The Bruins earned it — the game and the expected-goals battle both.
The Bruins' 2-1 overtime victory was more convincing than the scoreboard suggested. They commanded 61% of 5v5 expected goals (4.37–2.78), controlled 59% of shot attempts (23–16), and most tellingly, generated nine high-danger chances to one. Boston was running the show.
Yet the goal differential was just one. D. Kuemper stopped everything Boston put at the goal line, saving 2.37 goals above expected—a performance that kept Los Angeles alive. The Bruins' other problem: they underperformed their own xG by 2.37. They had the looks; they couldn't finish as cleanly as their chances deserved.
J. Swayman's work at the other end (1.78 above expected) was sufficient, though he faced easier shots. Boston's attack was a quality operation. Their shot value—0.072 xG per attempt—nearly doubled Los Angeles's (0.045). The Bruins converted two of 30 rush chances into goals, a lethal edge in transition. They also created four rebound opportunities without converting any, crashing the net effectively.
Charlie McAvoy finished it at 00:39 of overtime with a backhander from the doorstep.
