Brewin Flames Posted September 20, 2022 Share Posted September 20, 2022 Bruins season preview: Need fast start to overcome injuries Montgomery era to begin with Marchand, McAvoy, Grzelcyk sidelined by Amalie Benjamin @AmalieBenjamin / NHL.com Staff Writer September 12, 2022 The 2022-23 NHL season starts Oct. 7. With training camps opening soon, NHL.com is taking a look at the three keys, inside scoop on roster questions, and projected lineup for each of the 32 teams. Today, the Boston Bruins. Coach: Jim Montgomery (first season) Last season: 51-26-5, fourth place in Atlantic Division; lost to Carolina Hurricanes in Eastern Conference First Round 3 KEYS 1. Responding to new coach Montgomery The Bruins opted for a coaching change after six seasons, welcoming Jim Montgomery for his second chance at an NHL coaching job. The former Dallas Stars coach vowed to improve Boston's offense, partially by getting more from its defense, in addition to improving the communication with players. But to make the change from Bruce Cassidy as coach mean something, the Bruins need to respond to a new voice and a new approach while the roster remains largely the same. 2. Starting strong The Bruins will begin the season already behind with injuries to three crucial players: forward Brad Marchand (both hips) and defensemen Charlie McAvoy (left shoulder) and Matt Grzelcyk (right shoulder). Grzelcyk is slated to return in November, with Marchand and McAvoy back in December. The hope for the Bruins is that they remain competitive while also getting a look at prospects before Grzelcyk, McAvoy and Marchand return. 3. Finding offense The Bruins ranked in the middle of the pack offensively last season (15th in the NHL, 3.09 goals per game) and without leading scorer Marchand (80 points) they'll have to find scoring somewhere else to start the season. Will Jake DeBrusk keep up the pace he found last season when he got a chance to skate with Marchand and Patrice Bergeron and scored 25 goals? Will David Krejci step right back into the NHL where he left off after a year playing in his native Czech Republic? Will Pavel Zacha find a home in Boston and improve on the numbers he put up with the New Jersey Devils? At least one of those options will have to hit for them to stay near the top of the Atlantic. ROSTER RUNDOWN Making the cut With the key injuries to start the season, the Bruins have some spots up for grabs. Instead of the usual Marchand-Bergeron pairing, Montgomery could opt to pair Bergeron with someone like prospect Fabian Lysell to give them the best possible shot to impress at the outset. They'll also need someone to fill McAvoy's spot with Hampus Lindholm (likely Brandon Carlo), presenting an opportunity for Jakub Zboril. There's no question that to start the season, the Bruins lineup will be in flux. Most intriguing addition Zacha has never quite played up to his draft slot after being taken with the No. 6 pick in the 2015 NHL Draft by the Devils, so a fresh start might be good for the forward. Zacha, who is one of five Czech players on the Bruins, was acquired in a trade for center Erik Haula on July 14 and signed a one-year, $3.5 million contract as a restricted free agent on Aug. 8. He's coming off an NHL career high in points with 36 (15 goals, 21 assists) and could get a chance to play in the top six with a high-skill center, potentially as an audition to replace either Bergeron or Krejci down the line. Biggest potential surprise It would be asking a lot for Lysell to make the jump from Vancouver of the Western Hockey League to the NHL at 19, but the Bruins have liked what they've seen out of the forward in his brief time in North America. He had 62 points (22 goals, 40 assists) in 53 games and has shown flashes of being a dynamic offensive player, which the Bruins could use. Could he make the jump like Pastrnak did in 2014-15 despite needing to gain some strength and bulk? It's on the table. Ready to break through This could be the chance for Zboril to prove the doubters wrong. Before he tore his ACL in December, ending his season, he had started to show flashes of the ability that caused the Bruins to pick him at No. 13 in the 2015 NHL Draft. With McAvoy and Grzelcyk out, there will be plenty of minutes at defenseman at the start of the season and Zboril should be called upon frequently. Fantasy sleeper Lindholm, D (fantasy average draft position: 145.8) -- He will likely bring at least short-term exposure to Boston's elite forwards David Pastrnak and Bergeron on the first power play and should benefit from the eventual return of McAvoy (shoulder surgery) on the top defense pair, making Lindholm a fantasy sleeper who could shatter his previous NHL career high in points (34 with Anaheim Ducks in 2014-15). -- Pete Jensen PROJECTED LINEUP Taylor Hall -- David Krejci -- David Pastrnak Pavel Zacha -- Patrice Bergeron -- Jake DeBrusk Trent Frederic -- Charlie Coyle -- Craig Smith Nick Foligno -- Tomas Nosek -- Marc McLaughlin Hampus Lindholm -- Brandon Carlo Mike Reilly -- Jakub Zboril Derek Forbort -- Connor Clifton Jeremy Swayman Linus Ullmark Injured: Brad Marchand (hip), Charlie McAvoy (shoulder), Matt Grzelcyk (shoulder) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CorkyM Posted September 24, 2022 Share Posted September 24, 2022 Preseason game with the Flyers tonight, 9/24, 7:00 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philly. I’ll catch it on the NHL Network. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaucyJack Posted September 25, 2022 Share Posted September 25, 2022 As sickening as it is for teams to visit Washington DC, the Belly of the Beast, Land of Lawyer Lobbyists and Beltway Bandits, and just a general cesspool Swamp, the League showed favor to Boston by scheduling only one visit, AND on season opening night (Oct 12th) to boot… …so as to get the Unpleasantness out of the way VERY quickly, so as to more ably allow the Bruins to focus on the 2022-23 Campaign properly, as soon as possible! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brewin Flames Posted September 25, 2022 Author Share Posted September 25, 2022 B's Fall to Flyers in Preseason Opener Despite a late push, the Bruins fell, 2-1, Saturday night in Philadelphia by Elaine Cavalieri @NHLBruins / BostonBruins.com September 24, 2022 PHILADELPHIA - Despite a late tying goal from Jakub Lauko in the third period, the Bruins dropped the preseaon opener, 2-1, at Wells Fargo Center on Saturday night. Some news and notes from the exhibtion contest: With this being the first game for both teams, it was a slow start at Wells Fargo. After a scoreless first period, the Flyers Noah Cates took advantage of a power power two minutes into the second making it 1-0 Philadelphia. The penalty was on Jakob Lauko, who was able to rebound in the third period to tie the game, 1-1, with under just over seven minutes remaining in regulation. The winger collected a puck in the slot and ripped a wrister low blocker-side on Flyers goalie Troy Grosenick. "After the penalty I made and they scored I was like I have to get one," said Lauko. "I was happy I scored, obviously, but it would be better if we won." Lauko scores goal 00:42 • September 24th, 2022 The Flyers answered quickly to Lauko's markr, scoring just three minutes later to regain the lead, 2-1. The final push from the B's was impressive, as they generated chances as they tried to tie the game, an effort that head coach Jim Montgomery recognized after the game. "I liked our push in the third period," said Montgomery, who was behind the bench for the first time with the Black & Gold. "Being from behind I thought we got on top of them we started to generate a lot more o-zone time." Montgomery also recognized the circumstances, being just three days into camp. "Up front it was sloppy," said Montgomery. "It was for both ends, but that's what you expect after three days of camp." The B's bench boss went on to credit blue liners Jakob Zboril (game-high 25:05 of ice time) and Jack Ahcan for impressive efforts. "Zboril and Jack Ahcan did a lot of good things," said Montgomery. "In general I liked the way our D-core played. [Kai] Wissman had some really good moments as well." Bruins fall 2-1 vs. PHI 04:47 • 12:44 AM Wait, There's More Both Fabian Lysell and Johnny Beecher averaged about 15 minutes of ice time, with Beecher clocking in at 15:03 and Lysell 14:29. The two forward prospects both had two shots on net and Beecher also earned a block. Keith Kinkaid had a solid night in net, stopping seven of the eight shots he faced. "I felt pretty good," said Kinkaid, who started between the pipes. "Not a lot of action to start, then they came out pretty hot in the second." Kinkaid and Kyle Keyser split the time in net, both allowing one goal. Newcomers A.J. Greer and Connor Carrick - both signed on the opening day of free agency in July - dropped the gloves in their Bruins debuts. The Bruins will bring it back to TD Garden on Tuesday night to face the New York Rangers at 7 p.m. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brewin Flames Posted September 28, 2022 Author Share Posted September 28, 2022 Bruins Pre-season Nice 3-2 win vs NYR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brewin Flames Posted September 28, 2022 Author Share Posted September 28, 2022 A.J. Greer makes his case with two goals, including overtime winner as Bruins top Rangers Kevin Paul Dupont - Yesterday 8:01 PM Former Boston University forward A.J. Greer, looking to force his way into the Bruins’ bottom six, advanced his case Tuesday night with a pair of goals, including the OT winner, in a 3-2 preseason triumph over the Rangers at TD Garden. A.J. Greer celebrated after scoring the winning goal in overtime.© John Tlumacki/Globe Staff Greer, who earlier scored the 1-1 equalizer, finished off a Jack Studnicka (two assists) feed in a classic two-on-one break with 1:12 gone in overtime. The win improved the Bruins’ preseason mark to 1-1-0. They’re back in action Saturday with a 1 p.m. matinee against the visiting Flyers. “You talk about the impressions you make and the opportunities that are given to you aren’t always going to be provided again,” said Bruins coach Jim Montgomery, asked if candidates for open roster spots understand the urgency to perform in the preseason. “But you want it to come from within — you can’t paint tiger stripes to make a tiger. Right now, A.J. Greer is a tiger.” Greer, who played two years at BU, turned pro in 2016-17 and has played 47 games with Colorado and New Jersey. “I don’t know what opportunities were provided to him before, but everyone matures and figures it out at different moments — they have their ‘ah-hah’ moment,” said Montgomery. “They stay in the present and they are not going to let anything get in their way. He clearly seems to have that.” Could his two goals have put Greer in a position that he now has a varsity roster spot to lose vs one to win? “We have another 10 days still, but he’s done a great job,” said Montgomery. “If we’re starting [the season] tomorrow, he’s playing.” The Rangers were the first to get on the board, with ex-Harvard standout Adam Fox wiring in a short-range wrister 7:03 into the first period. The crafty Fox found it far too easy to gain ground on the right side and finished off with a snipe that beat Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman on the short side. Bruins sizing up Trent Frederic’s potential as a net-front presence on power play Greer knotted it with his quick lift to the top shelf over former Bruin Jaroslav Halak with 5:01 gone in the second. Studnicka set up the Greer strike with an aggressive forecheck on defenseman Ryan Lindgren, a one-time Bruins draft pick, that decked Lindgren on the rear wall. Studnicka made the quick dish into the slot and the 6-foot-3-inch Greer, originally an Avalanche draft pick, roofed it Johnny Bucyk-style for the equalizer. “I think I’ve always seen myself as playing the kind of hockey the Bruins play,” said Greer. “To be here is a dream come true. I feel fortunate every day to be in the position I am in and just try to make the most of the opportunities.” Alexis Lafreniere, the No. 1 pick in the 2020 draft, nudged the Rangers in front, 2-1, with 7:17 gone in the second on a puck Swayman initially appeared to have covered. Charlestown’s Jimmy Vesey, another Harvard alum and Hobey Baker winner, landed the initial shot from the slot. Swayman dropped to his pads. It looked like he had the puck covered and was waiting for the whistle to stop play. But Lafreniere reached in from the top of the blue paint and knocked it over the goal line. The Bruins knotted it again with an Oskar Steen shorthanded goal with 6:40 gone in the third period. Towering center Joona Koppanen, most likely ticketed again for AHL Providence blocked a puck on the penalty kill and carried it from his own end well into Ranger territory on a two-on-one against Fox. As he approached the left circle, Koppanen zipped a pinpoint diagonal pass across the slot and an alert Steen knocked a forehander by goalie Louis Domingue. Greer said he feels everything is “peaking” for him in this camp. “Everything on and off the ice is coming to fruition. Sometimes it doesn’t work out right away,” he said, referring to his prior NHL stints. “But it’s perseverance … you have to to see that goal and you’ve got to breathe it, and you’ve got to live it, do everything you can to make it.” Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Former Boston University forward A.J. Greer, looking to force his way into the Bruins’ bottom six, advanced his case Tuesday night with a pair of goals, including the OT winner, in a 3-2 preseason triumph over the Rangers at TD Garden. A.J. Greer celebrated after scoring the winning goal in overtime.© John Tlumacki/Globe Staff Greer, who earlier scored the 1-1 equalizer, finished off a Jack Studnicka (two assists) feed in a classic two-on-one break with 1:12 gone in overtime. The win improved the Bruins’ preseason mark to 1-1-0. They’re back in action Saturday with a 1 p.m. matinee against the visiting Flyers. “You talk about the impressions you make and the opportunities that are given to you aren’t always going to be provided again,” said Bruins coach Jim Montgomery, asked if candidates for open roster spots understand the urgency to perform in the preseason. “But you want it to come from within — you can’t paint tiger stripes to make a tiger. Right now, A.J. Greer is a tiger.” Greer, who played two years at BU, turned pro in 2016-17 and has played 47 games with Colorado and New Jersey. “I don’t know what opportunities were provided to him before, but everyone matures and figures it out at different moments — they have their ‘ah-hah’ moment,” said Montgomery. “They stay in the present and they are not going to let anything get in their way. He clearly seems to have that.” Could his two goals have put Greer in a position that he now has a varsity roster spot to lose vs one to win? “We have another 10 days still, but he’s done a great job,” said Montgomery. “If we’re starting [the season] tomorrow, he’s playing.” The Rangers were the first to get on the board, with ex-Harvard standout Adam Fox wiring in a short-range wrister 7:03 into the first period. The crafty Fox found it far too easy to gain ground on the right side and finished off with a snipe that beat Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman on the short side. Bruins sizing up Trent Frederic’s potential as a net-front presence on power play Greer knotted it with his quick lift to the top shelf over former Bruin Jaroslav Halak with 5:01 gone in the second. Studnicka set up the Greer strike with an aggressive forecheck on defenseman Ryan Lindgren, a one-time Bruins draft pick, that decked Lindgren on the rear wall. Studnicka made the quick dish into the slot and the 6-foot-3-inch Greer, originally an Avalanche draft pick, roofed it Johnny Bucyk-style for the equalizer. “I think I’ve always seen myself as playing the kind of hockey the Bruins play,” said Greer. “To be here is a dream come true. I feel fortunate every day to be in the position I am in and just try to make the most of the opportunities.” Alexis Lafreniere, the No. 1 pick in the 2020 draft, nudged the Rangers in front, 2-1, with 7:17 gone in the second on a puck Swayman initially appeared to have covered. Charlestown’s Jimmy Vesey, another Harvard alum and Hobey Baker winner, landed the initial shot from the slot. Swayman dropped to his pads. It looked like he had the puck covered and was waiting for the whistle to stop play. But Lafreniere reached in from the top of the blue paint and knocked it over the goal line. The Bruins knotted it again with an Oskar Steen shorthanded goal with 6:40 gone in the third period. Towering center Joona Koppanen, most likely ticketed again for AHL Providence blocked a puck on the penalty kill and carried it from his own end well into Ranger territory on a two-on-one against Fox. As he approached the left circle, Koppanen zipped a pinpoint diagonal pass across the slot and an alert Steen knocked a forehander by goalie Louis Domingue. Greer said he feels everything is “peaking” for him in this camp. “Everything on and off the ice is coming to fruition. Sometimes it doesn’t work out right away,” he said, referring to his prior NHL stints. “But it’s perseverance … you have to to see that goal and you’ve got to breathe it, and you’ve got to live it, do everything you can to make it.”
Brewin Flames Posted October 1, 2022 Author Share Posted October 1, 2022 Pre-Season Bruins 4, Flyers 0 NHL.com @NHLdotcom 3:57 PM Marc McLaughlin and John Beecher each scored twice for the Boston Bruins in a 4-0 shutout against the Philadelphia Flyers at TD Garden in Boston on Saturday. Patrice Bergeron had an assist in his preseason debut after he signed a one-year contract on Aug. 9. Linus Ullmark made 21 saves for Boston. Felix Sandstrom made two saves in the first period for the Flyers before he was repalced by Troy Grosenick (19 saves) to start the second. McLaughlin gave the Bruins a 1-0 lead with a power-play goal at 7:09 of the first period, tipping a point shot from Jack Ahcan. He scored his second poking in a loose puck at the side of the net to make it 2-0 at 11:55 of the third. Beecher scored at 15:23 of the third to make it 3-0 before adding a short-handed, empty-net goal at 17:12 for the 4-0 final. Bruins forward Fabian Lysell played 5:29 before leaving in the first period with an injury after he was checked into the boards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brewin Flames Posted October 4, 2022 Author Share Posted October 4, 2022 Pre-Season Bruins Drop Exhibition Contest to Devils in Newark Boston shutout, 1-0, in fourth of six preseason games by Eric Russo @erusso22 / BostonBruins.com NEWARK - The Bruins dropped their fourth of six preseason games on Monday night, falling to the New Jersey Devils, 1-0, at Prudential Center. Coach Jim Montgomery called the shutout setback "a little bit of a flat game for us" as the Black & Gold struggled to generate much offensively. "We just gave up too many high-quality chances," said Montgomery. "We were just slow to pressure pucks and we were slow to transition to offense. Overall, I don't think there's much to take away that would be really positive for this game." When asked why his club might have put forth that type of performance, Montgomery was not interested in doling out excuses. "Anything I could put it off to would just be an excuse, right?" he said. "Whether you want to say it was our first time we go four hard days in a row and that adds a little bit of fatigue to the legs, [it's]excuses, right? "Everybody's going through training camp right now and it's about how you can dig in. We wanted to see who would dig in in this game, a little bit of adversity." Charlie Coyle admitted that for some of the more veteran players in camp, there might be some level of looking ahead at this stage of training camp as Opening Night inches closer. But, he added, with more than a week still to go before the opener in Washington, there remains work to be done. "Every opportunity you get to play, you want to play and create good habits and all that good stuff," said Coyle. "Everyone's trying to make a good impression, make the team, and that's part of it. You've got to go through it and make the most of it and use it in a positive way. "But of course we want to get going right now, we're champing at the bit to play and we're excited for this year. But we've got to do it step by step. There's a lot that we can accomplish right now in these games, and we've got to make sure we do that." Bruins blanked by Devils 04:56 • October 3rd, 2022 Kinkaid Leaves Early Starting goaltender Keith Kinkaid, who made 19 saves on 20 shots, left in the third period with an apparent injury and did not return. After the game, however, Montgomery said the 33-year-old was suffering from cramping and did not believe it was anything serious. "I thought our goalies were our two best players," said Montgomery. "Unfortunately, [Kinkaid] cramped up there but he was having a really good hockey game. Gave us an opportunity to maybe steal one in the third period…he's fine, just cramps." Kyle Keyser took over in relief and stopped all four shots he faced. "Kinkaid played great in net," said Coyle. "Keyser came in, too - that's a tough one - and made some saves as well. It was there for us. They gave us a great chance to put a few in but we didn't." Postgame: B's React to 1-0 loss 02:24 • October 3rd, 2022 Wait, There's More On when the Bruins might make their next round of cuts, Montgomery said, "I can't answer the cutdown when it's gonna happen, but we only have two [preseason] games left. It's important that we get a lot of vets into the lineup right now and we start looking like the team that's gonna play come October 12." On the performance of Jack Ahcan, who played a team-high 22:19, Montgomery said, "I've always liked Jack Ahcan from his college days. He's someone that competes hard, he has really good hockey sense. So, when you have those two elements to your game and those are your biggest strengths, you can do a lot of good things on the ice despite his stature as a defenseman…he's a real good player for us that we know as he develops and continues to develop might be a full-time Bruin for us one day." On a quieter performance than his first two preseason appearances, A.J. Greer (two SOG, one hit in 17:09) said, "Today wasn't my best performance, but at the end of the day, I come up with the same mentality every single day, and that's giving everything that I have and emptying the tank. Just for me, keep doing those little things that I do best and hope that it's enough. But I can't really do much more than that." 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brewin Flames Posted October 6, 2022 Author Share Posted October 6, 2022 Bruins with a nice 5-4 pre-season win vs the NYR One more practice game, then it's for real next week. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brewin Flames Posted October 9, 2022 Author Share Posted October 9, 2022 Meh, bruins lose last pre-season game to the Devils 5-3. Now it's for real. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brewin Flames Posted October 13, 2022 Author Share Posted October 13, 2022 Game # 1 Bos 5 Caps 2 Pastrnak has a goal and 3 assists, Bruins beat Capitals 5-2 Taylor Hall scores goal vs. Capitals ByAP Updated: 6 hours ago WASHINGTON -- — Jim Montgomery wanted the Boston Bruins to show who they have, not who they don’t have, to start the season. Turns out who they have, even missing two key players to injury for quite some time, is still pretty good. David Pastrnak had a goal and three assists, captain Patrice Bergeron scored and Boston beat the Washington Capitals 5-2 om Wednesday night to give Montgomery a victory in his Bruins coaching debut. Bergeron got the puck for Montgomery after the final horn, a symbol of the first accomplishment in a long season. “It's going on the mantle, probably in my son's room,” said Montgomery, who was working his first NHL game as a head coach since Dec. 7, 2019. "It feels great, but more importantly, we do this together. And it’s an honor to lead that group.” Without winger Brad Marchand and No. 1 defenseman Charlie McAvoy, whose absences were considered long term after offseason surgeries, the group still clicked a lot like the Bruins who made the playoffs each of the past six seasons. It doesn't hurt to have Pastrnak playing at his best: assisting on Bergeron's power-play goal with the initial shot that turned into a juicy rebound and setting up Taylor Hall with a perfect pass into the middle of the ice to put Boston up 3-0. Washington scored twice before Pastrnak took the shot that turned into David Krejci’s sealing goal with 3:43 left. “He’s growing each year,” said Krejci, who had a goal and two assists in his first game back in the NHL after playing last season in his native Czech Republic. "He’s just a world-class player. It’s crazy. That guy has no ceilings. He just keeps getting better.” Krejci's return to North America coincided with Bergeron coming back for a 19th season with the Bruins, which he got off to a nice start by scoring his 401st career goal. Montgomery is back running an NHL bench less than three years after he was fired by the Dallas Stars for unprofessional conduct. He sought and received help for alcohol abuse, spent time as an assistant in St. Louis and is getting another chance with Boston. Linus Ullmark, who figures to rotate starts with Jeremy Swayman in net for Boston, made 33 saves, including a flashy grab with his glove to rob Evgeny Kuznetsov early in the third period. “He was awesome," Montgomery said. “He battled hard. He fought for every rebound. He was really good for us.” Darcy Kuemper struggled a bit in his Capitals debut less than three months since backstopping the Colorado Avalanche to the Stanley Cup. Kuemper allowed four goals on 29 shots, giving up a big rebound to Bergeron and getting beat five-hole along the ice by Pastrnak. “Other than that, I felt pretty good about my game,” Kuemper said. “Obviously not happy with the result.” Anthony Mantha and Conor Sheary scored for Washington, which went 0 for 4 on the power play. Captain Alex Ovechkin, the active leader in goals in season openers, had three shots on net but was held off the score sheet. Coach Peter Laviolette acknowledged some disconnects in his team's game, on the power play and beyond. “We were disjointed, it seemed, for the first half of the game and when you wanted the puck to be there, it wasn’t," Laviolette said. "We weren’t on the mark with the pass or we weren’t on the mark with positioning or we got outnumbered in a battle. Whatever it might be, we just weren’t clicking. We weren’t in sync.” Game notes Hampus Lindholm scored an empty-netter with 1:05 left. ... Montgomery had no update on forward Jake DeBrusk, who left the game after the second period. ... Czech F Jakub Lauko made his NHL debut for the Bruins wearing No. 94. It's the highest number a player has worn in the nearly-100 year history of the Original Six franchise. ... Boston signed veteran defenseman Anton Stralman to a $1 million contract for the season, and he will be eligible to play when his work visa is settled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brewin Flames Posted October 16, 2022 Author Share Posted October 16, 2022 Game # 2 Bos 6 Yotes 3 Bruins beat Coyotes 6-3 for 19th straight win in series ByAP Updated: 5 hours ago BOSTON -- — Derek Forbort scored the tiebreaking goal with 9:29 left in the third period, and the Boston Bruins won their home opener 6-3 over Arizona on Saturday night, beating the Coyotes for the 19th straight time. It’s the Bruins’ longest winning streak in club history against any opponent, with their last loss against the Coyotes coming on Oct. 9, 2010, in Prague. The Bruins have won their first two games to begin their 99th season under new coach Jim Montgomery, who replaced the fired Bruce Cassidy. “In a lot of areas we were better tonight,” Montgomery said. “We played a team that was hungry. Things didn't go really well in their first game. Human nature is they're going to come back and they did. ... I just like the way we responded.” The Coyotes erased a 3-1 deficit early in the third period when Josh Brown scored at 2:58 and Shayne Gostisbehere beat goaltender Jeremy Swayman between the pads on a breakaway for a short-handed goal a little less than three minutes later. But Forbort saved the home opener from being a big letdown for the TD Garden crowd by slipping a wrister into the net from the left faceoff circle for his first goal since Nov. 20, 2021. A.J. Greer then added an insurance goal 3:20 later before sealing it with an empty-netter. Pavel Zacha, acquired from New Jersey for forward Erik Haula in the offseason, had a power-play score for the Bruins’ first home goal of the season and his first in a Boston uniform. Charlie Coyle and Nick Foligno each added a goal for the Bruins. Swayman stopped 21 shots. “It's nice to get off to a good start, obviously, for our group — two wins,” Foligno said. “Nice to contribute. I'm feeling good, feel healthy. I'm excited. I like what our lines are all doing. That's been the most fun. ... That's exactly what we preached in training camp. It's exciting to be a part of.” Clayton Keller added a power-play goal for the Coyotes (0-2) and Karel Vejmelka made 37 saves. “We were right there,” Arizona coach Andre Tourigny said. “It's tough to swallow because we believe so much and have worked so hard. I like in the first period our urgency, and we were engaged and we're battling. ... We built our confidence throughout the game.” Boosted by an early two-man, power-play advantage, the Bruins had a handful of good chances against Vejmelka before Zacha scored off a rebound 4:03 into the game when Foligno’s shot hit the post and caromed right out front to him. Coyle’s goal made it 2-0 late in the opening period when he beat Vejmelka over the left shoulder with a wrister from just inside the right circle. Keller beat Swayman with a one-timer from the right circle 6:21 into the second period, but Foligo redirected Connor Clifton’s shot past Vejmelka at 14:03 to restore the Bruins' two-goal lead. “You saw how hard we played in the offensive zone,” Swayman said. “I couldn't be happier how the system's going right now." WELCOME BACK Bruins forward David Krejci got a huge hand during player introductions when the PA announcer said: “Welcome back to Boston” before introducing him. Krejci played last season in his native Czech Republic. The biggest ovation was for captain Patrice Bergeron. Game notes Foligno’s assist on Zacha’s goal was his 500th career point. ... Hall of Famer and former Bruin Johnny Bucyk was in a luxury box and got a loud ovation when they showed the 87-year-old on the video board. ... Keller has played in both games after suffering a knee injury on March 30 that ended his 2021-22 season. ... Arizona forward Travis Boyd played his 200th career NHL game. ... Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo left with an undisclosed injury. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brewin Flames Posted October 18, 2022 Author Share Posted October 18, 2022 Game # 3 Bos 5 FLA 3 DeBrusk scores 2 as Bruins beat Panthers 5-3 ByAP Updated: 5 hours ago BOSTON -- — Jake DeBrusk scored 21 seconds into the game and added an empty-netter as the Boston Bruins beat the Florida Panthers 5-3 on Monday night. DeBrusk also assisted on the go-ahead goal, splitting a pair of defenders in a race for the puck and feeding Patrice Bergeron with a behind-the-back pass to put Boston up 2-1 with 7:25 left in the second period. DeBrusk, who turned 26 on Monday, said he wasn't even sure in the morning he'd be able to play because of an injury he suffered in the season-opener that kept him out of Boston's win over Arizona on Saturday. “It was nice to contribute, obviously. That’s the best way to help the team,” DeBrusk said. “That early in the game to kind of set the tone, that’s what we all want to do and I was lucky enough to kind of get a lucky one there.” Bergeron finished with a goal and assist for the Bruins, who improved to 3-0-0 under new coach Jim Montgomery and handed Florida its first loss of the season after opening with two wins. David Pastrnak and Trent Frederic also scored for Boston. Linus Ullmark stopped 36 shots. Gustav Forsling had a goal and an assist for Florida, which never recovered after falling behind 4-1 in the third. Sam Bennett and Colin White also scored for Florida. Matthew Tkachuk had an assist, giving him two goals and two assists in three games with the Panthers, who picked him up in an offseason trade with Calgary. Sergei Bobrovsky had 29 saves. The Panthers were already without defenseman Brandon Montour with an upper-body injury and lost defenseman Aaron Eckblad midway through the second period. Coach Paul Maurice, hired to take over the Panthers in June, said he was impressed with his short-handed club's tenacity on Monday night and likes what he has seen thus far. Florida opened the season with three straight road games and went 2-1 on the trip. “They’re on the path. I like the way they think the game. I like the way they treat each other on the bench. I like how wired how they are before the game. They like playing. They’re excited," Maurice said. "In a game tonight when it wasn’t easy, there was no complaining. They just keep battling.” Pastrnak hit the side of an empty net with about 3:20 left to play after the Panthers, down two goals, pulled Bobrovsky for an extra skater while on a power-play. White scored with 1:37 left to pull the Panthers to 4-3, but DeBrusk scored his empty-net goal for the Bruins just 34 seconds later. DeBrusk put Boston up 1-0 in the opening minute of the game on wrist shot from the right circle that seemed to catch Bobrovsky by surprise. Tkachuk helped Florida tie it with an assist on Bennett's goal, feeding him a pass for an easy tip-in 4 1/2 minutes into the second. Midway through the period, Tkchuk got the Bruins' attention again after a big hit at center ice and a subsequent scrum. Nick Foligno tried to get at Tkachuk but was held back. Boston’s Dan Renouf then tried to engage the new Florida forward but was also contained as the officials kept it from escalating. Tkachuk recived a double-minor for roughing, Foligno went off for roughing and and Boston’s Tomas Nosek picked up a minor for kneeing Rudolf Balcers on the initial hit. “We had everybody in there,” Montgomery said. “We were a pack of wolves in there together and after that I thought we had our best three minutes of the game — and we were down to three lines. So I think it speaks volumes about how hard they play for each other.” David Krejci drew an interference penalty on Forsling after getting tripped up in front of the Florida net during an extended possession for the Bruins in the Panthers’ zone. Just after the penalty ended, Bergeron fed Pastrnak with a pass back inside the Florida zone and Pastrnak took it from there, slipping the puck between Marc Staal’s skates and getting in alone on Bobvrosky for his second goal of the season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brewin Flames Posted October 19, 2022 Author Share Posted October 19, 2022 Game # 4 Bos 5 Sens 7 Giroux scores, Senators beat Bruins 7-5 in home opener OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) Claude Giroux opened the scoring in his Ottawa homecoming and the Senators outscored Boston 7-5 on Tuesday night for their first victory of the season and the Bruins' first loss. The 34-year-old Giroux signed with the Senators as a free agent in the offseason. He spent part of his childhood in Ottawa and has returned to the area for summers. Brady Tkachuk, Drake Batherson and Tim Stutzle each had a goal and two assists for Ottawa. Mark Kastelic, Shane Pinto and Artem Zub also scored, and Anton Forsberg stopped 26 shots. "Obviously, offensively we did all the things we wanted to do tonight, but clearly gave up too much," Senators coach D.J. Smith said. "There was a lot of nerves, you could see it on the bench. . I thought we played really well in the first two games and didn't get the results, so we'll just take the win and move on." Coming into the home opener, Ottawa only had three goals in two road losses. "It creates confidence for us," Tkachuk said. "We faced adversity in those first two games and couldn't get it done . it did tonight and all 20 of us took a step and went to the next level to get the job done." The Bruins dropped to 3-1. David Pastrnak and Patrice Bergeron each had a goal and two assists each, David Krejci, Nick Foligno and A.J. Greer also scored and Jeremy Swayman made 26 saves. "These games happen every once in a while," Pastrnak said. "It was obviously our third game in four days. We kept it positive. We came back twice. "Hockey is a long season. It's still early and these kinds of games are going to happen. You see it around the league all the time. Just sometimes the puck goes into the net both ways." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brewin Flames Posted October 21, 2022 Author Share Posted October 21, 2022 Game # 5 Bos 2 Ducks 1 SO Hall scores in regulation, shootout, lifts Bruins past Ducks 0:23 Taylor Hall's shootout goal proves to be the winner for Bruins Taylor Hall's shootout goal proves to be the winner for Bruins ByAP 7 hours ago BOSTON -- — Taylor Hall scored in the fourth round of the shootout to lift the Boston Bruins to a 2-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday night. Hall also scored in regulation for Boston (4-1), and Linus Ullmark made 30 saves and stopped all four shots in the shootout. Former Bruin Frank Vatrano had Anaheim’s lone goal. John Gibson stopped 35 shots. Hall slipped a shot between Gibson’s pads in the shootout and the goalie looked skyward after realizing the puck went behind him. Hall knew it was in right away. “I can see it, especially when you skate past the goal,” Hall said, smiling. “We needed that. Those points are huge. ... Linus got us to that point, making saves in overtime. It was up to us guys to get a goal in the shootout. He was spectacular tonight.” Ullmark made a diving stop on Max Comtois to end it, sending the Ducks (1-4) to their fourth straight loss. Boston defenseman Hampus Lindholm faced his former team for the first time since the Bruins acquired him in a trade on March 19. “That was new to see those guys on the other end,” he said, with a big grin. “I was happy we got the win there.” Ullmark made a pair of nice stops when Boston killed a penalty in overtime with Lindholm in the penalty box for a roughing call with 32.2 seconds left in regulation. He robbed Ryan Strome on a three-on-none break with just over a minute left in OT. “I don't know if he fanned on it or wanted to go five-hole,” Ullmark said. “That's how I read it.” Gibson made a save on David Pastrnak while on his side and the Ducks were short-handed in the closing minute of OT. Coming in having allowed 17 goals during their three-game losing streak, the Ducks looked as if they had tightened things up defensively, especially after the opening five minutes when Boston had a few excellent scoring chances. “We're not planning a parade off that game," Ducks coach Dallas Eakins said. “We played better. We still lost one of the points and we want them both.” Hall made it 1-0 at 2:31 of the second when he knocked down an attempted clearing pass by Gibson, spun around and fired the puck into the net. The Ducks tied it just under four minutes later when Vatrano one-timed a cross-ice pass from Mason McTavish past Ullmark. The Bruins outshot Anaheim 13-5 in the opening period, with Pastrnak firing a shot off the post about 90 seconds into the game. AFTER REVIEW Boston’s Jake DeBrusk had a goal wiped out in the opening period after Eakins challenged that the play was offsides. Replays showed DeBrusk slightly beat the puck across the blue line on the right wing before collecting a pass from Pavel Zacha, then firing a wrister that Gibson stopped. DeBrusk then raced in and backhanded the rebound into the net. NOTES Boston defenseman Matt Grzelcyk made his season debut after shoulder surgery in June. … Gibson entered 1-2 with a 5.96 goals-against-average. … Anaheim defenseman Cam Fowler was shaken up late in the game. … Ducks forward Jakob Silfverberg collided with a Bruins player behind the Boston net in the first and appeared to be bleeding from the mouth. He didn’t miss a shift. … Boston had scored 21 goals in its first four games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NHL HHOF Posted October 21, 2022 Share Posted October 21, 2022 Why isn't Brad Marchand playing yet this season? What's going on? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TropicalFruitGirl26 Posted October 21, 2022 Share Posted October 21, 2022 2 hours ago, NHL HHOF said: Why isn't Brad Marchand playing yet this season? What's going on? He had hip surgery in the Spring. Isn't expected to be cleared until Nov-Dec. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brewin Flames Posted October 22, 2022 Author Share Posted October 22, 2022 Game # 6 Bos 4 Wild 3 OT Taylor Hall scores in overtime as Bruins beat Wild 4-3 1:15 Taylor Hall scores winner in OT for Bruins Taylor Hall scores winner in OT for Bruins ByAP BOSTON -- — Taylor Hall scored a power-play goal 4:49 into overtime, and the Boston Bruins beat the Minnesota Wild 4-3 on Saturday. Hall, who also had two assists, took a crossing pass from David Pastrnak and one-timed a shot past Marc-Andre Fleury, who had stopped eight shots in OT with the Wild playing most of the extra period short-handed. “You get two opportunities in overtime you’ve got to make do,” Hall said. "It was an amazing play by Pasta. He had the whole rink on the other side and I had the whole net.” Pastrnak scored his fourth goal of the season and Nick Foligno and Hampus Lindholm also scored for the Bruins, who improved to 5-1-0 under new coach Jim Montgomery and remained unbeaten at home. “I think we are on the right track. Obviously, there are some small details that we have to work on,” Pastrnak said. “Overall, I think the first six games we’ve made a lot of points and I think there is a lot of positives to be looking at, so I think we are pretty happy. We just need to keep doing the same thing.” Fleury stopped 39 shots for the Wild, keeping Minnesota close through a lopsided second period and giving the Wild a chance in the third, when Jared Spurgeon tied it at 3 with 4:31 left on a shot from the slot through traffic. The Wild opened the overtime down a man for 1:22, and then went down a man again after David Krejci drew a tripping call on Kirill Kaprizov. Krejci also had an assist on Hall's game-winner, and captain Patrice Bergeron made a nice play to keep the puck inside the blue line as the Wild desperately tried to force a shootout. “I just wish I could have got that last one and see what happens in the shootout,” Fleury said. Brandon Duhaime and Matt Boldy scored for the Wild, and Mats Zuccarello had two assists. The Wild were playing their first road game of the season. They dropped to 1-3-1. Linus Ullmark made 24 saves for Boston, which opened a 3-1 lead on Lindholm's goal 6:41 into the second. Boldy appeared to have his second goal with 14:15 left in the third, but it was disallowed after a video review showed him kicking it in with his right skate. Minnesota had a 5-on-3 advantage for 57 seconds midway through the third but could not get a shot on goal. Connor Clifton ended up with a short-handed breakaway for Boston after clearing the penalty box but Fleury stopped him. Pastrnak put Boston up 2-1 after Fleury couldn’t control the rebound on a shot by Hall. Duhaime gave Minnesota an early lead on a short-handed breakaway, outracing two Bruins to the puck following a turnover and beating Ullmark 1:55 into the game. Boston dominated the first half of the second period, outshooting Minnesota 11-2 and taking a 3-1 lead on a wrist shot by Lindholm from the slot. Boston had a chance to increase its advantage after Boldy shot the puck into the seats for a delay of game penalty 9:37 into the period. But the Wild shut down the Bruins’ power play and seemed to gain a little momentum, closing to 3-2 when Boldy redirected a pass from Zuccarello into the net with 4:02 left in the second. Z RETURNS Former Bruins captain Zdeno Chara returned for the ceremonial puck drop, which followed a brief video presentation of the defenseman's career in Boston. Bruins fans cheered throughout, and then roared when the final video clip showed the 6-foot-9 Chara hoisting the Stanley Cup after Boston beat Vancouver in the 2011 final. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brewin Flames Posted October 26, 2022 Author Share Posted October 26, 2022 Game # 7 Bos 3 Stars 1 Bruins improve to 6-1; beat Stars 3-1 behind Hall, Ullmark 0:46 Taylor Hall pushes Bruins back ahead late in second period Taylor Hall pushes Bruins back ahead late in second period ByAP 7 hours ago BOSTON -- — Taylor Hall scored the tiebreaking goal late in the second period, Linus Ullmark stopped 30 shots and the Boston Bruins beat the Dallas Stars 3-1 on Tuesday night to improve to 6-1. It was the third straight game-winning score for Hall, who had an overtime goal to beat Minnesota on Saturday after collecting the lone tally in a shootout against Anaheim last Thursday. David Pastrnak added a power-play goal and an assist, and Patrice Bergeron had an empty-netter with 27 seconds to go for the Bruins, who remained unbeaten at home at 5-0 in coach Jim Montgomery’s first season running the team. “We haven’t won a game doing that,” said Montgomery. “We kind of surrendered leads, then we ended up winning in overtime or we pull away late. It’s nice to close out a game. ... Dallas pushed us, they tested us. I like the way we shut it down the last four minutes.” Wyatt Johnston scored for Dallas (4-2-1), which dropped its second straight game. Jake Oettinger made 26 saves. “It's not easy; the second night of a back-to-back,” Oettinger said. “Guys played really well in front of me.” In a matchup of two of the league’s better teams early in the season, Boston took the lead in the second and made it stand with steady defensive play and another solid effort by Ullmark, who made his third straight start. “I don't want to talk about me,” Ullmark said. “I want to talk about the team. It's not just me. We're doing this together. I've got guys in front of me blocking shots left and right.” With 63 seconds left in the second, Hall one-timed Pastrnak’s cross-ice pass into the net from the right faceoff circle for his third goal (not counting his shootout winner) in the last three games, moving the Bruins ahead 2-1. “It wasn't an easy shot,” Pastrnak said. “It was a hard pass from me. Credit to him getting it off.” Ullmark made a nice stop on Luke Glendening at the end of a 3-on-1 break with just over 15 minutes to play in regulation. Then added a right-pad stop on Joe Pavelski’s shot from the slot with about 90 seconds left. Coming off a loss in Ottawa on Monday night, the Stars tied it at 1 on Johnston’s goal 1:48 into the second. Both Bruins defenseman (Derek Forbort and Connor Clifton) ended up behind the net trying to get to the puck, but it popped out front where Johnston slipped it past Ullmark from just above the crease. “I think every game and every day I've been getting more confident and more comfortable,” said 19-year-old rookie Johnston. "It's obviously a big adjustment from Juniors. As the days and games go on, I'm getting more comfortable.” With Johnston in the box serving a roughing call on Colin Miller who also got a major for fighting, Boston took the lead when Pastrnak one-timed a soft pass from Hampus Lindholm over Oettinger’s left shoulder from the left circle 12:49 into the game. HOT GOALIES Both goaltenders entered with 4-0 records and solid goals-against-averages. Oettinger was second in the league at 1.25 and Ullmark came in with a 2.33 mark. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CorkyM Posted October 26, 2022 Share Posted October 26, 2022 That’s great, now they should beat the Red Wings tomorrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brewin Flames Posted October 28, 2022 Author Share Posted October 28, 2022 Game # 8 Bruins 5 Wings 1 Marchand has 2 goals and an assist in return, Bruins roll 1:09 Brad Marchand's 2-goal season debut aids Bruins' victory Brad Marchand nets two goals in his season debut, helping the Bruins defeat the Red Wings 5-1. ByAP 6 hours ago BOSTON -- — Brad Marchand had two goals and an assist in his season debut and the Boston Bruins extended their winning streak to four games, beating the Detroit Red Wings 5-1 on Thursday night. Jeremy Swayman made 27 saves, David Pastrnak had a goal and two assists and Charlie Coyle and Craig Smith also scored to help Boston improve to 6-0 at home this season. Marchand returned after undergoing arthroscopic surgery in May to repair the cartilage in his hips. The 34-year-old forward was expected to be off the ice for six months. Instead, he was proclaimed good to return by Bruins coach Jim Montgomery following the morning skate Thursday. “He’s a world-class player. It’s amazing how he comes up with pucks. The puck is between three bodies and he’s like the Tasmanian devil, twirling all around,” Montgomery said about Marchand. “It’s amazing. He tracks and fights for it and bite your leg off for it. That’s why we love him.” For now, Boston plans to rest Marchand on the second night of back-to-back games. That includes Friday night’s matchup in Columbus. “We’ve been very careful throughout this progression,” Marchand said. “Definitely felt more comfortable as the game progressed.” Adam Erne scored for Detroit. “You don’t see lapses in their game. They’re a consistent team,” Detroit coach Derek Lalonde said. MAKING MOVES The Bruins completed a trade during the game, sending forward Jack Studnicka to Vancouver for goaltender Michael DiPietro and the rights to defenseman Jonathan Myrenberg, who is currently playing in Sweden. DiPietro appeared in three games (two starts) spanning three seasons with Vancouver, while Studnicka appeared in one game for Boston this season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brewin Flames Posted October 29, 2022 Author Share Posted October 29, 2022 Game # 9 Bruins 4 CBJ 0 Linus Ullmark makes 30 saves, Bruins beat Blue Jackets 4-0 0:40 David Pastrnak scores goal for Bruins David Pastrnak scores goal for Bruins ByAP Updated: 6 hours ago COLUMBUS, Ohio -- — Linus Ullmark made 30 saves for his fifth career shutout, Charlie Coyle scored short-handed, and the NHL-leading Boston Bruins beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-0 on Friday for their fifth straight victory. Matt Grzelcyk, Jake DeBrusk and David Pastrnak also scored to help Boston improve to 7-1-0. “There are a lot of guys wearing ice bags right now, and that shows you their commitment early on in the year,” Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said. “They are playing hard for each other and we’re getting good results.” Elvis Merzlikins stopped 25 shots for the Blue Jackets before being replaced in the third period by Daniil Tarasov, who stopped six. Columbus has lost three straight at home and six of its first nine games. The Bruins struck at 8:43 of the opening period when Grzelcyk rifled his first goal of the season from the top of the left circle over Merzlikins’ glove. Columbus set a record for futility in the second period with its 22nd power-play without a goal. Coyle added to those woes by notching a short-handed score at 4:30, the second given up by the Blue Jackets this season. “It’s hard when you’re chasing the game,” Blue Jackets coach Brad Larsen said. “It’s draining. You can see in our guys. Then you start pressing you’re doing things you shouldn’t be doing.” DeBrusk made it 3-0 after he blocked a shot that led to a breakaway score at 15:07, and Pastrnak added a goal with 26 seconds left in the second period off a wrister from the left circle. Pastrnak extended his scoring streak to four games and put him atop the NHL leaderboard with 16 points. He is second in the league with seven goals. “It’s a great start,” Coyle said. “I don’t know if a lot of people expected us to have the record that we have now, but it doesn’t matter. We know what’s in here, and the guys we have, and the guys that can fill in and take on responsibility. It’s a great sign for a team with a few key guys out.” STREAKING With his assist on Pastrnak’s goal, Patrice Bergeron extended his points streak to three games (1-2-3). He has nine points in nine games. INJURY UPDATE The Bruins were without center David Krejci who left Thursday game against Detroit with an upper-body injury and did not return. Brad Marchand, who is being managed in his return from offseason double hip surgery, also did not play. Columbus played without Jake Bean, who was out with an illness and Adam Boqvist, who suffered a broken foot Tuesday and is expected to miss six weeks. Nick Blankenburg is also expected out several weeks with an injured elbow. WELCOME TO THE NHL David Jiricek, the sixth overall pick in the 2022 draft, made his NHL debut for Columbus, playing 14:38 and recording one shot on goal. At 18 years, 334 days old, he is the second youngest defenseman in Blue Jackets history behind Rostislav Klesla (18 years, 200 days). Before he was called up, the native of Czechia led AHL rookie blueliners in assists and was tied for points (0-4-4). Jiricek is the third pick from the 2022 draft to play in the NHL, joining No. 1 pick Juraj Slafkovsky and No. 4 pick Shane Wright. BOSTON MOVES The Bruins made a trade in the middle of their Thursday game against Detroit, picking up goalie Michael DiPietro and the rights to defenseman Jonathan Myrenberg from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for forward Jack Studnicka. NO POWER The Blue Jackets went 0 for 3 on power-play, making them 0-for-23 to start the season. That is the franchise record for the longest stretch without a power-play goal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brewin Flames Posted November 2, 2022 Author Share Posted November 2, 2022 Game # 10 Bos 6 Pens 5 OT Lindholm's OT goal lifts Bruins over Penguins Hampus Lindholm nets the goal in overtime as the Bruins overcome a three-goal deficit vs. the Penguins to win 6-5. ByAP Updated: 5 hours ago PITTSBURGH -- — Hampus Lindholm scored at 3:37 of overtime and the Boston Bruins rallied past the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-5 on Tuesday night. Boston trailed 5-3 entering the third period before scoring the final three goals of the game. Lindholm scored the game-winner with a wrist shot from the top of the left circle. “I just love the fight in this team,” Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said. “It’s incredible. They believe in there.” Pavel Zacha started the Bruins’ comeback at 11:59 of the third when he deflected a shot behind Pittsburgh goaltender Tristan Jarry. Taylor Hall tied the game with 1:17 to play when he scored from the top of the crease. “We weren’t getting run out of the building by any means,” Hall said. “We felt that if we could claw back into the game, that we could put ourselves in a spot.” Charlie Coyle scored his fourth, Brad Marchand added a power-play goal and Jakub Lauko scored his first NHL goal for the Bruins, who won their sixth straight game. Boston was the NHL’s best team in October, as the Bruins opened the season 8-1, a franchise record through nine games. Linus Ullmark was pulled in the second period after allowing five goals on 23 shots. He re-entered the game in the third period and earned the win after Jeremy Swayman left with a lower body injury. “To be able to overcome that in this building, against a really good team … that speaks volumes about the guys in that dressing room,” Montgomery said. Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Rickard Rakell all scored their fifth for Pittsburgh. Bryan Rust and Josh Archibald also scored for the Penguins, who lost their fifth straight game and first at home. Pittsburgh started the season 4-0-1, which included three lopsided home wins, before the recent skid, which started during a road trip through Western Canada and the Pacific Northwest. The teams will meet again January 2 during the NHL’s Winter Classic at Fenway Park in Boston. Jarry made 34 saves. “At the end of the day, we have to find a way to win,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. “When you get a two-goal lead going into the third, you’re in a good position to win. We had opportunities to win, but didn’t take advantage of them.” Crosby scored 30 seconds into the game and Coyle tied it for the Bruins at 5:18 of the first. Crosby established the most opening-minute goals in NHL history and Coyle scored his third in as many games. Lauko gave the Bruins a 2-1 lead at 13:20 with his first NHL goal and Malkin tied it for Pittsburgh at 1:47 of the second period. Then, Pittsburgh erupted with three goals in 2:54. Archibald put the Penguins back in front, 3-2, with a one-timer from the slot at 8:42. Rust scored at 11:16 from the side of the net and Rakell chased Ullmark 20 seconds later with a shot from the top of the circle. Patrice Bergeron scored 27 seconds after Rakell, but the goal was overturned on a coach’s challenge because of goaltender interference. Marchand scored a power-play goal at 12:57, as Boston trailed 5-3 entering the third period. CROSBY CLIMBING Crosby surpassed Hall of Famer Adam Oates for 18th place on the NHL’s all-time points list. Crosby now has 1,421 points. Bryan Trottier is 17th in NHL history with 1,425 points. Crosby is one assist from becoming the 20th player in NHL to record 900 career assists. Crosby, who has played 1,118 career games, is on pace to become the sixth-fastest in NHL history to reach the milestone. Eight of the top 20 players on the NHL’s all-time assists list have played for Pittsburgh. TOP OF THE LIST Mike Sullivan coached his 517th game with Pittsburgh on Tuesday. He surpassed Ed Johnston for most games coached in franchise history. Sullivan, who led Pittsburgh to back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017, is 301-160-56 with the Penguins. Sullivan, the second-longest tenured coach in the NHL, has the most wins in franchise history. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brewin Flames Posted November 4, 2022 Author Share Posted November 4, 2022 Game # 11 Bos 5 NYR 2 Bruins score 4 in 3rd, beat Rangers 5-2 for 7th straight Hampus Lindholm nets goal vs. Rangers ByAP Updated: 6 hours ago NEW YORK -- — Trent Frederic and Jake DeBrusk scored third-period goals and Linus Ullmark made 18 saves as the streaking Boston Bruins won their seventh straight game Thursday night with a 5-2 victory over the New York Rangers. Frederic’s second goal of the season at 6:04 put the Bruins ahead 3-2 before DeBrusk rifled his fourth past Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin at 10:19. Hampus Lindholm added an empty-net goal with 58 seconds left. Nick Foligno and Taylor Hall each had two assists for Boston, off to a franchise-best 10-1-0 start under new coach Jim Montgomery. Ullmark improved to 8-0-0. “This group makes it fun every night," said the 35-year-old Foligno, a veteran of 16 NHL seasons and playing his second with Boston. "We're so process-focused. The results take care of themselves." The teams were tied 1-all entering the third before Charlie Coyle put the Bruins ahead at 2:56. Rangers defenseman Adam Fox evened the score 48 seconds later. Boston swarmed the Rangers early, outshooting them 11-5 in the first. David Pastrnak scored his team-leading eighth goal at 12:53, beating Shesterkin from a sharp angle to the goaltender’s right. Pastrnak also leads the Bruins with 19 points overall. “I thought everybody contributed and helped us tonight," Montgomery said. “The Rangers are a really good hockey team and we kept them to the outside. ... I thought it was our best checking game. We took away time and space. We showed great poise." Boston scored first for the eighth time in 11 games. The Bruins have won all eight. They have the best record in the league. “Everyone has bought in," Frederic said. ”We're having fun at the rink. Monty has been great to everyone. He's made it a fun environment." Shesterkin made 32 saves in defeat, his first in regulation to fall to 6-1-2. His eight-game point streak to begin a season was second in Rangers history to Gilles Villemure's start in 1971-72. The Rangers, despite losing stalwart defenseman Ryan Lindgren early with an upper-body injury, wrestled the momentum back in the second period as they outshot the Bruins 11-9, including a 10-minute stretch in which Boston was denied any shots. Boston outshot the Rangers 17-4 in the third. “They are a good hockey team. They move the puck, they played hard,″ Rangers coach Gerard Gallant said. Lindgren, acquired from Boston in February 2018, is day-to-day, according to Gallant. “Losing Lindgren is big any time,” he said. New York tied it on a goal by Jimmy Vesey — his first since rejoining the Rangers last summer — at 10:21 of the middle period. Vesey took a pinpoint, cross-ice pass from Mika Zibanejad before depositing the puck past Ullmark. Rangers forward Kaapo Kakko assisted on both New York goals. “We tied the game and they came right back and scored," Vesey said. ”Overall I think we can be better." Shortly after Vesey scored, New York defenseman Braden Schneider flattened Frederic with a clean hit in the Rangers zone, and two fights ensued after the check. Schneider was challenged by Boston’s A.J. Greer, and Frederic fought with Barclay Goodrow at 10:57. Coyle said his teammates' instant response gave the bench a definite boost. “There's was no hesitation. That says a lot," said Coyle, whose second-period goal was his fifth of the season. "Guys are doing the little things to show that they care, they are ready and focused and they are not going to be pushed around. ... That's good stuff." The Bruins are 4-1-0 on the road and 5-1-0 against Eastern Conference opponents. Boston has not allowed a power-play goal on the road this season. “They are a good team. I think we can play with them," said Rangers leading scorer Artemi Panarin, held without a point for only the fourth time in 12 games. ”But they scored more than us." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brewin Flames Posted November 6, 2022 Author Share Posted November 6, 2022 Game # 12 Bos 1 Lefas 2 Matthews scores 2, Toronto ends Boston's 7-game win streak Updated: 6 hours ago TORONTO -- — Auston Matthews is starting to heat up. Matthews' second goal of the game came on a power play in the second period and lifted the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 2-1 win over Boston on Saturday night, snapping the Bruins’ seven-game winning streak. “Trying to create, trying to possess the puck as much offensively and obviously keep the puck out of our own end,” he said. “It’s a challenge at times. Just trying to get rolling.” Mitch Marner had two assists for Toronto (6-4-2), which has won two straight after dropping four in a row as part of a sluggish October. “Found another level tonight,” he said. “We knew that Boston was going to demand our absolute best.” Ilya Samsonov made 13 saves before leaving the game after two periods with a knee injury. Erik Kallgren stopped seven shots the rest of the way. Head coach Sheldon Keefe said Samsonov wouldn’t be available for Sunday’s start in Carolina. “Not many teams in the league are gonna have three goalies injured in their system and feel comfortable,” Keefe said. “But it’s the reality.” Brad Marchand scored on a penalty shot in the second period for Boston. Linus Ullmark made 26 saves for the Bruins, who entered as the NHL’s top team based on points percentage. “I don’t think we played with the puck as much as we would like,” said Boston centre David Krejci, who returned following a three-game injury absence. “Couldn’t wear them down.” Matthews, who led the league with 60 goals last season on the way to capturing his first Hart Trophy as MVP, had scored just once in the first seven games this season, but now has five goals in his last five contests. He broke 1-all tie at 14:07 of the second period with his second of the game on a simple tap-in at the lip of Ullmark’s crease for his sixth of the campaign. The goal followed a terrific individual effort by William Nylander on a power play. “He just kind of went for a walk there,” Matthews said of Nylander. “Put it right on tee for me.” Kallgren, the Maple Leaf's No. 3 goalie option with Matt Murray (groin/abductor) on long-term injured reserve, replaced Samsonov to start the third. After Toronto couldn’t connect on two man-advantage opportunities, Boston's David Pastrnak sent a shot off the post. The Maple Leafs then killed off two Boston power plays with desperate defending that continued late with Ullmark on the bench for an extra attacker. Coming off Wednesday’s victory over Philadelphia that snapped a four-game slide Toronto opened the scoring at 7:19 of the first when Matthews fooled Ullmark after the Bruins goaltender lost track of the puck behind his net. With the Maple Leafs down a man against the NHL’s highest-scoring team, T.J. Brodie tripped Marchand on a breakaway to set up the winger’s slick deke that had Samsonov completely fooled to tie the game for the Bruins. Marchand’s fourth goal in four games was the 800th point of his career, making him the seventh player in franchise history to reach the milestone. The 34-year-old also tied Mario Lemieux for second all-time with his sixth successful penalty shot, one behind Pavel Bure’s record seven. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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