Bruins Score Six Goals in Decisive Win

(Photo: Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire)

The Boston Bruins came into Saturday night’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers with something to prove. Despite outshooting the Flyers on Thursday, the Bruins struggled to get a goal Thursday night. In fact they were down 2-0 at the start of the third period before they finally found some rhythm and put in their first even-strength goal of the season. 

Things didn’t exactly start out fast and furious on Saturday night. In fact, the Bruins didn’t notch their first shot on Carter Hart of the evening until 8:09 of the first period. The good news was that shot happened to be a power play goal from newly minted captain Patrice Bergeron. And with Matt Grzelcyk out with a lower-body injury, Charlie McAvoy was quarterbacking the first unit of the power play for Boston during that first period.

Meanwhile the Flyers likewise continued to struggle to put pucks on Jaroslav Halak. Play had reached 10:26 of the opening frame before a puck got to Halak. Both teams seemed to be miscommunication with passes and transitioning though as even when in the offensive zones little was getting accomplished.

While the second period didn’t see a lot of shots, what it did see were goals on those shots. Kevin Hayes got the Flyers on the board and tied the game 1:14 into the middle frame. It looked like Halak thought he had the puck but it trickled through five-hole. It didn’t take long though for the Bruins to respond. Craig Smith earned his first goal as a Bruin 1:16 after the Flyer’s goal, with a wide open backdoor play, unassisted. 

Smith was on the right wing on a line with Trent Frederic, left wing and Charlie Coyle as center. Their transition game was strong during the second period. They showed a solid energy throughout the first 40 minutes and even gave the Bruins a little breathing space going into the second intermission. Coyle scored his second goal of the season, an impressive deflection that went top shelf on Hart. Assists went to both Frederic and Smith, sending the Bruins to the dressing room after the second period up 3-1.

“We hoped for Coyle and [Smith] to get some chemistry. They’ve been in the league, so they both know the drill, so to speak. Coyle likes to hold onto the puck; [Smith’s] a shooter. Freddy [Frederic] was just a mind set of we wanted to build a bigger line. We’ve got to be careful that we don’t put too much into one game, but I sure liked what I saw. We’ve said it all along, if we have a solid third line, as good as anyone’s in the league, that we are going to be tough to play against,” said Bruins Head Coach Bruce Cassidy after the game.

Frederic had been put on that third line because Nick Ritchie was bumped up to the second line to play with David Krejci, as a result of injuries. However, if they continue to produce the way they did on Saturday night, then it could be that they will stick together throughout the season. 

By the third period, it was clear that the Bruins’ confidence was growing. No longer were there questions if the Bruins could score even strength goals. Gone were the doubts about secondary scoring. And the veteran players were also doing what they do best. Brad Marchand notched his second and third goals of the season, giving the Bruins their fourth (even-strength) and fifth (on the power play) markers at 4:13 and 7:59 respectively. And perhaps it was fitting that Bergeron—who began the scoring for the Bruins—also got them their final goal of the game at 13:33, with a power play goal assisted by Marchand and McAvoy.

Management will have some thinking to do when David Pastrnak returns to the lineup, though when that will happen is still unknown at present. In the meantime, the Bruins have finally begun to see production.

They will play two more home games on Tuesday and Thursday of the coming week against the Pittsburgh Penguins, which will be another good test for that third line of Frederic, Coyle and Smith.