Bruins beat Red Wings 4-2 in Detroit as third-period surge reshapes wild-card race standings

Boston earns key two points in Detroit

The Boston Bruins picked up a 4-2 road win over the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday, March 21, 2026, at Little Caesars Arena, using a three-goal third period to secure the result in an Eastern Conference wild-card matchup. The game was televised nationally and drew an announced crowd of 19,515.

After a scoreless first period, the teams traded power-play goals in the second. Detroit opened the scoring at 3:35 of the period when Lucas Raymond converted with the man advantage. Boston answered at 5:07 on its own power play, with David Pastrnak tying the game on a setup involving Charlie McAvoy and Morgan Geekie.

Third period swings after Detroit takes the lead

Detroit regained the lead early in the third when Alex DeBrincat scored at 4:06, assisted by Moritz Seider. The Bruins responded at 6:22, when Elias Lindholm scored to make it 2-2, with Geekie and Mason Lohrei earning assists.

The decisive sequence came midway through the period. Defenseman Nikita Zadorov scored the go-ahead goal at 9:42, finishing a play that included assists from Geekie and McAvoy. Boston then added an empty-net goal at 18:08 from Marat Khusnutdinov, with assists credited to Pastrnak and Lindholm, to close out the 4-2 final.

Swayman’s workload underscores Detroit’s shot volume

Detroit outshot Boston 43-27, and Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman finished with 41 saves. The disparity in shots reflected sustained Detroit pressure across long stretches, particularly as the Red Wings pushed to recover after Boston took the lead in the third.

Special teams accounted for two of the first three goals: Raymond’s second-period tally came on the power play for Detroit, while Pastrnak’s equalizer was a power-play goal for Boston. Penalty minutes were relatively limited (Boston 8, Detroit 6), and the faceoff battle favored Detroit (60.0% to 40.0%).

What the result means

The win gave Boston the season-series edge, three games to one, against Detroit. It also delivered a regulation victory in a head-to-head game between two clubs competing for position in the Eastern Conference playoff picture late in the regular season.

• Final score: Bruins 4, Red Wings 2
• Key third-period goal: Zadorov at 9:42 put Boston ahead 3-2
• Notable contributors: Pastrnak (1 goal, 1 assist), Geekie (3 assists), Swayman (41 saves)

Scoring summary: Raymond (PP) and Pastrnak (PP) in the second; DeBrincat, Lindholm, Zadorov, and an empty-netter by Khusnutdinov in the third.