Rask home point streak ends at 20 for Bruins in loss to Flames

BOSTON-- Tuukka Rask had his home point streak end at 20 games when the Calgary Flames defeated the Boston Bruins 5-2 at TD Garden on Tuesday.

Rask made 26 saves but fell one game short of the Boston record with his first regulation home loss this season (14-1-6). The NHL-leading Bruins (39-13-12) have lost two straight and had their home winning streak end at seven.
"I mean the second period wasn't really our strongest," Rask said. "I think the third we picked it up and played with our pace and structure, got some chances."
WATCH: [All Flames vs. Bruins highlights]
Mikael Backlund had two goals and an assist, Sean Monahan scored twice, and David Rittich made 26 saves for the Flames (33-25-6), who have won three of four and are 6-3-0 in their past nine games. Calgary holds the first wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference.
"This shows not just ourselves, the whole League, that we're a really solid team," Backlund said. "And we've known that all year. It's been a lot of ups and downs ... we know we have to be more consistent. But when we play the right way, we're really, really a dangerous group."
Matthew Tkachuk gave the Flames a 1-0 lead at 11:35 of the first period. After Backlund's one-timer rebounded off the end wall, Tkachuk scored on a backhand shot.

Brad Marchand's shorthanded goal at 10:08 of the second period tied the score 1-1. He scored on a backhand after a rush from his own blue line.
The Flames regained the lead when Monahan made it 2-1 at 13:25 on a shot from the slot.
Monahan scored again 1:12 later at 14:37, this time on the power play with a high-slot tip to give the Flames a 3-1 lead.
"I thought it was an excellent effort by our guys," Flames coach Geoff Ward said. "Played with an awful lot of composure. This is a hard building to play in, but I thought we came in and we did a really good job in terms of staying focused, we did a really good job of being emotionally attached to the game but being out of control emotionally. I thought we did a real good job in our end, kept pucks moving forward. All in all, it was a real good effort by our team."

Chris Wagner cut Calgary's lead to 3-2 with a goal at 13:09 of the third period when he dove for a loose puck after a scramble to the side of the net and hit it in.
Backlund scored at 18:30 for a 4-2 lead on a rush that began below the goal line in the Flames' zone. He then scored into an empty net at 19:11 to make it 5-2.
"Clearly not good enough," coach Bruce Cassidy said about the Bruins' effort level. "I thought some guys came to play and some guys didn't. Didn't break a sweat, some of them it looked like. I'm sure there was effort, they were trying, they were just in between, couldn't execute or whatever. But at the end of the day, it wasn't good enough.

They said it

"I liked them. It takes a little while obviously for them to get used to not only each other but to their new teammates, systems and stuff. But I thought they played well. I like the fact that they got better as the game went on. I think both guys played to their strengths." -- Flames coach Geoff Ward on Calgary's trade additions of defensemen Derek Forbort and Erik Gustafsson
"I don't think it was a great game by the team. Obviously my first game and I'm getting used to playing with different guys and different players. So it's tricky but hopefully it'll come sooner than later." -- Bruins forward Nick Ritchie on his Boston debut

Need to know

Flames defenseman Mark Giordano, who was a game-time decision, didn't skate in warmups and was out for the 10th straight game with a lower-body injury. … Defensemen Erik Gustafsson, who was traded from the Chicago Blackhawks, and Derek Forbort, who was traded from the Los Angeles Kings on Monday, made their Flames debuts. Gustafsson had an assist on Monahan's second goal. … Backlund extended his point streak to four games (four goals, three assists). … Flames forward Johnny Gaudreau had an assist to extend his point streak to five games (two goals, four assists). … Forward Nick Ritchie, who was traded to the Bruins from the Anaheim Ducks on Monday, made his Boston debut. … Bruins forward Par Lindholm played his 100th NHL game and had an assist on Wagner's goal. … Marchand's goal extended his point streak to seven games (two goals, eight assists). … Rask shares the Boston home point streak record with Tiny Thompson (20-0-0 in 1929-30).

What's next

Flames: At the Nashville Predators on Thursday (8 p.m. ET; ESPN+, FS-TN, SNW, NHL.TV)
Bruins:Host the Dallas Stars on Thursday (7:30 p.m. ET; NBCSN, SNO, SNE, SN360, NHL.TV)