Marchand’s OT heroics, Bruins resilient, and more: 3 reasons why Boston Bruins won 4-3 in OT against Calgary Flames

The Boston Bruins returned to the win column on Thursday night, edging the Calgary Flames 4-3 in overtime at TD Garden.

The Bruins were up 3-1 entering the third period, but the Flames, with goals from Yegor Sharangovich and Nazem Kadri, forced overtime.

Boston's Brand Marchand fended off Calgary's comeback, ending the game 20 seconds into the extra frame. Hampus Lindholm, Pavel Zacha and Cole Koepke got the other tallies for the Boston Bruins.

As for the Flames, Tyson Barrie scored the first goal before Sharangovich and Kadri's third-period heroics.

Here are three key reasons the Boston Bruins claimed victory over the Calgary Flames on Thursday night.

3 reasons why Boston Bruins won against Calgary Flames in OT

#1. The Bruins played a much more disciplined game

In their previous outing against the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Boston Bruins gave up seven power-play opportunities. The Leafs cashed in on three of those chances. The Bruins tightened up on Thursday night, allowing only three total power play opportunities.

While the Flames scored on one of those chances, the penalty kill fared much better, keeping the B’s in the game. It’s worth pointing out that the Bruins also played a much more structured game, providing Joonas Korpisalo with much more defensive support.

#2. Joonas Korpisalo saved the day

Joonas Korpisalo made 33 saves on the night. It was his performance that allowed the Boston Bruins to survive the third-period onslaught from Calgary and helped them recover from a blown two-goal lead.

While Korpisalo didn’t exactly steal the game for the Bruins, he held the fort long enough to keep the game tied and send it to overtime. In overtime, Marchand delivered the winning goal to give Boston the two points on the night.

#3. Bruins’ resilience was the difference

Overall, the Bruins deserve credit for being resilient. They entered the third period with a 3-1 lead, trying to shut the game down. However, the B’s couldn’t hold the lead, blowing it when Kadri scored nearly 10 minutes into the third.

From there, the Bruins managed to hold the Flames back, hanging on until overtime, where captain Brad Marchand came up big and scored the game-winner.

Given the way the season has gone thus far for Boston, Thursday night’s win sets a promising tone as the club looks to build momentum and string a winning streak together.

The Bruins will be back in action on Saturday night in a divisional matchup against the Ottawa Senators.