The Bruins earned it — the game and the expected-goals battle both.
J. Oettinger stopped 1.1 goals above expected and Dallas still lost 6–3. That's how decisively Boston dominated the underlying metrics.
The Bruins controlled 60% of shot attempts (24–16), generated far more expected goals (5.10–2.66), and doubled up on high-danger chances (8–4). Every metric tilted heavily toward Boston.
Shot quality separated the teams. Boston created at 0.098 expected goals per shot versus Dallas's 0.072. Dallas was efficient on the rush—3 goals on 18 chances. Boston scored the same 3 on 30 attempts, a lower conversion rate, but the Bruins' dominance elsewhere overwhelmed the gap. Boston converted 1 of 5 rebound chances while Dallas managed 0 of 3, another sign of Boston's control.
The Bruins overperformed their xG by 0.90 goals, a surplus that reflects cleaner execution. V. Arvidsson's wrist shot from the wing at 19:47 of the third period was the turning point. He finished with 3 goals in 14:20. D. Pastrnak contributed three assists in 18:27, running Boston's offense. W. Johnston's goal and assist in 23:04 marked Dallas's most impactful effort.
J. Korpisalo's 0.812 SV% was sufficient—the underlying numbers had already decided the outcome.
