BOSTON — In Tuesday’s overtime, Brad Marchand reeled in a cross-ice pass from David Pastrnak and ripped what he thought would be the winner on net.

Andrei Vasilevskiy said otherwise.

The Tampa Bay Lightning goalie floated from left to right, lunged at the shot and got enough of the puck with his stick to send it over the net. Just like that, Marchand’s best opportunity at plopping the cherry atop his 1,000-game sundae. Brayden Point scored the only goal of the shootout to give the Lightning the extra point.

“He made an incredible save,” Marchand said following the Boston Bruins’ 3-2 loss. “That’s why he’s one of the top goalies in the league. His effort and compete level’s there every night. I thought I put it in a great spot to get it. But it just shows why he’s one of the best.”

The game belonged to Vasilevskiy. The Tampa ace stopped 36 of 38 shots, including all nine of the power-play pucks the Bruins put on net. Vasilevskiy was the reason the Bruins did not give Marchand the win in his 1,000th game.

“Huge milestone for Marshy,” said David Pastrnak. “Really wanted to get the dub for him and make it even more memorable.”

Recording the win was the only wart on Marchand’s night. He had two assists in 23:30 of ice time, most among team forwards. Marchand drew a penalty in the third period. He was everywhere, leading the Bruins in energy and will.

“We talked before the game about honoring him with effort and emotion in our game tonight,” said coach Jim Montgomery. “Because nobody has more effort and emotion and loves being a Bruin more than Brad Marchand.”

Those qualities flickered in two of the Bruins’ three previous games: no-shows against the Washington Capitals and Calgary Flames. So to rip off 80 all-situations attempts on Vasilevskiy, hunt pucks consistently and incorporate blue-line offensive pressure were all things that won Montgomery’s approval. It was just that Vasilevskiy snatched an outcome that should have gone the Bruins’ way.

“Sometimes you lose games in this league and you feel like you deserve better,” said Montgomery. “That’s going to happen. I was proud of our effort.”

The Bruins fell behind 2-0. One of those goals shouldn’t have happened. 

Linus Ullmark usually slams the door on shots like the one Erik Cernak took in the first period: no traffic, easy-to-read release, plenty of time to get square. Somehow, the puck squeaked through Ullmark and rolled over the goal line before Charlie McAvoy could sweep it clear.

But the Bruins punched back when McAvoy, following a Marchand recovery and setup, snapped a long-distance shot on net. Vasilevskiy, screened by Victor Hedman, was beaten. It was a heads-up play by McAvoy, who submitted one of his sharpest performances of late (seven shots and 27:47 of ice time, both team highs).

The Bruins tied the game during a delayed penalty. Marchand got his second helper, this time by putting a shot on net. Vasilevskiy stopped Marchand. But James van Riemsdyk fought off a Cernak stick check and banged in a backhander before the goalie could cover the puck.

JVR getting us even. pic.twitter.com/bF5WoAtIIp

— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) February 14, 2024

“It looked like he lost it a couple times,” Montgomery said of Marchand’s puck play prior to the goal. “But he gets it right back again. Then we executed really well.”

Tenaciousness has always been central to Marchand’s DNA. It has gotten him to 912 points in 1,000 games, all with the club that drafted him in the third round in 2006. He is proud of that.

“I know how fortunate I am to be part of this organization and one organization your whole career, at least up to this point,” said Marchand. “That’s part of what I love so much about being here — how much the fans care and how they embrace the team. It’s really special. It flies by. You really have to enjoy every day and make the most of every moment. You don’t know when it’s going to be your last. I can’t believe how fast it’s already gone. It’s something you want to last forever. But we’ve all got a shelf life. To look back on it and see some of those memories, it’s very special.”

(Photo: Winslow Townson / Getty Images)