The Buffalo Sabres came into Boston on a 16-game losing streak undoubtedly hoping to break that skid. The Boston Bruins were coming off their loss to the New York Islanders in the first home game of a seven-game home stand with fans in the building.
For the Boston Bruins, they had a morning change-up as Brad Marchand was sent home as part of the COVID protocol. The shift of lines saw Trent Frederic join Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak on the top line. Jack Studnicka and Zach Senyshyn also saw themselves on the roster for the matinee game. Senyshyn slotted in on the right side of Charlie Coyle’s third line while Studnicka centered the fourth line.
Things were not looking great for the Bruins as the game got underway. While Trent Frederic came out on his first shift and made his first hit, Connor Clifton simultaneously got whistled for the first penalty of the game, an elbow, giving the Sabres the first power play of the game. Sam Reinhart gave Buffalo the lead just 45 seconds into that power play, when Dan Vladar had a miscue in playing the puck and wasn’t set in his net on Reinhart’s shot. However, the rest of the game Vladar made the necessary stops to keep Boston in the game.
Throughout the game the Bruins seemed to have some issues making connections on some of their passes and on some shifts it was clear the chemistry and communication wasn’t there. Perhaps this was to be expected a little given the shakeup in lines with major players still out with injuries or COVID protocols and the departure of Marchand so close to game start.
Shortly after the half way mark of the game, Boston University alumnus Matt Grzelcyk tied the game. Assisted by Pastrnak and Bergeron, his shot from the blue line, having traveled laterally, continued to show some of the skill the underrated defensemen has. The Sabres managed to get a go ahead goal roughly three minutes later, from Kyle Okposo, assisted by Henri Jokiharju and Rasmus Dahlin, giving them the lead going into the second intermission. Buffalo had also managed to outshoot Boston in the middle frame.
As the third period got underway the effort and energy from the Bruins had stepped up a notch. After all, they certainly didn’t want to be the team that lost to the skidding Sabres, but they were trailing and had yet to lead in the game.
Charlie McAvoy (Photo: Alan Sullivan)
With the clock ticking toward the opening five minutes of the final period, Charlie McAvoy, another BU alum, picked up a pass from Grzelcyk and got his feet moving, skating it down the right wall and around the back of Linus Ullmark’s net. He was going around the world and the fans in the building began booing McAvoy—perhaps thinking he was being selfish with the puck—when finally McAvoy saw a seam and got the puck to Nick Ritchie who was just on the lower right circle. The booing immediately turned into a cheer when the puck found the twine and the game was once again tied. McAvoy’s hockey IQ and skills were on display in that play and his patience to keep possession and look for the best open player paid off.
Despite already having had three power play opportunities, the Bruins went on a fourth about four minutes after Ritchie’s goal. It was clear the team had some jump and some confidence but in the end they failed to convert for the fourth time in the game. This begs the question of how important Marchand is on the power play top unit and whether or not the team was missing his chemistry with Pastrnak on that unit.
The clock dipped into the final five minutes of regulation with the score still tied. It entered that interval where fans simply want the team to get the one point and force an overtime when Boston got their first lead of the game. Craig Smith who was on Ullmark’s doorstep caught an errant puck—that appeared to be a rebound off an attempt from Ritchie and David Krejci—which he put home at 16:10 of the third.
The Sabres pulled their goalie in the final couple of minutes for the extra attacker only to have to put him back in after Rasmus Ristolainen was called for goaltender interference on Vladar with 25 seconds remaining. In the end the Bruins held on and took the two points in regulation.
While all three of Boston’s goals were scored at five-on-five and certainly by those not on the top line, the Bruins still can’t say that all of their lines are clicking. And their inability to convert while on the power play was something that they will want to address. Their penalty kill continues to be lead the league and their power play going into Saturday’s matinee was a decent 7th place, but it is likely they were not pleased with how the power play went during Saturday’s game.
There is little time for the Bruins to think about their win, as they are back at it hosting the New Jersey Devils for a rare 5:30pm start on Sunday.
After being shut out in their own barn on Sunday, it was not surprising to see the Boston Bruins come out with some speed during the first period against the New York Rangers on Thursday night in the first of two games that concludes with a matinee on Saturday.
With Tuukka Rask out after getting hurt on Sunday, Jaroslav Halak got the nod in between the pipes with Dan Vladar backing him up. At the other end of the ice Alexandar Georgiev started for the Rangers. This is the fifth of eight games to be played between the two teams, but it is the first time the Bruins have played the Rangers on home ice. Going into Thursday night’s game, Boston was 3-1-0 against the Blueshirts.
The first period saw Boston with the first marker of the game, as David Pastrnak slapped one from the center of the blue line just 4:14 into the opening twenty on only the Bruins’ second shot of the game. A few changes to the lineup — the adding of Zach Senyshyn to the fourth line that saw Sean Kuraly on the left wing with Jack Studnicka as center being one of the bigger. Jake DeBrusk was back in the lineup and again on David Krejci’s line, though this time he has been slotted on the left while Nick Ritchie was moved to the right.
Jack Studnicka and Jake DeBrusk shorthanded attempt on Alexandar Georgiev (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire)
Ritchie was whistled for the first penalty of the game with 2:58 remaining in the first period while the Bruins continued to have the only goal of the game. Just 32 seconds into the Rangers power play, Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron came down the wings with Marchand sliding the puck to Bergeron on the left in the circle and he got the shorthander past Georgiev to put Boston up 2-0. Meanwhile DeBrusk and Studnicka almost gave the Bruins a second shorthanded goal as Georgiev was aggressively out of his crease but the pass by DeBrusk was just a little ahead of his stick.
Within the first 1:04 of the second the Bruins iced the puck twice. Meanwhile, a little more than a minute later the Rangers Libor Hajek was sent off for a holding penalty and Krejci notched his first goal of the season while on the power play with assists from Matt Grzelcyk and Marchand giving Boston a 3-0 lead. DeBrusk put his first puck in the net for the season 1:21 later, assisted by Krejci, and with that Georgiev was done for the night. Keith Kinkaid came in at 4:52 of the second period.
While Boston was doing well with the scoring, injuries were causing some shuffling of the lines. Craig Smith went down the tunnel five minutes into the second. He would return later in the period. Then, while the Bruins were on a penalty kill at 18:54 of the frame, Ritchie skated off, hunched over, and also went down the walkway.
Though the Rangers had been able to close the door on scoring with Kinkaid, they were struggling to get a shot on Halak at the other end. Their first shot on the Bruins netminder would not come until 11:08 of the frame and by the end of the period they had managed just three shots total in the 20 minutes of play.
Ryan Lindgren went off for a slashing at 12:12 of the second which the Bruins were unable to covert on. And then Marchand was whistled for a hook with just 1:06 remaining in the second, which is when Ritchie got hurt.
Though Boston would start the third period down a man for the first 54 seconds, they were up by four goals and Ritchie had returned to the bench for the final twenty of regulation. Boston would make the kill and limit the Rangers to a single shot on net. Just past the ten-minute mark of the final frame, Pastrnak would take a holding penalty and Ritchie would get another tripping with 2:45 remaining in regulation.
Despite getting a few shots on Halak during these man advantages, the Rangers were unable to solve Halak who garnered his 52nd career shutout. This was a much-needed bounce back win for the Bruins to end their losing streak.
In a rare 5:00pm start, the Boston Bruins played host the New Jersey Devils on Sunday, March 7, 2021. Warm-ups included rainbow stick tape in honor of Hockey is For Everyone. Sunday’s game also marked the fourth time these two teams have stared across the puck at each other so far this season, with the Devils carrying a 2-0-1 record into the game.
The first period saw a more confident Bruins team showing a strong forecheck that was offering no chance for the New Jersey to make breakouts. The Bruins had some good offensive zone time and were able to tie up the Devils in the neutral zone as well. Early in the period Tuukka Rask took a puck off his mask from a Michael McLeod shot. After a whistle Rask took his mask off and was checking his head for any possible injury. He didn’t find anything apparently because he was right back at it when the next puck dropped.
Urho Vaakanainen was sent off at 7:19 for a high sticking penalty, but as the clock ticked off and he shot out of the box he picked up the puck and headed down to the Devils’ end. A similar play happened when Chris Wagner exited the box after his tripping penalty at 13:34. Neither opportunity saw joy. The Devils were unable to convert on either power play and Boston limited them to just three shots on goal during both power plays.
As the clock ticked down, while both teams had flown north and south, little had been accomplished. Brad Marchand did have a good opportunity in the slot but his stick shattered on the slapper. The teams went into the dressing rooms with no score and Boston outshooting New Jersey 12-10.
The second period saw a New Jersey team with an improved tempo and the ability to stay in the Bruins end. At one point the Bruins had two simultaneous icings—the first one simply an effort to clear the puck and stop the play. And there was a flurry of activity around Rask during the second half of the period. Once again the Bruins found themselves shorthanded when Jake DeBrusk was whistled at 9:14 for a high sticking infraction. DeBrusk was aware he had done it and actually asked Travis Zajac if he was okay after. While the Bruins had done well on the penalty kill in the first, this kill was particularly strong, denying New Jersey even one shot on the goal while they were on the power play.
With just 1:59 remaining in the period it looked like the Devils were on the scoreboard but the goal was immediately waved off—the result of a hand pass. This was certainly a lucky break for the Bruins and it took the teams into the second intermission still scoreless.
The third period saw much the same as the first two, although it was the Bruins who got a couple of power play chances. Unfortunately they were unable to convert, with Scott Wedgewood doing a good job tracking any pucks that Boston put on him. The game continued to be scoreless through the first 15 minutes and as it entered the final five minutes, it became a game of trying to get at least a point. Unfortunately for Boston the Devils managed to put a Rask rebound in the net with 4:37 remaining in regulation. Originally given to Pavel Zacha, the goal was ultimately determined to have been scored by Kyle Palmieri.
It wasn’t that the Bruins weren’t trying. They had shots on goal during both of their power plays and they continued to do a good job of maintaining offensive zone time, but those that got through to Wedgewood were gobbled up. Rask was pulled with 1:45 remaining for the extra attacker and then the Bruins used their timeout at 1:17 to try and get the tying goal to force overtime. In all Boston put 18 shots on Wedgewood in the third period alone but it was not to be.
The Bruins head back to New York to take on the New York Islanders on Tuesday and then return to TD Garden to host the New York Rangers Thursday night and a Saturday matinee.
Really unsure what has happened with the Boston Bruins since their win against the Philadelphia Flyers in their NHL Outdoors at Lake Tahoe game. While they managed to get the win in Sunday’s matinee against the New York Rangers, their performance overall through the last few games has been questionable most of the time and lackluster during many periods.
With Zdeno Chara’s return to TD Garden on Wednesday night with the Washington Capitals it would be expected that there might have been some extra energy. Perhaps the late scratch of Charlie Coyle and a shuffling of lines played into it but the opening twenty minutes was as unimpressive as possible for the Bruins. They didn’t register their first shot on Vivek Vanecek until 15:28.
It looked like the Capitals had scored at 10:21, off a shot by T.J. Oshie, but Boston dodged a bullet. They challenged for offsides and the call went their way. It was difficult to tell, as the television replays were inconclusive, but it is known that there are additional camera angles for the linesmen and referees for challenges. One might have thought that this would have sparked the Bruins to step up their game, but it took them another 5:07 before they got that first shot on net.
Charlie McAvoy took an interference penalty 2:23 into the opener and David Krejci, in his first game back, was whistled for tripping at 14:19. Krejci’s penalty was negated at 14:56 when Alexander Ovechkin got sent off for interference. It was while the teams were playing four-on-four that the Bruins found their first shot on net. With just 11 seconds remaining on the clock, Richard Panik earned the third interference penalty of that period giving the Bruins a power play that carried into the second.
While the Bruins were unable to convert on the carryover power play, over all their second period play had a lot more tempo. What stood out through the middle period was how both teams were defensive and determined to keep shots from making it to their respective goaltenders. Boston did pick up their pace in the shot department as they were able to collect seven by the end of the period while limiting the Capitals to just four despite a couple of instances where Washington hemmed the Bruins in their own end.
The hits continued to mount as the game went on. By the end of the second period the Capitals had registered 25 hits while the Bruins had 21. The teams just steamed north and south throughout the second with most trips to one end or the other punctuated by the thump of bodies against boards.
The third period saw David Pastrnak put the Bruins on the scoreboard 1:19 into the final twenty, with an assist by Brad Marchand in a move they do so well. Unfortunately for Boston, a turnover by Sean Kuraly allowed the Washington Capitals to keep the puck in the Bruins’ end and then Oshie sent the puck across the rink along the blue line to Nick Jensen, who put it on Tuukka Rask. Rask let up a rebound that Panik dished to Lars Eller who put it in to the left of Rask. The tying goal came almost exactly five minutes after Pastrnak’s marker.
Unlike the second period, there was not nearly as many hits by the teams in the third. The Bruins added five to their total while the Capitals added just three. This lack of physicality is likely what opened up the scoring chances in the first place. However, that didn’t mean there wasn’t a bit of nastiness. Trent Frederic had been trying to get under Ovechkin’s skin most of the game, and with less than six minutes remaining in regulation he cross-checked Ovechkin. Ovechkin took exception and slashed Frederic in the family jewels. Frederic certainly felt that. They both ended up in the box for two minutes.
Sixty minutes wasn’t enough to declare a winner, and nothing was decided in the three-on-three overtime. It came down to a shootout in which Vanecek stood tall against Jake DeBrusk, Pastrnak and Marchand, while at the other end Rask was unable to deny Jakub Vrana who shot first for Washington, though he did shut the door on Oshie.
While Boston grabbed a point—a point that they likely stole given their play throughout much of the game—the most memorable moment of the game came during a TV time out. The Bruins shared a tribute video of Chara that clearly moved him. He certainly meant a lot to Boston and it was definitely difficult to see him on the Garden ice in something other than a Bruins sweater.
The Boston Bruins were finally back playing at TD Garden on Thursday, February 18, 2021 after having had three games postponed for Covid-19 protocol issues with the other teams. They welcomed the New Jersey Devils. One of the big changes was Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy electing to put David Pastrnak on the right wing of David Krejci’s line while Jake DeBrusk played on the first line with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand.
Throughout the opening twenty minutes it was clear that the Bruins were struggling. The Devils spent a lot of time in the offensive end, though they didn’t have many shots on Jaroslav Halak. As the Bruins’ Chris Wagner was sent off for a tripping at 10:29, Boston was outshooting New Jersey 5-2 and the shot count stayed at that through the penalty. However, after that the Devils began to put more rubber on Halak while the Bruins went 13:38 between shots 5 and 6 on Mackenzie Blackwood. The period ended with each team having seven shots on goal while neither team had anything to show for it.
The second period saw the Bruins continuing to struggle. Kyle Palmieri got the Devils on the board at 1:34. The Bruins lost Krejci during his first shift of the second period in which he played only nine seconds. It was announced later in the period that he had a lower-body injury and would not return to the game. Meanwhile John Moore took a penalty at 8:01, which, fortunately, 54 seconds later was negated by P.K. Subban’s double minor for high sticking. However, Palmieri manage to again get into the offensive zone alone to get his second of the night and the period with a shorthander at 10:39. DeBrusk finally put the Bruins on the board when he notched his first of the season with 34 seconds remaining on Subban’s penalty.
DeBrusk’s goal was probably the only good thing to happen for Boston in the middle period and the Devis who continued to dominate the puck and the play regained their two-goal lead at 15:37 with a sick goal by Pavel Zacha, who deserved that marker.
With Krejci out the forward lines were a bit of a jumble though Pastrnak was moved back up to play with Bergeron and Marchand. However, the team’s inability to connect on passes or keep any sustained control of the puck continued to plague them. To be honest, the Bruins were lucky to have exited the second period just down by two goals.
While the third period tends to be Boston’s strongest period, the missed connections on passes and inability to maintain much offensive zone time continued well into the period. Jeremy Lauzon put the Bruins down a man when he was whistled for a tripping at 7:01 and then Marchand joined him in the box 35 seconds later on a high sticking call. Boston weathered the 1:25 time of five-on-three play and may have actually garnered some confidence from that. It was after these penalties and the killing of both of them that the Bruins began to get some rhythm.
With 2:11 remaining in regulation, New Jersey Devil Ty Smith took the penalty that no one likes—delay of game—when he shot the puck up and over the glass. The Bruins immediately pulled Halak for the extra attacker in a six-on-four power play. It took them some time but Pastrnak was able to get a power play goal 1:05 into the power play. At that point the Bruins used their time out hoping that with the remaining 1:06 in regulation they might be able to tie the game. Bergeron won both offensive faceoffs in that 66 seconds, but the Bruins still didn’t have enough quality control of the puck to pull off a miracle.
Boston lost 3-2 to the Devils on home ice. They now have a two-game losing streak, having lost to the New York Islanders this past Saturday on the road. Their next tilt is their game on Sunday against the Philadelphia Flyers in the NHL Outdoors at Lake Tahoe match which has been moved up one hour to 2:00pm ET for player safety and because of the sun. They will definitely want to figure out what had them so discombobulated on Thursday and come out strong in the outdoor game.
🎥 Coach Bruce Cassidy on the #NHLBruins loss to the Devils: "You would think after four, five days away from playing we would have been a hungrier team, but we weren't, so we will address that." pic.twitter.com/8WZK349LZQ
The Boston Bruins and the Pittsburgh Penguins were back at it at TD Garden on Thursday evening. The Bruins were without Tuukka Rask and Jake DeBrusk — both listed as having lower-body injuries — while Boston did get Matt Grzelcyk back in the lineup. For the B’s this meant a little shuffling of the lines. Craig Smith moved up to play the right wing with Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron. Charlie Coyle took the right wing on the David Krejci line and Par Lindholm slotted into the third line center slot surrounded by Trent Frederic andJack Studnicka.
It was the fourth line though for the Bruins that got them on the score board when Chris Wagner put home a Penguins defenseman’s rebound at 6:10 of the first period. That is where the score sat in what was shaping up as a pretty uneventful period. However, at 15:03 Cody Ceci notched one for Pittsburgh to tie up the game. The Bruins continued to play their game, though not without a few missed passes and a little miscommunication, and as the clock was ticking down to the last minute of the period, Sean Kuraly deflected a shot from Anders Bjork to give the Bruins the lead back. The last five minutes may have seen some of the most action. There weren’t even a lot of penalties. Only the Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry got whistled for a trip just 52 seconds into the game, which was served by Jason Zucker.
For Boston the goals were both scored by the fourth line. Additionally it was the first goal of the season for all three goal scorers.
Boston has struggled in the second period this season, in many cases being outshot. Thursday evening’s game was no exception. However the Penguins weren’t doing much better. Only one shot had been notched, by the Penguins, as 7:46 had gone by. It wasn’t until 8:13 when the Bruins got their first shot on goal. Bergeron with a little backhand forehand move and he put the puck home off a pass from Grzelcyk. By that point of the game Coyle had replaced Smith on the top line. Coyle had played there before, so it probably made sense to Coach Cassidy when things weren’t happening.
Meanwhile defensively there were some positives that Boston showed. Jakub Zboril showed some good maneuvers at one point when he was in alone with a Penguins player to prevent Pittsburgh from having any opportunities to shoot on Jaroslav Halak. His pairing with the returned Kevan Miller has shown promise. Miller doesn’t even look like someone who has had his knee broken twice and missed as much time as he did rehabbing. And his intensity may be rubbing off on Zboril.
Jeremy Lauson knocks Drew O’Connor into Jaroslav Halak (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire)
Once again the Bruins were leading in penalties as well. Jeremy Lauzon was whistled for an interference that pushed Drew O’Connor into Halak at 13:40 and then Grzelcyk got a holding penalty at 18:35. Studnicka did a good job of skating the puck out of the Bruins end as the Lauzon penalty was winding down, rather than just shooting it out of the zone.
As the third period got underway, Grzelcyk was not in the box to finish his penalty. Later on it was announced that he would not be returning to the game—the result of a lower body injury. It turned out to be a new injury, not the result of an aggravation of the previous one that had kept him out of the last couple of games.
Meanwhile, just like in the first period, the Penguins were called for a penalty early in the third. This time it was 55 seconds into the frame. John Marino was sent off for an interference call. With Grzelcyk out, Charlie McAvoy was back on the top power play unit and he may have proved his worth on that unit. Forty-five seconds into the man advantage Bergeron had his second goal of the game. While he doesn’t show up on the assists, the play began with Krejci, who shot the puck up to McAvoy who was on the left of the blue line. McAvoy walked the puck to the center of the blue line and slid it to Marchand in the right circle. Marchand then made a short pass to Bergeron who was at the top of the right circle and he hammered it home.
While the Penguins outshot the Bruins in the third period, there was no “come from behind” effort really seen from Pittsburgh as there had been on Tuesday. The final horn blew and the Bruins won their fourth straight home game making them undefeated at home this season.
The Boston Bruins are playing host the Pittsburgh Penguins this week, with the first of two games taking place Tuesday night. Matt Grzelcyk is still out with his lower-body injury and David Pastrnak, though in a regular practice jersey, was not expected to play in either of Tuesday’s or Thursday’s games. He is however traveling with the team this coming weekend.
The opening frame saw both teams spend a little time feeling each other out. Just like Saturday night’s game though, the line of Trent Frederic, Charlie Coyle and Craig Smith were determined to pick up where they left off. Smith notched three shots on goal during the first period which saw the Bruins with a total of 11 shots. Boston also found themselves in the box twice in the opening twenty. Connor Clifton was whistled at 7:18 for a cross-check, and Brad Marchand added to his shorthanded goal count 23 seconds later. Meanwhile the Bruins kept the Penguins from making a single shot during their man-advantage. The second penalty saw Chris Wagner sitting with 1:57 remaining in the period. This was a critical penalty kill for the Bruins to ensure they went into the first intermission leading 1–0. The clock ran out but there were still three seconds on Wagner’s penalty to carry over into the second period.
The second period saw the Bruins spending more time in the box as Patrice Bergeron was whistled for hooking less than three minutes into the middle frame. The Bruins managed to kill it off. Boston got their first chance on the man-advantage when Chad Ruhwedel was sent off for hooking. And then 37 seconds later his teammate Brandon Taney joined him, having been called for tripping. While on the five-on-three, Marchand was able to dish the puck to Nick Ritchie who was about two feet from the right side of the crease. He neatly popped the puck in giving the Bruins their second goal of the game.
For Ritchie, that was his sixth point in six games (3 goals, 3 assists), showing more of his talent as this season continues. Meanwhile Charlie McAvoy added a second assist to his stats for the night—having assisted on Marchand’s shorthander in the first.
The Bruins saw Smith head off on a slashing penalty at 12:00 of the second period. And then Jakub Zboril took a seat at 17:45 for tripping, making the fifth penalty called on the Bruins. Kris Letang soon found himself also in the box at 18:52, also for tripping. The teams played 53 seconds of four-on-four before the Bruins had a brief power play before the horn signaled the end of the second period.
During the second the Boston Bruins organization announced that Jake DeBrusk would not return to the game, suffering a lower-body injury. Of course nothing else was said about this, but it could be a very good thing that Pastrnak is close to returning to that top line.
The final period – which has been a strong one for the Penguins this season—saw the Bruins and the Penguins both doing their best. And once again the Bruins found themselves in the penalty box. Their sixth penalty of the game, Ritchie was sent off for a tripping call. Boston managed to kill the penalty, but eight seconds later Jason Zucker finally got a puck past Tuukka Rask, who had been exceptional throughout the game, and the Penguins had a goal and had cut the Bruins’ lead in half.
Six penalties and the loss of DeBrusk up front was taking its toll on Boston as the third period progressed. It was getting harder to get the Penguins out of the Bruins’ defensive zone, and there were a couple of breakaways that required Rask to stand tall; which he did. However, it was also clear that the ice was a bit tilted in favor of the Penguins and as the clock ticked down it became a question of if Boston could hold on to finish the game in regulation.
The answer to that question would be no. Kasperi Kapanen managed to tie the game with 3:16 remaining in regulation. At that point it became important that the Bruins force the game to overtime so that they would have at least a point out of this first game.
Despite their fatigue the Bruins did push the game to an extra inning. And during that overtime period there were a couple of odd-man rushes on Rask that somehow didn’t manage to result in a goal. The most surprising was a three on-zero opportunity for the Penguins that saw them with an incomplete pass right on the Rask’s doorstep. With less than 15 seconds remaining and it looking like the game would go to the shootout, David Krejci and Smith found themselves on a two-on-zero rush in which Krejci made a solid pass to Smith who, with his seventh shot on net of the game, put the puck in the net giving the Bruins the extra point.
There are questions now in regard to the lineup. Grzelcyk was still out on Tuesday. Pastrnak may not be called upon to suit up on Thursday. And there was no news on DeBrusk after the game. Bruins Head Coach Bruce Cassidy suggested they may pull up someone from the taxi squad for Thursday’s rematch against the Penguins.
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.
Trent Frederic and Mark Friedman (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire)
“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.
There wasn’t a lot of flow flying, as David Pastrnak wasn’t playing, while Jack Studnicka played the right wing on the first line with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand. Pastrnak is currently relegated to an “injured, non-roster” position as is Karson Kuhlman.
And after coming out strong and getting a goal in the first, there wasn’t a lot of flow on the ice either for the Boston Bruins as the game continued. They kept the lead through the second period, though the New Jersey Devils were beginning to push back. And then in the third, the Devils tied the game—twice—to force the game first to overtime and ultimately to the shootout, where Marchand, who already had a goal and an assist, notched the only goal of the shootout for either team to give the Bruins the win.
“I thought our start was excellent for not playing any real live hockey. We were into it. We were banging. We were winning pucks. We just go away from it in the third. We let a lead get away in the third period and that’s not a road we want to go down. I know it was only a one-goal lead but we’ve got to play winning hockey and I don’t think we did in the third at times. That’s an area that we’re going to have to clean up,” said Head Coach Bruce Cassidy.
With a lack of preseason games, and the loss of both Zdeno Chara and Torey Krug on the blue line, there were some questions about how this team would look. Some of those questions were answered resoundingly, while others will likely need a few more games before solutions are found.
Kevan Miller’s 30th NHL Game, Jan. 4, 2019 (Photo: Alan Sullivan)
First and foremost, Kevan Miller returned to the lineup in black and gold for the first time in 651 games. There were doubts by some as to how his first game back would go. After his first few shifts, he certainly didn’t look like he hadn’t played a game since April 4, 2019.
The team were all thrilled to have Miller back on the bench and perhaps none more so than Marchand.
“We all know how hard of a road he’s had the last year and a half and a lot of guys would have quit and just hung them up. And with how hard he pushed to get back and what he had to go through and his resiliency, I think that’s what everyone was looking so forward to tonight was watching him back on the ice. From the second he stepped on the ice in camp, you could see that fire in his eye and it’s fun to watch him out there. He’s such a big part of our team on and off the ice. It was great. We wanted to win for him tonight. He was unreal out there and his old self again,” Marchand effused.
Marchand would have said more but Miller, who was sitting next to him, interrupted jokingly, “Uncle, uncle.”
It was obvious that the team was indeed thrilled to have him back and that Miller, though he didn’t say much, was just as happy tO be back playing the game he loves. His return will help ensure that other teams know that if they get physical he is happy to return the favor.
“That’s his style. If he gets hit, he hits ‘em back and makes them sit down,” Tuukka Rask said.
The second question had to do with the power play. The loss of Krug had some asking who would take his spot on the first power play unit. Based on Thursday night’s game, it appears that job is Matt Grzelcyk’s to lose. He was quarterbacking that top power play unit with Bergeron, in his bumper position, along with David Krejci, Marchand and Charlie Coyle. Grzelcyk spent some time there during the previous season and it is likely that as this season gets under way his confidence in the position will grow.
The shortened training season and lack of preseason games means that this year the players will have to do a lot of fixing on the fly. Grzelcyk can contribute, there is no doubt of that. When Krug was in the lineup, Grzelcyk was relegated to a lower role, and now he will have an opportunity to show all he can offer. In fact, he gave a hint of just what he is capable of in this opener, leading the team with six shots on goal.
The teams will be back at it on Saturday in New Jersey for the second of eight tilts between these two. And with all games being divisional, the Bruins will want to get on the board first and hang onto the lead to take four points in the first two games.
It began earlier in the week and continued right through the first day of free agency. Some of the goalies that everyone knows, even if they don’t play on your favorite team, were getting moved around. While there were a couple of trades, the bulk of signings naturally came during the start of free agency.
Some of the most well-known goalies who have established themselves in particular jerseys, including Henrik Lundqvist and Braden Holtby found themselves moving on in what has been the strangest of NHL years.
The COVID-19 pause in March delayed the playoffs, which of course delayed everything else. So, instead of free agency frenzy beginning on July 1, this year it began on October 9. And it likely won’t be long until these goaltenders are suiting up in their new practice jerseys, as the start of a condensed 2020-21 season is scheduled to launch on January 1, 2021.
As mentioned, Henrik Lundqvist will not be suiting up for the New York Rangers. He was bought out of his remaining year’s contract allowing him to sign a one-year, $1.5 million contract with the Washington Capitals. The 38-year-old netminder may have seen the writing on the wall after the Carolina Hurricanes took all three games in the Qualifying Round and Lundqvist was benched in preference for rookie Igor Shesterkin who got the nod for the third game, playing in his NHL postseason debut. Lundqvist had made 129 consecutive postseason starts up to that point.
Teams taking a chance with new goaltenders!
Meanwhile, in Washington, D.C., Braden Holtby found himself signing on the dotted line with the Vancouver Canucks – getting a two-year deal that will hit the Canucks cap annually for $4.3 million. Holtby has spent all of his NHL career—ten years—with the Capitals, garnering 35 shutouts, a record of 282-122-46 and a goals-against average of 2.54. He won one Vezina Trophy, a Stanley Cup and the William M. Jennings Trophy during his time in Washington.
Another surprise was the announcement that Corey Crawford had signed with the New Jersey Devils. His two-year deal with the Devils earns him $7.8 million, with an annual hit on the cap at $3.9 million. Like the others discussed, he has spent all of his professional career with a single NHL team; the Chicago Blackhawks organization starting with the 2005/06 season. After playing the bulk of his games for their AHL affiliates from 2005/06 through 2009/10, he found himself firmly on the NHL team beginning with the 2010/11 season. With Chicago he won the Stanley Cup twice (2013, 2015) and the William M. Jennings Trophy those same two years (though he shared the 2015 honors with the Montreal Canadiens’ Carey Price).
The other signings include:
Name
From
To
Kevin Boyle
Anaheim Ducks
Detroit Red Wings
Devan Dubnyk
Minnesota Wild
San Jose Sharks
Christopher Gibson
New York Islanders
Tampa Bay Lightning
Jon Gillies
Calgary Flames
St. Louis Blues
Thomas Greiss
New York Islanders
Detroit Red Wings
Keith Kinkaid
Montreal Canadiens
New York Rangers
Max Lagacé
Boston Bruins
Pittsburgh Penguins
Jacob Markström
Vancouver Canucks
Calgary Flames
Matt Murray
Pittsburgh Penguins
Ottawa Senators
Cam Talbot
Calgary Flames
Minnesota Wild
It will be interesting to see how these changes between the pipes benefit the various teams and of those who spent most of the previous season in the AHL, if they can push for a spot with the big club.
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