Bruins Defenseman's Stick Snaps at Worst Time Leading to Hurricanes' Game-Winning Goal

Karl Rasmussen | Mar 6, 2025

Nikita Zadorov and the Bruins lost 3–2 to the Hurricanes on Thursday night. / Screenshot via B/R Open Ice on X

It's hard to imagine a more unfortunate ending to a hockey game than the one the Boston Bruins just endured.

Tied 2–2 with the Carolina Hurricanes with less than 25 seconds remaining, Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov attempted to clear the puck by blasting it up the ice from inside the defensive zone. In what can only be described as supreme misfortune, Zadorov's stick snapped in two, resulting in the defenseman whiffing on his attempted clearance.

The puck made its way conveniently to the stick of Hurricanes forward Seth Jarvis, who did not waste his unexpected chance at a shot on goal.

Jarvis buried a wrist shot past Boston goalie Jonas Korpisalo to give the Hurricanes a 3–2 lead with 19 seconds left—and eventually, the win.

SETH JARVIS WINS IT FOR THE CANES WITH 18 SECONDS LEFT 🚨 pic.twitter.com/uyXa0wNDvp

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) March 7, 2025

Just an incredibly unlucky turn of events for Boston.

What appeared to be a relatively standard clearance turned into a complete disaster and resulted in the team losing its third straight game. The Bruins have now lost eight of their last nine contests as they continue to fall further out of the playoff race.

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