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Jarome Iginla's OT goal helps Bruins take 3-1 series lead over Red Wings (Video)

AP

Jarome Iginla’s first career playoff overtime goal 13:32 into the extra period gave the Boston Bruins a 3-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings Thursday night and put them a win away from the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Despite the surprising news just before puck drop that the flu would relegate Jimmy Howard to backing up Jonas Gustavsson, the Red Wings came out flying in the first period and were rewarded with a 1-0 lead, thanks to new daddy Niklas Kronwall’s power play goal.

Detroit kept the pressure on in the second period as Kronwall’s great game didn’t end with his goal.

Early in the period as the Red Wings controlled play, Kronwall carried the puck to Tuukka Rask’s right and fed Justin Abdelkader in front, whose backhand attempt was then blocked by Matt Bartkowski. Still in stride, the puck popped up to Kronwall behind the net, who then served fellow new daddy Pavel Datsyuk on a platter for a 2-0 lead.

The game then began to swing in the Bruins’ direction in the second period. The Boston comeback began in the waning moments of a power play midway through the second period when Torey Krug fired a slap shot that deflected off Luke Glendening’s stick and got by Gustavsson to cut the Detroit lead in half.

Boston kept coming and when Milan Lucic tied the game early in the third period it signified the ninth time a team had blown a 2-0 lead this postseason.

The Bruins comeback would need overtime and another bounce that would work against the Red Wings.

After keeping control of the puck along the boards deep in the Red Wings zone, Iginla dished off the puck and went directly to the front of the net. By then, Dougie Hamilton had the puck on the opposite point and wristed a shot which Iginla deflected. The puck went off Iginla's stick and off Danny DeKeyser in front to give Boston the win and 3-1 series lead heading home.

Iginla's  overtime winner took a giant weight off the shoulders of Brad Marchand, who missed two open nets earlier in the game.

The series now shifts back to TD Garden Saturday afternoon where the Bruins can close out the Red Wings and begin focusing on the Montreal Canadiens.