Marchand Connects for Another Overtime Winner

ST. PAUL, Minn.- There aren't many guarantees in hockey. But Brad Marchand in overtime is quickly becoming one of them.
For an NHL record-tying fifth time this season and 12th time in his career, the sneaky winger notched the winner in the extra session to propel the Bruins to a 2-1 victory over the Minnesota Wild on Sunday night at Xcel Energy Center.

"He wants to be the guy, he's got that edge to him," said Torey Krug, who sprung Marchand with a bank pass off the boards in the neutral zone. "He wins a lot of 50-50 pucks. When you're 3-on-3 on the ice and he's winning those battles it's gonna lead to a chance for your team.
"We expect him to come out on the right side of the puck most of the time and that's what good players and leaders on our team do."

The prevailing tally came on the first shift of the overtime, just 28 seconds into the frame. After collecting the puck behind the Bruins net, Krug shook off two Minnesota defenders with a slight hesitation, allowing Marchand an extra step on Matt Dumba.
Marchand took advantage and burst through the neutral zone to collect Krug's feed. The 29-year-old then let rip a wicked wrister from the face-off dot that sailed by Wild goalie Alex Stalock.
"A couple times I circled back and tried to create a little bit of room and their D came up to gap up and we were just able to find a little bit of a hole," said Marchand, who has five of the Bruins' six overtime winners this season. "[Krug] made a great play to get by everybody and allow me to skate onto that. But it's just kind of the way it played out, them trying to have a tight gap and us just taking advantage of that."
Krug's patience with the puck was a key cog in the winning sequence, an attribute Boston's coaching staff preached before the overtime began.
"You want to play with the puck," said Krug, who thought about dishing to Patrice Bergeron up the other side of the ice. "And that's the only way you can score goals is if we're making plays with it. It was a good reminder from the coaching staff before we went out there to take control of it.
"No real hope plays and just keep possession because you wear the other team down, especially in overtime, and then you make your plays."

Despite his dominance in extra time, Marchand said he's not expecting everything to work in his favor during every 3-on-3 opportunity.
"You get that confidence a bit, but it all has to go right," said Marchand. "Guys have to make plays and you have to start with the puck a lot of times which we were able to get it back tonight. You need a lot of things to go right, but sometimes you benefit from certain plays, sometimes you don't.
"This year I've played with a lot guys that can make plays and I've benefitted from that."
For Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy, Marchand's goal was business as usual. In his last 13 games - 12 of which came without Bergeron alongside - Boston's No. 1 left winger has collected 22 points (9 goals, 13 assists), the fifth highest total in the league during that span.
"At some point, when he's out there and you get puck possession, he'll probably generate something. He's really been able to finish," said Cassidy. "Overtime specifically and especially this month, he's sure come through for us. He's an elite player. We expect him to get his looks every night because he's hard on the puck and a competitor.
"Doesn't surprise me. Again, he was hard on it tonight…their line was very good again tonight."

Marchand reunited with Bergeron, who returned to the lineup after missing 13 games with a fractured right foot and did not miss a beat. Boston's alternate captain assisted on both Bruins' goals, landed two shots on goal, and won 14 of 23 faceoffs (61%) in 19 minutes, 8 seconds of ice time.
"I don't think anyone was really expecting him to [look rusty]," said Marchand. "One of the best players in the league and the way he takes care of himself off the ice and trains, there's no way he was going to come back in and not be ready to go. He was a huge factor in both goals for our team. He did so many great things all around the ice.
"It was great to have him back. It really gives us that depth all the way through the lineup and having him play the way he does."
Bergeron said he felt good physically and gained more of his legs and timing with each passing shift. The 32-year-old looked just fine, as he got back into the act early in the second period with a nifty dish to David Pastrnak on Boston's first goal.
Brandon Carlo started things by keeping the puck in at the blue line with a timely pinch, before tapping the puck back into the zone. Marchand tipped the bouncing rubber over to Pastrnak, who found Bergeron at the top of the right circle.
Bergeron faked a shot and shoveled a no-look pass over to Pastrnak in the slot, where the winger slammed a one-timer by Stalock for his 30th goal of the season and a 1-0 Bruins lead at 3:15.

"We've done that play a lot," said Bergeron. "He likes to open up and get open. I also like to make that play and fake the shot. I thought everyone was kind of waiting for that shot, so I was trying to lay it there for him and it was a perfect shot from Pasta."
On the night, the Bruins' first line combined for both goals and three assists.
Like Marchand in overtime, nightly dominance from Boston's top trio is nearly a guarantee.