Bruins square series with Wings
Boston scores two power-play goals and defeats Detroit in Game 2, 4-1.
TWO POWER-PLAY goals and stingy penalty-killing ended the Boston Bruins' offensive drought and tied their playoff series.
Reilly Smith and Zdeno Chara scored with a man advantage, the visiting Detroit Red Wings got just one shot on goal on their four power plays and the Bruins won Game 2, 4-1.
"We don't get too many power plays so it was good to be able to get them and be able to capitalize early," Smith said.
He scored his first career playoff goal 10:35 into the game, just over 3 minutes after Justin Florek's fluke goal gave the Bruins a 1-0 lead on their first shot at 7:28.
They finished the first period with 18 shots on goalie Jimmy Howard after managing just 25 in losing Friday night's opener, 1-0.
"You never want to lose Game 1," said Florek, a rookie who had just one goal in four regular-season games. "I think we played with a little chip on our shoulder."
Luke Glendening cut the lead to 2-1 at 13:20 of the second period before Milan Lucic scored late in the second and Chara added his power-play goal early in the third.
Boston's power play was much improved this season, finishing third in the NHL at 21.7 percent. And Smith scored just 20 seconds after Boston's two-man advantage ended.
"Getting pucks to the net was obviously a big factor, especially [after] last game not scoring a goal," he said. "We're not getting too many pucks to the net at the start and you have a five-on-three and you're able to fire as many as you want. So that definitely changed the pace of the game and we benefited off of it."
When the Red Wings had the extra skater, they never threatened.
"It seems like we got hesitant and we weren't as assertive as we normally are," Detroit forward Daniel Alfredsson said. "That's been one of our strong suits . . . setting up in the other team's end."
It wasn't just Detroit's special teams that struggled.
"I thought we were ineffective, period," Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said. "They were engaged. They won the battles. They were quick. We were slow."
Florek, filling in for the injured Chris Kelly on the third line, scored after Howard and defenseman Brendan Smith, Reilly's brother, missed connecting on a pass.
Howard came out of his crease to collect a loose puck and passed it toward Smith, who was skating back along the right boards. But the puck bounced off Smith's right calf and into the circle where Florek shot it into the net quickly before Howard could get back.
"It's a bad break," Howard said. "It got them rolling a little bit."
It was Florek's first career playoff goal. He also did a good job killing penalties, one of Kelly's strengths.
Smith made it 2-0 after Howard stopped Patrice Bergeron's shot from the blue line with several Bruins in front of him. Loui Eriksson poked the puck between Howard's legs and Smith skated behind Howard and tapped it in.
David Krejci appeared to score an empty-net goal with 2:10 left, but Lucic was ruled offside.
In another game
* At Montreal, Tomas Plekanec scored at 5:43 of the third period, and Carey Price made 27 saves to give the Canadiens a 3-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning and a 3-0 lead in their series.
Montreal's Rene Bourque scored 11 seconds into the game, and Brendan Gallagher broke a 1-1 tie 18:10 into the second period. P.K. Subban had two assists for the Canadiens.
Tampa Bay had a goal waived off in the second period after referees ruled goaltender interference on Alex Killorn.
Stamkos left the game in the second period after taking a knee to the back of the head, but the Lightning captain returned to the ice early in the third.
Noteworthy
* Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Brent Seabrook was suspended for three games for his hit on St. Louis Blues center David Backes during their first-round playoff series.
Seabrook received a 5-minute major and game misconduct penalty for a vicious elbow to Backes' head late in the third period of Saturday's Game 2. Backes had to be helped off the ice and did not return during St. Louis' 4-3 overtime victory.
The suspension is a big blow for the Blackhawks, who are down 2-0 heading into Game 3 tonight.