Your Boston Bruins welcomed in the Montreal Canadiens for their only trip to Causeway Street this season. Wait, that can’t be right…(checks schedule online) sonofabitch, this was the ONLY visit by the Habs for this season and the teams only play 3x (B’s got the W back on 1/24, tonight and then the last game of the season in Montreal). How the fuck does that make sense Gary? One of the historic rivalries that the league has ever seen and they play each other three times? Well, no matter who’s behind the Montreal bench or who’s on the Bleu, Blanc et Rouge roster, it’s still got the feel of a playoff game whenever these two clubs square off. Tonight was no different (although MTL can’t see the playoffs through binoculars), as the B’s did enough to secure the 4-2 victory in front of another sellout crowd.
The Canadiens pushed the pace to open the game as they were heavy on the forecheck and gave the B’s some trouble in their own end. That’s what happens when you’re the best team in the league, you get everyone’s A game every night. Tyler Bertuzzi opened up the scoring for the B’s when he banked the puck in off Jake Allen from below the goal line. This was Bertuzzi’s 3rd goal since joining the Black and Gold, but the first one that wasn’t waived off upon review. Bertuzzi absorbed the hit on the end wall (and a non-call high stick), and cool as a cucumber potted the puck off Allen’s back and in.
After that first goal, the truculence ramped up between the clubs. Patrice Bergeron was on the receiving end of a late hit up high by Rem Pitlick, and Brad Marchand showed what it means to have your teammates back as he jumped Pitlick in front of the MTL net. You can see the hit in the clip below and Marchand’s immediate response. He hit eject on those gloves about 10ft away from Pitlick. Great leadership there from Marchand in my opinion.
Late in the period Jake DeBrusk got his 4th goal in as many games when he turned on the jets to split a pair of MTL defenders before stashing the puck under Allen’s blocker to put the B’s up by a pair. Bergeron hit Connor Clifton coming out of the penalty box and Cliffy touched the puck to DeBrusk in stride coming through the neutral zone. Afterburners…engaged.
At the end of the period AJ Greer and Mike Hoffman exchanged crosschecks prior to a face-off and Greer got up a bit too high and was given a major and the gate. On the ensuing power play Nick Suzuki thwarted Jeremy Swayman’s bid for a 3rd straight shutout when his one-timer got through to put the Canadiens on the board. I’m also assuming Greer may hear from the NHL Dept of Player Safety on this one. Hopefully it doesn’t come with a suspension as you can see by Greer’s body language immediately after striking Hoffman that it wasn’t intentional to get his stick that high.
In the middle frame David Pastrnak set a new career high in goals when he potted #49 to put the B’s back up by a pair. Bertuzzi corralled the attempted wrap from Allen on the RW half wall and laid the puck across to Pasta in the slot. Pastrnak caught the puck on his forehand and gave a little pump fake to get Allen moving before beating him 5-hole. Back up by a pair. How was Pastrnak so wide open in the slot you ask? Well Dear Reader, it’s because Michael Pezzetta was down behind the Bruins net trying to sell a call. How’s that for playing 200ft? Pezzetta was about 180ft away from the puck laying there like soccer star who got shot.
Apologies to Pezzetta, I forgot that this is what happens when he tries to get in the play.
The Canadiens got one back on another power play as Kirby Dach had a nice deflection off a Mike Matheson drive at the right post, and that score held into the third. Once the Canadiens were back within a goal, or when they were taking liberties with Bruins players, the B’s played engaged hockey with great pace and puck battles. Every time the B’s got up by a pair? Not exactly the effort level that Monty was looking for would be my guess. Speaking of HC Jim Montgomery: After the game he was asked if he approved of Marchand’s response to the late hit on Bergeron: “Yes. You don’t hit our captain late.” Fuck yeah Monty.
Midway through the final frame, David Krejci put the dagger in the Canadians as he finished off a Clifton slap-pass with a backhand tuck past the sprawled out Allen. Pastrnak spun the puck up the RW wall to Clifton at the point as Krejci drove the net. Clifton put the puck right on Krejci’s tape in the low slot and Krejci outwaited Allen for the backhand with Pitlick draped all over him. Guess Pitlick is only effective when the puck is already away from the player he’s defending.
The Bruins held serve for the remainder of the game as the Canadiens pulled Allen to try and climb back into this one. Nice effort by the players on the ice when Allen was pulled to get Pastrnak the puck for his 50th. Plenty of time for that milestone still this season.
The B’s stay home to host the Lightning for a Saturday matinee as they look to remain healthy and clicking for the last 11 games heading into the playoffs.
Play the music – Goalie Hug incoming
You can read more about Brownie in his bio down below or follow him on Twitter @Abrow28
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