Kesselring scores in OT to lift Utah to 2-1 win over Bruins
SALT LAKE CITY — — Michael Kesselring scored at 2:46 of overtime to give the Utah Hockey Club a 2-1 victory over the Boston Bruins on Saturday night.
Vladislav Kolyachonok also scored for Utah, tying the game with 5:09 left in the third period to force overtime for the fourth time this season. Connor Ingram finished with 22 saves.
Cole Koepke scored his third goal of the season for Boston, and Jeremy Swayman stopped 30 shots.
Following a scoreless first period, Boston took a 1-0 lead on Koepke’s goal with 7:11 left in the second. Koepke raced up the ice after a Utah turnover and blasted a low snap shot past Ingram to put the Bruins in front.
Kolyachonok tied it with his first of the season, charging at Swayman and sending a backhander past the goalie.
Takeaways
Bruins: Smothering defense carried Boston against one of the league’s more potent offenses for much of the game. Utah boasted an advantage in shots on goal but struggled to generate clean looks amid high traffic around the net.
Utah: Careless passes and sloppy finishing robbed Utah of its scoring punch that’s been an early season trademark until late.
Key moment
Kesselring’s overtime goal completed an unlikely comeback after Utah had gone almost 55 minutes without scoring.
Key stat
Utah has played to overtime in four of its first seven games, winning three.
Up Next
Boston visits Nashville on Tuesday night to conclude a three-game road swing, and Utah hosts Ottawa.
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Bruins Coach Jim Montgomery Makes Eye-Opening Change Ahead of Utah Hockey Club Game
Boston’s third-year head coach is moving a struggling forward up to the second line against the Utah Hockey Club on Saturday night.
Saturday night, the Boston Bruins get the first look at the Utah Hockey Club at the Delta Center. It’s the second game of a three-game road trip for the Black and Gold who opened the trip Wednesday night with a 5-3 win over the Colorado Avalanche in Denver.
Facing their second game on the trip, the Bruins held a morning skate at the Delta Center, and head coach Jim Montgomery made one change to his lines and it was a little eye-opening. It appears that a youngster is getting bumped up from the bottom six to the top six against the Utah Hockey Club.
Jim Montgomery shifts Justin Brazeau up to the second line
Montgomery moved Justin Brazeau up from the third line to the second line with captain Brad Marchand and center Charlie Coyle. With Brazeau moving up, it appears that Morgan Geekie will be sliding down to the second line with Trent Frederic and Matthew Poitras. This is a move most likely to get Brazeau going this season as he was a healthy scratch in the win over the Avalanche Wednesday night.
“I just have to do my best to complement them, they’re obviously great players, who do a lot of special things with the puck,” said Brazeau. “I think I’ve just got to get in on the forecheck, get pucks back to them and go to the net and try to open up some lanes for them to make some stuff happen.”
