Buckle up Buttercup, this is going to be a long one. With the Northeastern Huskies flirting with history (and securing another Beanpot W, not a big deal), I’ve been spending a lot of time around the college rinks as of late and haven’t been as dialed in on the Bruins since the All-Star game. What happened while my gaze was occupied with the Huskies? The Bruins have been on a little bit of a tear. Let’s dive in.
Your Boston Bruins rolled into American Airlines Center looking to kick off the roadie on the right foot this past Tuesday. Luckily, the boys were able to get it done in OT, and they started the Siblings Trip off right on Valentine’s Day. I will say that the pics of all the siblings are great, but AJ Greer’s brother might be my spirit animal. And clearly Brad Marchand wasn’t the only one who inherited the family’s quick wit; since it seems as if his brother Jeff has plenty as well.
Taylor Hall got the Bruins on the board first when he finished off a great feed from Hampus Lindholm going farside over the blocker on Jake Oettinger.
DAL took the lead into the third behind strikes by Roope Hintz and Jason Robertson with Oettinger standing on his head to keep the Stars ahead in this one. The Bruins had trouble with puck possession, as the Stars were dominant at the dot with Joe Pavelski and old friend Tyler Seguin only losing 2 draws combined during the game.
In the 3rd Pavel Zacha tied it up when he finished off a feed from Brandon Carlo from the top of the LW circle. Carlo carried the puck into the DAL zone (do you all see a theme here?) and found Zacha streaking down the wing. Zacha went up and over the glove to the far side and that score held sending the game to OT.
In the extra time, as a DAL penalty expired (in the clip below you can see a DAL player desperately trying to get in the play), David Pastrnak called game when his one-timer beat Oettinger short side over the blocker. Once again it was a defenseman dropping into the zone (this time Charlie McAvoy), to generate the scoring chance.
The Bruins got it done in HC Jim Montgomery’s homecoming and behind a 29 save effort from Linus Ullmark. Hopefully my boy @lacesoutfinkle87 was able to witness The Huggy Bears in his home rink. This was Monty’s 100th NHL win and the team tied the 2015-16 WAS for the fewest games to 40 wins in NHL history. I’d say that’s pretty good. Pavel Zacha after a stat line of 1g-1a-2pts, has set a new career high for points (with about 40 games left). I’d say that’s pretty, pretty good too. For the squad, it’s off to Music City as the boys face off against the Predators.
In Nashville, the B’s picked up right where they left off vs. DAL, including with the siblings still along for the ride. Brad Marchand finished off a beautiful give and go with Patrice Bergeron to put the Bruins up with less than 3mins played in the opening frame. I know Juuse Saros is an All-Star, but there could have been two goalies in net and they wouldn’t have had a chance on this play. This goal held as the GWG as Jeremy Swayman shut the door en route to his 2nd shutout of the campaign.
To open the 2nd, Craig Smith got a cookie against his former team. Smith followed up his own backhand drive (initiated by some great hand/eye puck control by McAvoy) to tuck one past Saros as the boys doubled up the score early in the middle frame.
And then the wheels fell off for NSH. First Bergeron beat Saros clean with a wrister over the glove from about 15 feet. I mean, I know it’s a power play, but NSH needed that save.
Then Derek Forbort got into the act when Nick Foligno found him at the left point after a tour of the offensive zone. Uncle Nick laid the seam pass across the zone right on Forbort’s blade and the big guy beat Soros farside. That goal was a new career high for Forbort with another 38 games to go. I’d like to see a Forbort t-shirt that says something like “Forbort: Eats Pucks and Doesn’t Give a Fuck” or something like that. Guy is an absolute beauty out there.
Trent Frederic finished up the scoring in the 3rd as he re-directed a Foligno dish right at the goalmouth beating Soros 5-hole. Swayman was tested late in the 2nd and throughout the 3rd but was up to the task, even dodging some local fauna on his way to another Huggy Bears photo opp.
The Bruins next headed home to host the newly re-vamped NYI in a Sat tilt at the TD Garden. The Bruins also welcomed back Jake DeBrusk, who’s been out since his heroics at the Winter Classic. JD got right back in the swing as he beat Semyon Varlamov less than 3mins into the game while on the power play. Patrice Bergeron dug the puck out and found David Pastrnak who zipped a backhand to Brad Marchand on the half wall. Marchand laid it across to DeBrusk driving the net and he went forehand-backhand-5 hole to give the B’s the early lead.
Nick Foligno doubled up the score as his wrister from the LW circle broke off Varlamov’s glove to put the B’s up by a pair. Not taking anything away from the NYI netminder (or Uncle Nick’s heavy wrister), but that one looked decidedly leaky.
Trent Frederic rounded out the scoring in the first as he got a tip on Charlie McAvoy’s point drive and the B’s headed into the first intermission up by 3 and it looked like this one was going to be a laugher.
Kyle Palmieri was not laughing however as he got the NYI on the board when he tipped one just inside the post past Swayman’s left leg. All of a sudden it’s 3-1 Bruins and maybe we’re going to have a game on our hands?
Nah. Less than 2mins later Patrice Bergeron finished off a DeBrusk rebound off the end glass to put the B’s back up by 3 and this game was all but over except for the clock. Chuckie Bright Lights off the pads to JD in the slot who puts it off the glass and the puck bounces out to Bergy on the doorstep – just like they practiced.
Freddie got his 2nd of the night when he picked off a loose puck in the neutral zone and beat Varlamov with a long-range wrister. I thought that this one would have sent Varlamov to the showers, but the Isle’s coaching staff apparently thought differently.
Well the B’s sure were glad they left him in net as Pavel Zacha made it a 6 pack late in the third. Zacha beat him (again) with a wrister, (again) over the glove, and (again) from mid-range distance. I mean, I’m no goalie coach, but that seems like a pattern.
Matt Martin put another one on the board for NYI in the 3rd (I had this one scored as goalie interference – no goal) while Ross Johnston was playing dog-pile on Linus Ullmark. That was it for scoring as the B’s buckled down and rode this one to the final horn. Another dub and another Huggy Bear sighting.
On President’s Day your Bruins welcomed in the Ottawa Senators for a matinee on Causeway Street. The B’s haven’t been able to solve the Sens this year, dropping both previous games. You’d think that if they were going to turn it around, today would be the day since the team was honoring David Krejci’s 1000th GP (back on 1/16 vs. PHI).
Late in the first, Jake DeBrusk walked off the RW wall and put his own rebound over starting goalie (and 4th stringer on OTT’s depth chart) Kevin Mandolese. Brad Marchand did the dirty work in a puck battle along the near boards before sending DeBrusk to the net. DeBrusk’s initial shot was turned aside by Mandolese, but he followed up on his shot and was able to pot the rebound and the Bruins had the early lead.
Some sloppy play in their own end led to a late turnover and Claude Giroux tied the game up as he went backhand over Linus Ullmark’s blocker. The first period was all about the special teams as the two sides accounted for a total of 7 penalties. As Brick pointed out on the NESN feed, some players had about a minute of ice time in the first.
In the middle stanza, the physicality ramped up as neither team passed up the chance to play the body. With about 3 minutes left to play, David Pastrnak got on the scoresheet when he converted a Charlie McAvoy feed. McAvoy let the puck carom off the boards and sold shot, before letting the puck go through his own legs and then dishing cross ice to Pasta who was set up for the one-timer. Instead, Pasta dusted it off and then went far side for his 40th of the season and the eventual GWG.
Linus Ullmark was dialed in today as he made a number of 10-bell saves. For a big guy, he’s so fast laterally that his glove doesn’t get the credit he deserves. Absolute robbery.
Pastrnak got his 2nd of the day to salt away the W for the Bruins midway through the final frame. The Bruins were having some trouble working the puck out of their own end before McAvoy (from his knees) lobbed a puck up and out into the neutral zone for Pasta to skate onto. Pasta walked into the offensive zone all alone and went forehand-backhand-5 hole. Play the music and let’s see the goalie hug!
The Bruins head west on a quick 4gm road trip starting Thu night in SEA before heading to VAN and then for back to backs in Alberta facing EDM and CGY before coming home to face BUF the day before the trade deadline.
For those of you who didn’t get to see the entire video for Krejci (NESN kindly cut some of it to shoehorn in yet another commercial), here’s the entire video.
You can read more about Brownie down below or follow him on Twitter @Abrow28
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