Senators 6, Bruins 1
BOSTON -- The Boston Bruins had to stand on the ice after Saturday's game and give "the shirts off their backs" to TD Garden faithful who had won a Fan Appreciation Day drawing.
But before giving away their shirts, the Bruins may have given away their shot at 2016 NHL playoffs.
The visiting Ottawa Senators, a banged-up group not going to the playoffs, poured four goals on nine shots past backup goaltender Jonas Gustavsson, playing because Tuukka Rask was sick, in an 8:18 span of the second period and the Senators went on to an 6-1 victory that left the Bruins dangling by a thread.
The loss eliminated the Bruins from third place in the Atlantic Division. The Detroit Red Wings lost to the Rangers in New York but took the tiebreaker because of regulation and overtime wins. The Bruins were left to wait to see if the Philadelphia Flyers were held to one point in two weekend games -- two points for Philadelphia and the Bruins were out for the second straight season. One point and the Bruins would have the tiebreaker and meet the Washington Capitals in the playoffs.
Failing to make the postseason fun would seemingly leave coach Claude Julien's job status shaky, after a 42-31-9 season -- just 17-18-6 at home.
Rask was on the ice before the game but did little in warmups as emergency recall Jeremy Smith dressed. Gustavsson, in his first start since March 18, was sharp in a 17-shot first period but then the roof caved in.
David Pastrnak gave the Bruins an early lead but James Neil, Zack Smith, Matt Puempel and Mika Zibanejad scored in the explosion.
The Bruins went on a power play with 9:26 left and Julien pulled Gustavsson, Jean-Gabriel Pageau scoring shorthanded into the empty net from his own end. Smith then scored his 25th of the season shorthanded into an empty net later in the period.
Gustavsson made 30 saves, while Andrew Hammond, severely tested in the third period, stopped 39, 18 in the third, for only his seventh win of an injury-plagued season. He stopped the last 38 shots.
The Senators won three of the four games in the season series with Boston and finished the season 38-35-9.
The onslaught left the home crowd stunned and booing -- loudly.
Old tough-guy rival Neil got the first goal, sliding home a rebound after Gustavsson made a nifty stop on Ryan Dzingel 1:42 into the second period.
Just 3:12 later, defenseman Erik Karlsson clearly aimed a slap-pass from the right point at the stick of Smith, who deflected it past Gustavsson. Karlsson picked up his league-leading 66th assist, his 82nd point in 82 games.
The booing started when Puempel back-handed his second goal of the season home, shaking Pastrnak off like he was not there. A giveaway by Adam McQuaid led to Mike Hoffman centering to Zibanejad for an easy redirect, Zibanejad's 21st of the season.
For the second straight game, Pastrnak scored an early goal off a long pass that was challenged for being offside. Thursday night, he took the puck off the boards, went in alone and scored. Saturday, it was Brad Marchand lobbing the puck high, Pastrnak gloving it out of the air and breaking past defenseman Ben Harpur, who raised his hand for the offside.
Pastrnak again went in alone, scoring 5:04 into the game. The challenge led to a long review by the linesman, who ruled the replay inconclusive, giving Pastrnak his third goal in four games.
Thursday, the Red Wings totaled 15 shots. The Senators had 17 on Gustavsson in the first period, with a save on Hoffman's breakaway the highlight of the period.
NOTES: Pregame intrigue saw G Jeremy Smith recalled on an emergency basis, backup Jonas Gustavsson leading the Bruins out onto the ice while G Tuukka Rask was over by the bench, barely moving. Late in the warmup, Rask faced some easy shots and left the ice hunched over. Word came up that Rask was out due to illness, Gustavsson starting and Smith was the backup. ... The Senators, leading the season series with Boston 2-1, came in ready to play the spoiler in their season finale. "Boston is waiting for us, this game means the season for them," LW/C Zack Smith said Friday. "They will be coming out hard and we'll be looking to match it." Smith played in his 400th NHL game. ... Boston D John-Michael Liles played in his 800th game. ... RW Loui Eriksson was the only Bruin to play in all 82 games with the team, while RW Lee Stempniak totaled 82 games between the New Jersey Devils and Boston. ... D Erik Karlsson and C Jean-Gabriel Pageau played in all 82 for the Senators, Karlsson coming in with 81 points in 81 games.