By: Julia Simone | Follow me on Twitter / X @j_simone40
The Boston Bruins beat the Montreal Canadiens on this day 100 years ago and emerged the victors again today. It was a full circle ending for the Bruins’ centennial celebration, as Boston had four different scorers this afternoon and put six goals on the board against their longtime rivals.
A 24-minute pregame ceremony took place before the game. The ceremony featured tribute videos showing all the history, including the “Big Bad Bruins Era” and the 2011 Stanley Cup-winning team. Some Bruins legends that were down on the ice in attendance included Bobby Orr, Ray Bourque, and Willie O’Ree. Bobby Orr was also the Bruins’ honorary banner captain this afternoon.
Bruins Captain Brad Marchand was the only player during the pregame ceremony who is currently an active player. He was accompanied on the ice by former Bruins alumni, including his former linemate Patrice Bergeron.
The Bruins displayed a stellar performance on their 100th anniversary and 940th meeting with the Canadiens. The B’s got on the board first after a wrap-around goal by Charlie McAvoy at 11:45 of the first period. The club continued the scoring after David Pastrnak found the back of the net less than a minute later. It did not stop there as Charlie Coyle scored 15 seconds after Pastrnak’s goal to give the Bruins a 3-0 lead in the first period.
The Bruins continued to find their stride in the second period. Charlie McAvoy scored a breakaway short-handed goal to give the Bruins a 4-0 lead. McAvoy was not the only Bruin to score twice today as Charlie Coyle notched his second goal of the game 21 seconds into the third period, giving the team a 5-1 lead.
This was the Bruins’ first home 3rd-period goal since the home opener, which was also against Montreal back in October. It was a good day to be a Charlie on the Bruins. Montreal was able to close the gap with goals from Emil Heineman and Cole Caufield. Cole Koepke closed this one out for the Bruins with an empty net goal at 17:46 of the third period. The B’s come out on top from this game, winning 6-3.
Jeremy Swayman was cool, calm, and collected between the pipes this afternoon. He made 26 saves, and he has won four out of his last six games. The Bruins extended their point streak against the Canadiens to 16 games (15-0-1). This is the longest active point streak by a team against a single opponent.
Much went right for the Bruins today, with different scorers and lots of physicality throughout this game. It looks as if the club is starting to click offensively, something that has been a struggle since the start of the season. Charlie McAvoy said, “It’s a great day. Couldn’t be happier…put a great final chapter on the Centennial celebration.” The Bruins will look to continue this momentum. The Detroit Red Wings come to town on Tuesday night. Puck drop is set for 7:00 pm.
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