eighth and the final playoff spot in the East.
Other results
- New York Islanders 2-1 Tampa Bay Lightning
- New York Rangers 3-2 Dallas Stars (SO)
- Florida Panthers 1-4 Toronto Maple Leafs
- Nashville Predators 5-1 Calgary Flames
- Colorado Avalanche 3-1 Vancouver Canucks
- Edmonton Oilers 0-1 Minnesota Wild
Follow all of the NHL action on Flashscore.
