Brian Gionta scored the game winner with a third period powerplay goal, as the Boston Bruins scored four times in the third period to help defeat the Chicago Blackhawks 7-4 Saturday afternoon at TD Garden in Boston.
Noel Acciari scored a shorthanded goal and David Krejci scored on the powerplay in the first to make it 2-0 Boston. Chicago responded with first period markers just 29 seconds apart from Jonathan Toews and Erik Gustafsson to make it 2-2.
John Hayden and Krejci swapped second period goals to make it 3-3, before Matthew Highmore scored his first NHL goal to give Chicago a 4-3 lead after two. David Pastrnak tied it in the third, before Gionta notched the game winner 1:39 later. Rick Nash and Sean Kuraly added goals for the Bruins, now winners of six straight games with a perfect 6-0 homestand.
Boston (43-15-8) was a sizzling 4-6 on the powerplay, and Tuuka Rask made 23 saves in the win. Chicago (29-32-8) was 0-2 on the powerplay, and J-F Berube made 33 saves in the loss. The same two teams finish off a home and home series on Sunday in Chicago at 12:30 p.m.
