With the Winnipeg Jets in town for a post-thanksgiving showdown, not many people expected an entertaining affair between two middle-of-the-pack teams, but boy were they surprised.

Behind Tuukka Rask’s 35 saves and Michael Hutchinson’s 36, the 17,565 in attendance at TD Garden were treated to a thriller as the Bruins used Dougie Hamilton’s overtime goal to beat the Jets 2-1 in what was one of the more exciting games so far this season.

After falling behind early in the first period on Dustin Byfuglien’s power play tally, Rask shut the door on the Jets, stopping all 31 shots he saw after the goal to earn his 11th win of the season.

The Jets surely had their chances to extend their lead as Evander Kane had multiple breakaways that Rask turned away and there were a handful of prime scoring chances that Winnipeg had where Rask came up with some game-changing saves.

As the Bruins are set to head out west for the always difficult west coast trip through California, Rask put the team on his back Friday night to help his team pick up two much needed points.

“No, I just… the first period wasn’t our best and then I had to make some saves there and keep it tight,” Rask said. “I don’t know. I just try to keep it tight every game and give us a chance to win. If it’s taken pride yeah, you’d say that, but it’s my job to give us a chance to win and sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.”

He hasn’t been the Vezina award winning Rask we saw a season ago, but he also hasn’t been bad by any means.

As the Bruins continue to find ways to stay afloat in the Atlantic Division until they can get healthy, Rask is continuing to do his part, some nights better than others.

Friday night was one of those nights where Rask did it better than he has on other nights.

“Yeah he was awesome, I think a lot of plays were, they were throwing pucks from everywhere and scrambles and things like that, and a few break aways as well,” said Dougie Hamilton after scoring his overtime winner. “So without him it’s a different game and that’s what we need and want from him every game.”

Hutchinson spent three seasons in the Bruins organization playing with the Providence Bruins. Hutchinson spent his first season with the “Baby B’s” as the teams starter before playing the role of backup to Niklas Svedberg for his final two seasons in Providence.

Despite once again playing the role of backup goaltender, Hutchinson has found some success in Winnipeg. In eight games this season, the 24-year old has gone 4-1-2 with a .947 save percentage and a 1.56 goals-against average, both figures are good enough for tops in the league.

Hutchinson did everything he could to help the team complete the sweep of their brief three-game road trip, but Rask and the Bruins made sure that wouldn’t be the case.

“Yeah we had chances all game long,” said Hutchinson. “They had a couple pushes here and there and they had some chances too but I thought it was a good hockey game, both teams had chances and Tuukka is a good goalie. He is going to make you work for every goal you get.  Fortunately we got one on him tonight but it just wasn’t enough.”

Friday night marked the second time Hutchinson got to take on the Bruins since joining the Jets, and much like his previous outing, he enjoyed seeing some familiar faces.

“It was fun. It’s always nice playing when you know some of the guys on the other team.  It just makes you focus that much harder and try that much more to win the game,” Hutchinson said.

Despite the two goalies not getting to spend much time with each other during Hutch’s three years in the organization, the two goalies do have a mutual respect for each, especially Hutchinson who has idolized Rask since he was drafted by the Bruins in the third round of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.

“It was awesome,” said Hutchinson of getting to play against Rask. “He’s a goalie that ever since I was drafted I looked up to.  So to be able to play against him is a real good experience and it really forced me to focus in and push myself because like I said he doesn’t make too many mistakes and we got one on him. And it really made me bear down and know that it might be the only one we get tonight.”

Hutchinson will have at least one more crack at the Bruins when the Black and Gold travel to Winnipeg in December for their second and final meeting of the 2014-15 regular season.