Jiri Smejkal netted his first-ever goal in the middle of the second period, followed by a goal from Jakob Chychrun less than a minute later, securing a 3-1 victory for the Ottawa Senators against the Boston Bruins on Tuesday night in the last game of the regular season for both teams.
Artem Zub sealed the win with an empty-net goal with just under two minutes remaining, while Anton Forsberg made 34 saves for the Senators. Their win prevented the Bruins from completing a three-game season series sweep and dashed Boston’s hopes of clinching the Atlantic Division title.
Boston captain Brad Marchand acknowledged his team’s lackluster performance, particularly in the first two periods, stating, “We played in the third, didn’t play the first two periods. That’s too late to start playing.”
The Bruins, who entered the day leading the Division by one point, missed an opportunity to secure the top spot as the Florida Panthers surpassed them by defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-2.
Despite the disappointing loss, Marchand remains optimistic about the playoffs, saying, “If we do that in the playoffs, we’ll be tough to play against.”
The Bruins struggled to recover after being outshot 11-3 in the opening period, but they rallied in the third period, outshooting Ottawa 23-2. However, they couldn’t overcome Forsberg’s stellar performance in goal.
Senators forward Brady Tkachuk praised Forsberg’s crucial saves, saying, “To finish on a positive note after the year we had, it’s nice. Feel a little bit better about yourself going into the summer.”
The loss sets up a playoff series against the Toronto Maple Leafs for the Bruins, who are now focused on preparing for the postseason.
