Bruins
The Bruins got here again from a 2-0 deficit however could have misplaced two defensemen within the course of.
Regardless of a battered backend and an early 2-0 deficit, the Boston Bruins managed to drag off a “character win” to proceed their season-opening level streak.
Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov opened the scoring as the sport started to open up within the first interval. Barkov capitalized on the 2-on-1 one by snapping a shot previous the glove of Linus Ullmark to present Florida the opening tally at 6:13 of the primary interval.
In an all-too-familiar sequence, the Panthers capitalized off of a brutal Boston turnover. Rookie Matt Poitras had considered one of his first main ‘uh-oh’ performs of the season, as he had his pocket picked behind the Boston internet by Barkov, who fed Sam Reinhart to place Florida forward 2-0.
The Bruins lastly obtained on the board throughout a extra productive second interval. Following a robust drive to the web, Jake DeBrusk fed Boston captain Brad Marchand, who tapped in his fifth purpose of the season.
“That was an amazing instance of us enjoying quick,” Montgomery mentioned. “It regarded like a 2-on-1, and Pasta [David Pastrnak] simply made an unbelievable artistic play, and Charlie [McAvoy], who’s been enjoying nice hockey, went in and made an amazing end on it.”
After a sleepy first half of the third interval, Pastrnak related with McAvoy for one of many prettier objectives within the Bruins’ younger season.
As they continued to push for the go-ahead tally in the course of the second half of the third interval, the Bruins hit a big velocity bump. Shortly after delivering the equalizer, McAvoy delivered an objectively soiled hit to Oliver Ekman-Larsson, leading to a match penalty.
Boston’s top-ranked penalty weathered the storm and killed off Florida’s five-minute man benefit, finally forcing additional time.
Within the 3-on-3 additional session, Pavel Zacha pushed the play up-ice in additional time and buried a wrister far facet on Bobrovsky to safe Boston’s come-from-behind victory.
“I used to be wanting the place it was open,” Zacha mentioned of his additional time winner. “Far facet, I went low blocker.”
Right here’s what we discovered because the Bruins jumped out to an 8-0-1 begin to their season.
Boston’s backend passes one take a look at as one other problem awaits
The Bruins’ backend, comparatively wholesome by the primary eight video games of the season, took their first hit of the 12 months Monday evening. Matt Grzelcyk exited halfway by the primary interval and didn’t return for the remainder of the sport.
Halfway by the third, the Bruins suffered one other probably important loss on the blue line within the brief time period. With McAvoy’s match penalty, the Bruins needed to dig deep working with simply 4 defensemen for the final 10 minutes of regulation and additional time.
“It was a giant character win,” Montgomery mentioned. “We lose [Grzelcyk] midway by the primary, we’re down to 5 D. You bought the five-minute main you gotta kill off…simply super character by our 4 defensemen that gutted it out and in addition simply our staff getting back from nothing towards an actual good staff.”
With Hampus Lindholm and Kevin Shattenkirk having already taken shifts in additional time, the Bruins needed to resort to an unconventional technique, placing three forwards on the ice in additional time. It labored out for the trio, as Zacha scored the winner simply as a defenseman hopped again on the ice.
Montgomery famous postgame that Grzelcyk’s harm was “upper-body, and it’s gonna be a few weeks it seems like.”
Moreover, a suspension for McAvoy seems seemingly, leaving the Bruins with out their high defensive pair for a minimum of the brief time period. The Bruins will seemingly flip to Windfall for reinforcements, with former Blackhawk Ian Mitchell and high prospect Mason Lohrei sitting atop the checklist of potential callups.
The Bruins discovered their recreation within the second interval.
In a return to mid-April type, the Bruins struggled mightily with Florida’s aggressive forecheck. Boston was outshot 16-6 within the first interval and trailed by two.
Slowly however absolutely, the Bruins constructed their recreation up shift by shift starting within the second interval.
“I believe we simply tried to simplify our recreation,” Montgomery mentioned postgame. “In all probability had too many, you recognize, careless performs within the center, both within the offensive zone or approaching the offensive blue line that led to them popping out wave after wave.”
The Bruins progressively discovered their stride all through the second interval and overcame the adversity of the third interval to come back out victorious. Boston made changes to counterattack Florida but additionally rode the momentum of some well timed stops by Ullmark, a string of heavy hits by Morgan Geekie and Shattenkirk, and, most significantly, their large third-period penalty kill.
“We weren’t actually taking good care of pucks the way in which that we must always have been and supporting one another the right means,” Marchand mentioned. “Undoubtedly one thing we will, you recognize, perceive once we are available between intervals and take a look at our recreation and make changes that make a distinction.”
The Bruins had been successful in very systematic, accountable methods by their first eight video games of the season.
On Monday, they discovered one other option to win – on the fly.
Join Bruins updates🏒
Get breaking information and evaluation delivered to your inbox throughout hockey season.