The Associated Press
Matt Carlson
CHICAGO–Bruins’ back-up Anton Khudobin not only gave No. 1 goalie Tuukka Rask a day off, he helped Boston take a big step toward the playoffs.
Khudobin made 41 saves to win his sixth-consecutive start as Boston held off the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2 yesterday for its season-high fifth-straight victory.
Ryan Spooner, Patrice Bergeron, and Kevan Miller scored for the Bruins, who jumped over idle Toronto and Ottawa into second place in the Atlantic Division.
Boston began the day in a wild-card position–four points ahead of Tampa Bay for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
Khudobin, who wasn’t beaten until the Blackhawks’ 25th shot on a fluky play, was at his best in the first period and down the stretch when Chicago pressured to tie it.
“He’s in there battling, working to find pucks, working to keep it out of the net, whether he has to use his head, his pads, his body, his legs, whatever it is,” noted Bruins’ interim coach Bruce Cassidy, whose team played its final regular-season road game.
“You can’t say enough,” he stressed. “I think the guys respond to that.”
Thanks to Khudobin, the Bruins never trailed in this one as Boston closed in on a return to the post-season after missing out the past two years.
The Bruins’ winning streak comes on the heels of a four-game slide that almost doomed them.
“It was important to establish momentum from the drop of the puck on,” Bergeron noted.
“I thought we were able to do that.
“We stuck with it, and Anton made some really big saves, as well,” he added.
“When we needed him, he was absolutely there.”
Chicago’s Artemi Panarin extended his goal-scoring streak to four games with his 29th.
Jordin Tootoo also scored for the Blackhawks, who got 26 saves from Corey Crawford in their final regular-season home game.
The Blackhawks clinched first place in the Central Division and Western Conference on Saturday when Minnesota lost at Nashville.
Chicago is assured home-ice advantage through the first three playoff rounds.
“They scored early and you’ve got to claw your way back,” said Blackhawks’ coach Joel Quenneville.
“I don’t think we gave up much today but we were chasing the game.”
Boston led 2-0 after the first period despite being outshot 16-11.
Panarin cut it to 2-1 with 1:48 left in the second on the Blackhawks’ 25th shot to cap a quirky play that withstood a video review.
Chicago’s Brent Seabrook fired from the right point, but the drive went wide and bounded of the back boards.
At the same time, Blackhawks’ forward Richard Panik slid into the net behind Khudobin, who had ranged out for Seabrook’s shot.
Panarin fired the loose puck from just left of the net but the shot struck Panik–who was curled up in the net–and bounced out.
Panarin then popped in the rebound before Khudobin could recover, with Panik still in the net.
Through a translator, Panarin said he didn’t think the goal would be allowed.
But it was–and Panik was awarded an assist on the play.
“It was one of the all-time great passes by ‘Pans,'” Quenneville quipped.
Elsewhere in the NHL, San Jose beat Vancouver 3-1, Anaheim edged Calgary 4-3, Minnesota dumped Colorado 5-2, the N.Y. Rangers nipped Philadelphia 4-3, and Pittsburgh shaded Carolina 3-2.
The N.Y. Islanders doubled Buffalo 4-2, St. Louis beat Nashville 4-1, Washington nipped Columbus 3-2, Tampa Bay doubled Dallas 6-3, and Arizona shaded L.A. 2-1.
