Charlie Coyle of the Bruins pursue’s New Jersey’s Sami Vatanen during Sunday’s game at TD Garden. The Devils beat Boston for the fifth time in five tries this season, 1-0. Michael Dwyer/Associated Press
BOSTON — Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 40 shots for his first shutout of the season, Kyle Palmieri scored and the New Jersey Devils held on to beat the Boston Bruins 1-0 on Sunday night.
The Devils improved to 4-0-1 against Boston this season, with each game decided by a goal.
Jaroslav Halak made 28 saves for the Bruins, who have earned at least one point in their last four games (3-0-1).
New Jersey had lost four of its last five. The Devils needed two replay reviews to go their way in the final 70 seconds of this one to seal the win.
With Halak off for an extra skater, Patrice Bergeron scored out of a scramble with 1:10 left when Blackwood was unable to cover a loose puck in the crease. But, the Devils challenged it for goaltender interference, and the score was overturned because David Krejci knocked the puck out of Blackwood’s glove.
“Immediately when I saw it, it looked like he pitchforked Blackie when he had the puck covered,” Devils Coach Lindy Ruff said. “I said to the other coaches: ‘I’m challenging it for sure.”’
Blackwood felt the replay would go his way.
“I knew I had it covered before they replayed that one,” he said.
Blackwood kicked out a rolling puck in the closing seconds just before it completely crossed the line. There was a long review that upheld the call on the ice.
“I saw the one angle and I saw the other angle, to me it looked like it didn’t cross the line,” Blackwood said. “They have to look at every angle.”
Boston Coach Bruce Cassidy seemed somewhat surprised that Bergeron’s goal was disallowed.
“Typically, it’s supposed to be egregious,” he said. “I think they deemed it egregious. I don’t know. What am I supposed to say about that? They made the call and the call didn’t go our way.”
Palmieri scored 16:37 into the first period when he redirected Ty Smith’s shot from the top of the right circle past Halak’s glove and inside the near post.
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