BOSTON (AP) — Tuukka Rask made 21 saves and the Boston Bruins beat the Phoenix Coyotes 2-1 on Thursday night for their seventh consecutive victory.
Zdeno Chara and Jarome Iginla scored for Boston. The Bruins took over the top spot in the Eastern Conference with 93 points, one more than Pittsburgh.
Mike Smith made 18 saves for the Coyotes, who had won two straight,
The Bruins scored twice in the first period, the first coming on Chara’s wrist shot past Smith, who was screened by Bruins forward Chris Kelly. It was the 16th goal of the season for the Bruins’ captain — three short of his career high.
It was still 1-0 when the Coyotes had their best early scoring chance, getting a puck that got through Rask and trickled behind him. But the goalie reached back with his stick and swiped it off the goal line for the save.
On the ensuing breakout, the Bruins got the puck to Johnny Boychuk at the blue line and his slap shot was deflected by Iginla into the net. It was his 21st goal of the season.
Lauri Korpikoski scored for Phoenix with 12 minutes left in the game to spoil Rask’s shutout. Phoenix had a chance to tie with about 2 minutes to play but Rask slid to his left and deflected a shot off his skate and into the post before it rolled harmlessly away.
Notes: The teams combined for five shots in the second period. … Phoenix F Shane Doan played in 1,300th NHL game. … The Bruins had lost four straight to Phoenix in Boston.
… The victory was coach Claude Julien’s 300th on the Boston bench.
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- Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara is congratulated by teammates at the bench after scoring against the Phoenix Coyotes during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Boston Thursday, March 13, 2014. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)
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