The Boston Bruins snapped their five-game losing streak Tuesday night, falling to the Dallas Stars in overtime to close out their four-game road trip with a record of 3-0-1, while the Stars extended their winning streak to three games.
Newcomers James Hagens and Matthew Poitras scored for Boston, while Mikko Rantanen earned a hat trick to help Dallas secure the overtime victory. The overtime defeat dropped the Bruins to 7-2-1, but Boston still finished its four-game road trip taking home seven out of the eight possible points.
Defenseman Nikita Zadorov returned to the lineup for the Bruins after head coach Marco Sturm made him a healthy scratch in Boston’s 4-1 win Saturday over the Los Angeles Kings. In his return to the ice, Zadorov recorded an assist on Hagens’ goal.
Hagens’ goal was another encouraging sight to see for Boston as the rookie continues to make his mark on the team. After just missing a scoring chance in the first period, Hagens dominated in the second after redirecting a pass from teammate Casey Mittelstadt past Dallas goaltender Jake Oettinger.
The goal marked Hagens’ third in three games, continuing his offensive push for Boston with over 13 minutes of time on ice. The 19-year-old center has played in every game for Boston so far this season, while also recording seven points and four assists.
Looking towards Dallas, right-winger Mikko Rantanen scored in the second period to tie the game after Poitras netted his fourth goal of the season to give the Bruins a 1-0 lead in the first. Rantanen cut Boston’s 2-1 lead they acquired in the third with less than seven minutes remaining to send the game into overtime.
He scored his third goal of the game to complete the hat trick in overtime to secure the victory for Dallas and record the team’s first hat trick of the season.
“Guys were really stepping up and playing hard,” Rantanen said in a post-game interview with NHL.com. “It was a hard hockey game. They’re a really good team. Physical, big D, big guys there. Just happy with the win.”
With the hat trick in overtime, Rantanen becomes the 15th player in NHL history to complete a hat trick in overtime multiple times. He scored his first one back in 2022 in the Stars 3-2 victory over the Colorado Avalanche.
Boston had opportunities to extend its lead but was unable to add another goal on the power play, ending the night 0-4 when on the man advantage. Dallas entered the matchup playing strong defensively, but the Bruins limited the Stars to just two shots on goal during the third period.
The Stars also outshot Boston 25-20, generating more offensive opportunities even though the Bruins kept the game close entering overtime. The Bruins, however, blocked 22 shots compared to Dallas’ 13, adding to their defensive play shown throughout the game.
Looking at the players in the net, Dallas goaltender Jake Oettinger stopped 18 of Boston’s 20 shots, ending the night with a .900 save percentage. For the Bruins, Jeremy Swayman recorded 22 saves on 25 shots for an .880 save percentage.
“It’s hard to win in this league,” Swayman said in a post-game interview. “It’s been the best trip ever, just because of the camaraderie and the way we’ve competed and been able to just stick together every single day.”
Swayman is tied for second place in the NHL among goaltenders with games played (eight) and wins (six) whereas Oettinger leads the league in shutouts (three), goals against average (1.13) and save percentages (.945).
Despite the loss, Sturm remains optimistic with his team’s success early into the season.
“I thought the guys played great, I really do,” Sturm said. “Deserved definitely a point. A little unfortunate to give up the second point, but looking back, what a great road trip. I really liked our effort tonight.”
The Bruins and Stars face off against each other one more time during the regular season, with Dallas traveling to Boston in January.
The Bruins will return to TD Garden on Thursday to face the Nashville Predators before hosting the San Jose Sharks on Saturday. Meanwhile, the Stars will continue their homestand Thursday against the Winnipeg Jets, continuing their stretch of six consecutive home games before heading on the road Nov. 3 to Washington, D.C.