Author: Mike Cratty

Bruins Post-Game Recap: Boston vs. Vegas: 1/21/20

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Vegas Golden Knights right wing Alex Tuch (89) and Boston Bruins defenseman Torey Krug (47) chase after a loose puck during the second period at TD Garden.

Photo Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

 

By Mike Cratty | Follow me on Twitter @Mike_Cratty

Home: Boston Bruins

Away: Vegas Golden Knights

Boston’s Lineup

Forwards

Marchand – Bergeron – Pastrnak

DeBrusk – Coyle – Bjork

Heinen – Krejci – Kuhlman

Blidh – Kuraly – Wagner

Defense

Chara – McAvoy

Krug – Carlo

Grzelcyk – Lauzon

Goalies

Halak

Vladar

Vegas’s Lineup

Forwards

Marchessault – Stephenson – Smith

Pacioretty – Stastny – Stone

Carrier – Eakin – Tuch

Nosek – Roy – Reaves

Defense

McNabb – Schmidt

Holden – Theodore

Hague – Engelland

Goalies

Fleury

Subban

David Krejci returned to the lineup after missing the last three games with an upper-body injury, centering Danton Heinen and Karson Kuhlman. Anton Blidh slotted into the lineup for the first time this season, as he has been sidelined since September due to shoulder surgery.

Jeremy Lauzon jumped right into the lineup after being called up earlier today. He suited up once for the Bruins earlier in the season on New Year’s Eve against the New Jersey Devils. The Vegas Golden Knights, now led by head coach Peter DeBoer, stood in the way of the Bruins.

First Period

The Bruins came out of the gate with plenty of intensity, but Mark Stone put the Golden Knights on the board first just a minute and 24 seconds in, on their first shot of the game. Nicolas Hague took the first penalty of the game for the Golden Knights, 15 seconds later for interference. Luckily for them, they killed the penalty and held onto their lead.

Later in the period, Stone found his way to the box for tripping with 12:45 to go in the period. The Bruins couldn’t beat Marc-Andre Fleury despite playing with such intensity and generating some high-quality chances. Through the first ten minutes, they held a 9-3 advantage in shots.

Lauzon loves playing against the Golden Knights. Last season, he scored his first career goal against them. This time around, he sent a shot through traffic and past Fleury to tie the game 8:20 remaining in the period. His first of the season was assisted by David Krejci (22) and Karson Kuhlman (3).

Zdeno Chara sat for two minutes for tripping with 4:05 remaining. A solid penalty kill from the Bruins kept the game tied. Jake DeBrusk nearly broke the tie off of a great pass from Krejci not too long after the penalty expired, but was stopped by Fleury. The final shots through an entertaining first 20 minutes were 14-8 in favor of the Bruins.

Score: 1-1

Second Period

An early Bruins power play came when William Carrier went off for interference just a minute and 42 seconds in. The Golden Knights killed the penalty, but were caught with too many men on the ice just 25 seconds after Carrier’s penalty expired. Despite taking four penalties very early on, they managed to kill them off successfully.

Brandon Carlo took the second Bruins penalty of the game for high sticking with 10:45 remaining. Hague made it hurt on a booming one-timer from the point for his first career NHL goal. With 9:01 remaining, the Golden Knights regained the lead. Hague’s goal magnified how the struggles on the power play that the Bruins were experiencing can really sting.

Charlie McAvoy went pretty hard into the boards head first following contact with Chandler Stephenson. As a result, Stephenson sat for two minutes for boarding and McAvoy surprisingly remained on the bench, but in some pain, understandably.

Power play chances came and went, but the Bruins couldn’t convert on their fifth power play. They went into the third period 0-for-5 on the man advantage for the game with just three shots. Through 40 minutes, the total shots 23-16 overall and 9-8 in the period, both in favor of the Bruins. Converting on their opportunities was the problem, and they needed to fix it fast if they want a chance to win.

Score: 2-1 Vegas

Third Period

DeBrusk saw some good opportunities come his way throughout the game and was rewarded for his efforts in the third. His 15th goal of the season came in the form of a sweet snipe to tie the game. Charlie Coyle’s 18th assist helped set it up, as did Jaroslav Halak’s second assist of the season with 15:34 remaining.

Matt Grzelcyk made his way down the tunnel after a collision with Cody Eakin. Not good, although he eventually returned to the bench. Krejci’s goal was good though. A great effort by Kuhlman began to establish offensive zone time and with some help from Carlo, Heinen, and the hand-eye coordination of Krejci, the Bruins took the lead. The goal marked Krejci’s 12th of the season, plus Carlo and Heinen’s 12th and 14th assists respectively. The Bruins led for the first time all night.

Fleury was pulled for an extra attacker and Stone made an incredible effort to thwart Krejci’s bid for an empty netter, but it wasn’t enough for Vegas to tie it up. The Bruins held the advantage in shots at 14-13 in the final frame, bringing the grand total to 37-29 in their favor. They really had to grind to earn two points ahead of the long break that awaits. Halak made 27 saves in the win. Next up are the Winnipeg Jets on Jan. 31 at MTS Centre at 8:00 PM ET. The Bruins are 29-10-12.

Final Score: 3-2 Boston

Check out the new Black N’ Gold Hockey Podcast episode 162 that we recorded below! You can find our show on many worldwide platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, SoundCloud, and Stitcher.

Please subscribe to our new Black N’ Gold Hockey YouTube channel! We’d really appreciate the continued support. Click HERE for exciting Black N’ Gold online content!!

Bruins Post-Game Recap: Boston at Pittsburgh: 1/19/20

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Image result for bruins penguins january 16

Photo Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

By Mike Cratty | Follow me on Twitter @Mike_Cratty

Home: Pittsburgh Penguins

Away: Boston Bruins

Boston’s Lineup

Forwards

Marchand – Bergeron – Pastrnak

DeBrusk – Coyle – Bjork

Heinen – Lindholm – Kuhlman

Nordstrom – Kuraly – Wagner

Defense

Chara – McAvoy

Krug – Carlo

Grzelcyk – Moore

Goalies

Halak

Vladar

Pittsburgh’s Lineup

Forwards

McCann – Crosby – Simon

Kahun – Malkin – Rust

Galchenyuk – Agozzino – Hornqvist

Aston-Reese – Blueger – Tanev

Defense

Johnson – Letang

Pettersson – Marino

Riikola – Ruhwedel

Goalies

Murray

Jarry

First Period

Scoring 11 seconds into a game is a good way to make your presence felt. Patrice Bergeron did that, burying his 21st goal of the season. David Pastrnak and Brandon Carlo had the assists on the goal, their 33rd and 11th assists of the season respectively.

Anders Bjork made it 2-0 just a minute and 51 seconds later. With such a fast start, it was apparent early on that the Bruins weren’t totally satisfied with their 4-1 win over the Penguins. As a result, it didn’t take them long to make a statement in enemy territory. Bjork’s eighth goal of the season was assisted by Charlie Coyle (17) and Jake DeBrusk (14).

It continued to be pretty much all Bruins throughout the first period. While Jaroslav Halak made key saves when needed, the way the Bruins controlled the flow of play stood out the most. After two quick goals early on, Pastrnak added his 37th goal of the season to extend the lead to three with 4:53 remaining. Brad Marchand (44) and Torey Krug (27) had the helpers.

Not all was bad for the Penguins, as they managed to get one back thanks to Dominik Simon and a great pass by Sidney Crosby to set him up – making it 3-1 Bruins with 3:26 remaining. Brandon Tanev had a great chance to cut the deficit to one, but Brandon Carlo went all out to thwart the chance.

Teddy Blueger took a late hooking penalty with 1:37 remaining. Although the Bruins failed to score on the power play before the end of the frame, the final 23 seconds of the penalty awaited them to start the second period. The Bruins held a 13-6 shot advantage and won 72 percent of faceoffs.

Score: 3-1 Boston

Second Period

The Penguins wanted an early goal of their own, and they got one. Blueger scored shortly after serving the hooking penalty he took late in the first period. Crosby made another great pass to set it up. A two-goal lead for the Bruins was quickly cut to one just 33 seconds in.

Chris Wagner took an interference penalty at the 12:09 mark of the period. Just 51 seconds later, Marchand and Kris Letang got tied up to Matt Murray’s left and received matching roughing penalties as a result.

After the Blueger goal, it was a battle of wills for the majority of the period. Murray bounced back after a rough first period, and Halak made some timely stops of his own. The Penguins held the advantage in shots at 12-10 and set up what was sure to be an eventful third period. The shots through two periods were 23-18 in favor of the Bruins.

Score: 3-2 Boston

Third Period

Keeping with the trend of eventful starts to each period, Letang went off for elbowing just 20 seconds in. Jack Johnson took advantage of a huge opportunity tied the game with a shorthanded goal. The game was tied with 18:19 remaining and things got a bit chippier as this grudge match rolled on.

The Bruins were generating chances, but weren’t getting results. Murray continued to play very well after a bad first period and the Penguins didn’t relent. Bryan Rust made it four unanswered goals and gave his team the lead with 7:25 remaining in regulation.

Halak was pulled with 2:19 remaining for an extra attacker. While they managed to prevent an empty netter, the Bruins couldn’t tie the game back up. A tripping penalty assessed to Matt Grzelcyk in a successful effort to prevent Tanev from adding an empty netter late was the nail in the coffin in this one. A 14-4 advantage in shots in the final frame wasn’t enough to secure a win. The final shots were 37-22 in their favor. Next up are the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday at TD Garden at 7:00 PM ET. The Bruins are 28-10-12 at the 50-game mark on the 2019-2020 season.

Final Score: 4-3 Pittsburgh

Check out the new Black N’ Gold Hockey Podcast episode 162 that we recorded below! You can find our show on many worldwide platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, SoundCloud, and Stitcher.

Please subscribe to our new Black N’ Gold Hockey YouTube channel! We’d really appreciate the continued support. Click HERE for exciting Black N’ Gold online content!!

Bruins Post-Game Recap: Boston vs. Pittsburgh: 1/16/20

/ Mike Cratty / 1 Comment
Image result for bruins penguins td garden

Photo Credit: Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff

By Mike Cratty | Follow me on Twitter @Mike_Cratty

Home: Boston Bruins

Away: Pittsburgh Penguins

Boston’s Lineup

Forwards

Marchand – Bergeron – Pastrnak

DeBrusk – Coyle – Bjork

Heinen – Lindholm – Kuhlman

Nordstrom – Kuraly – Wagner

Defense

Chara – McAvoy

Krug – Carlo

Grzelcyk – Moore

Goalies

Halak

Vladar

Pittsburgh’s Lineup

Forwards

McCann – Crosby – Simon

Kahun – Malkin – Rust

Galchenyuk – Agozzino – Hornqvist

Aston-Reese – Blueger – Tanev

Defense

Johnson – Letang

Pettersson – Marino

Riikola – Ruhwedel

Goalies

Jarry

Murray

Tuukka Rask was honored for playing in his 500th game back in October before things got underway. NESN showed an awesome congratulatory video made for him before the ceremony that took place on the TD Garden ice. Congratulations to Tuukka Rask on this incredible achievement.

First Period

Sidney Crosby made his presence felt with a goal just 24 seconds into the game. A mere 52 seconds later, Zach Aston-Reese went off for roughing in response to Charlie McAvoy’s hit on Brandon Tanev. The Bruins didn’t score on the power play, but the fast pace continued after a cross-check by John Marino on Chris Wagner that wasn’t received well.

Marino sat for two minutes as a result, giving the Bruins their second power play of the game just 3:23 into the game. While Tristan Jarry was kept busy early on, he kept the Bruins off the scoreboard on their first two power plays.

Minutes later, Chris Wagner and Kris Letang exchanged pleasantries, creating a 4-on-4 as a result as both of them went off for roughing. The extra open space on the ice didn’t lead to much, but Sean Kuraly got on the board for the fourth time this season shortly after the 4-on-4 ended. It was 1-1 with 9:57 remaining. Karson Kuhlman had the primary assist, marking his first point of the season. Charlie McAvoy had the secondary assist, his 17th of the season.

Kuhlman made his mark yet again on the scoresheet, sending a shot on net that Par Lindholm tipped past Tristan Jarry to make it 2-1 Bruins for his third goal of the season. Karson Kuhlman was buzzing early on in his first game back with the Bruins since October 19th following his injury recovery and a stint with the Providence Bruins.

Not too long after the goal, Patrice Bergeron went off for tripping, but the Penguins failed to convert on the man advantage and the Bruins held onto their lead. It was a wild first period and after a fast start from the Penguins, the Bruins didn’t shy away. The shots in the period were 12-10 in their favor as they went into the intermission.

Score: 2-1 Boston

Second Period

Wagner went to the box early on for tripping, just 1:39 into the period. Brad Marchand nearly gave the Bruins a two-goal lead in shorthanded fashion. Wagner remained in the mix after leaving the box, laying a huge hit on Tanev that caused some chaos as a result.

Anders Bjork went off for two minutes for slashing just around the halfway point of the period. Joakim Nordstrom blocked a shot Juuso Riikola and went off in some pain, but eventually made his way back and powered through the pain.

Speaking of the halfway point, the Bruins outshot the Penguins 5-1 up until that point in the second period. The Bjork penalty was killed, the third successful penalty kill of the night. Brad Marchand nearly extended the lead to two, but couldn’t bury it.

Things got chippy again late in the period, leading to Torey Krug and Patric Hornqvist having a tussle, with others getting involved. A 4-on-4 ensued thanks to roughing penalties going both ways with 3:52 remaining. No one scored on the 4-on-4, again. Chaos later came as a penalty was called, Bergeron made contact with the puck with his glove, the puck crossed the goal line, but the goal was called off after a review.

Krug and Hornqvist reconvened and dropped the gloves after exiting the penalty box  Marcus Pettersson went off for holding with 1:19 to go. Five minutes for fighting followed. In the final ten seconds, the Penguins found themselves on a 2-on-0 that led to Jaroslav Halak making four saves in rapid succession to preserve the lead. The shots were 12-10 in favor of the Bruins, yet again, bringing the total to 24-20. The craziness of the second period set the stage for fireworks in the third period.

Score: 2-1 Boston

Third Period

Bergeron extended the lead to two 3:19 into the period, marking his 20th goal of the season. He has now hit the 20-goal mark in a season 11 times in his career. David Pastrnak had the lone assist, his 31st of the season. It was a pretty sweet sequence.

The pace calmed down a bit in the third period, but things got interesting again when the Penguins took a too many men on the ice penalty. The Bruins saw a golden opportunity in front of them to extend their lead to three with 8:18 left. Although they didn’t score, they still managed to hold their two-goal. Jarry being pulled for the extra attacker late led to a chaotic bunch of chances out front, but the puck couldn’t make its way past the scrum out front. A review followed the scrum and went in favor of the Bruins, keeping the game at 3-1.

Marchand notched the empty netter for his 21st goal of the season to seal it. Pastrnak’s second assist of the game and 32nd of the season helped set it up. The Penguins held a 10-6 shot advantage, bringing the shot total to 30-30 for the game. They had 10 shots in each period. When it all came down to it, the Bruins powered through in a physical game to come out on top. Next up are the Penguins again at 12:30 PM ET on Sunday at PPG Paints Arena. The Bruins are 28-9-12 and have won four of their last six games.

Final Score: 4-1 Boston

Check out the new Black N’ Gold Hockey Podcast episode 162 that we recorded below! You can find our show on many worldwide platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, SoundCloud, and Stitcher.

Please subscribe to our new Black N’ Gold Hockey YouTube channel! We’d really appreciate the continued support. Click HERE for exciting Black N’ Gold online content!!

Bruins Post-Game Recap: Boston vs. Columbus: 1/2/20

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Photo Credit: (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

By Mike Cratty | Follow me on Twitter @Mike_Cratty

Home: Boston Bruins

Away: Columbus Blue Jackets

Boston’s Lineup

Forwards

Marchand – Bergeron – Pastrnak

DeBrusk – Krejci – Coyle

Bjork – Lindholm – Heinen

Nordstrom – Kuraly – Wagner

Defense

Chara – McAvoy

Krug – Carlo

Moore – Grzelcyk

Goalies

Rask

Halak

Columbus’s Lineup

Forwards

Nyquist – Jenner – Foligno

Gerbe – DuBois – Stenlund

MacInnis – Nash – Lilja

Milano – Wennberg – Robinson

Defense

Werenski – Jones

Gavrikov – Savard

Harrington – Kukan

Goalies

Merzlikins

Kivlenieks

The Columbus Blue Jackets made their way to TD Garden to kick off the 2020 slate of the season for both teams. The Blue Jackets came into this one without a single regulation loss in their last ten games and 6-0-4 record as a result. After a tough shootout loss to the New Jersey Devils, the Bruins looked to get back in the win column. Good news came in the form of David Krejci, Torey Krug, and Charlie McAvoy all returning to the lineup. Additionally, how about a milestone to get 2020 going?

First Period

It appeared that the Blue Jackets found themselves a golden opportunity just 17 seconds into the game. But, Gustav Nyquist’s goal was overturned after a video review for goaltender interference. The Bruins dodged a bullet early on. Joakim Nordstrom flew into 2020 with some jam.

It was a feeling-out process for much of the rest of the period. While the Bruins controlled the flow of the game for a solid portion of it, there weren’t many great scoring chances and the period moved pretty quickly with very few whistles. In fact, it was the quickest period of the season for the Bruins. The Blue Jackets outshot the Bruins 9-8 through the first 20 minutes.

Score: 0-0

Second Period

With the quick first period came a lack of penalties. That changed in the second period when Nick Foligno went off for hooking with 15:12 remaining. The Bruins entered the man advantage with the third-best power play in the NHL and an eight-game power play goal streak. Zach Werenski nearly gave the Blue Jackets the lead in shorthanded fashion, but hit the post.

The Bruins held an 8-6 shot advantage in the period through 10:28 of play, but overall in the game until this point, Columbus had already blocked 12 shots. That’s a pretty effective way to keep a game scoreless.

Dean Kukan then went off for tripping shortly after. David Pastrnak scored his 30th goal of the season just four seconds into the power play. Krug (22) and Patrice Bergeron (19) had the assists to help Pastrnak become the NHL’s first player to reach the 30-goal mark this season.

Just under a minute and 30 seconds after the Pastrnak goal, McAvoy found his way to the box for interference. The Bruins went killed it off. Brandon Carlo made some waves in the period on both sides of the ice. A great defensive read on a late 2-on-1 to keep the game scoreless, and a smart offensive zone pinch nearly extended the lead.

Zdeno Chara took a holding penalty within the final minute. The second period flew by, much like the first. The main difference is that David Pastrnak scored. Despite being down by a goal, Columbus didn’t let up. They held a 14-12 shot advantage in the period, bringing their total advantage to 23-20. A huge third period awaited both teams.

Score: 1-0 Boston

Third Period

The Bruins killed off the remaining portion of Chara’s holding penalty, but Sonny Milano got the Blue Jackets on the board not too long after. He sent the puck towards net seemingly with the idea of it bouncing off of Matt Grzelcyk or Nathan Gerbe, and it bounced off of Grzelcyk as him and Gerbe battled in front of the net. The game was tied with 17:54 still remaining.

The third line and Charlie Coyle went on to create some great chances, amongst others, but neither team wanted to budge and fall behind late in the game. Jake DeBrusk had an excellent chance on a rolling puck slip out of his grasp in the final two minutes. Ending this stalemate in intermission was not an easy task. Some great effort of Grzelcyk through the neutral zone and beyond made the DeBrusk chance happen.

Both goalies played pretty well in regulation, and in doing so forced this game to overtime. There wasn’t a lack of goal scoring for a lack of trying. It became one of those games where you wait for something to open up and end it.

Score: 1-1

Overtime

Pastrnak nearly buried his second of the game and 31st of the season early on. Pierre-Luc DuBois made good on a one-timer set up by Seth Jones not too long after to end this one 52 seconds into overtime.

An overtime loss is a rough way to start 2020 for the Bruins. Through the third period and overtime, the Blue Jackets outshot the Bruins 10-6, and 33-26 overall. Tuukka Rask made 31 saves. Next up are the Edmonton Oilers at TD Garden at 1 PM ET on Saturday. The Bruins are 24-7-11.

Final Score: 2-1 Columbus

Check out the new Black N’ Gold Hockey Podcast episode 160 that we recorded below! You can find our show on many worldwide platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, SoundCloud, and Stitcher.

Please subscribe to our new Black N’ Gold Hockey YouTube channel! We’d really appreciate the continued support. Click HERE for exciting Black N’ Gold online content!!

Bruins Post-Game Recap: Boston at New Jersey: 12/31/19

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Image result for bruins devils prudential center 2019

(Photo Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports)

By Mike Cratty | Follow me on Twitter @Mike_Cratty

Home: New Jersey Devils

Away: Boston Bruins

Boston’s Lineup

Forwards

Marchand – Bergeron – Pastrnak

Bjork – Coyle – Ritchie

DeBrusk – Lindholm – Backes

Nordstrom – Kuraly – Wagner

Defense

Chara – Carlo

Lauzon – Grzelcyk

Moore – Kampfer

Goalies

Halak

Rask

New Jersey’s Lineup

Forwards

Bratt – Hischier – Palmieri

Coleman – Zajac – Gusev

Wood – Hughes – Simmonds

Boqvist – Zacha – Hayden

Defense

Greene – Subban

Severson – Vatanen

Mueller – Butcher

Goalies

Blackwood

Senn

The last game of the decade was one that was littered with injuries for the Bruins. On top of the injuries, Danton Heinen was a healthy scratch and Jeremy Lauzon was called up from Providence. This marked Lauzon’s season debut with the Bruins after playing in 16 last season. Injuries didn’t stop the team from getting fired up before game time.

First Period

It didn’t take long for the Bruins to get on the board in this one. P.K. Subban went to the box for interference, giving the Bruins a golden opportunity early on. Some quick puck movement in the offensive zone led to a David Pastrnak one-timer making its way behind MacKenzie Blackwood for Brad Marchand to tap it in. Marchand’s 20th goal of the season was assisted by Pastrnak (30) and Matt Grzelcyk (9). It was 1-0 Bruins just two minutes and three seconds in.

Despite the early goal, the game kept a pretty good pace on both sides. Even with the Bruins controlling the flow of the game for a good chunk of the period, the Devils didn’t let the game get out of hand. Things definitely could have gotten out of hand for the Devils after a fast start and a quick goal for the Bruins. Shots in the period were 14-10 in favor of the Bruins.

Score: 1-0 Boston

Second Period

An early power play came for the Devils just nine seconds in as Brad Marchand was called for tripping. Some decent scoring chances came and went, but they couldn’t convert.

Not all goals are pretty, and Joakim Nordstrom reinforced that with a gritty goal to extend the lead to two – his fourth of the season. Sean Kuraly’s effort to get the puck out front for Nordstrom served as the primary assist, his 12th of the season. Brandon Carlo’s shot through traffic helped set up the goal served as the second assist, his ninth of the season. The goal was originally given to Kuraly, but later changed to Nordstrom, making it 2-0 Bruins with 15:33 remaining.

Again, New Jersey didn’t let up after giving up a goal. This time they scored, with Blake Coleman burying one with 11:02 to go. The Bruins had a brief power play when Travis Zajac took a tripping penalty. That was before Grzelcyk took a tripping penalty of his own just 13 seconds later. Things got a bit chaotic for a little while, but the score remained 2-1 when normalcy was restored.

Some crazy saves were made and scoring opportunities were missed after the Coleman goal. It was an eventful period in which New Jersey held a 12-9 shot advantage over the Bruins, bringing the total to 23-22 in favor of the Bruins.

Score: 2-1 Boston

Third Period

It appeared that Jack Hughes evened the score as Jeremy Lauzon knocked Miles Wood into Jaroslav Halak’s net, but that wasn’t the case. The puck didn’t end up in the net and the play actually ended with Lauzon making his way to the box for two minutes for interference. New Jersey was unable to convert on the power play and saw Hughes go leave the ice abruptly with an injury on the power play. He returned later in the game.

Halfway through the period, the Bruins were being outshot 9-0 by the Devils. Jaroslav Halak was keeping them in it. A tripping call on Nordstrom certainly didn’t make matters any better, but the Bruins managed to kill it off. The first shot of the period eventually came along.

It was a matter of time before New Jersey buried one. Their dominating effort in the third paid off when Jesper Bratt deflected one past Halak to tie the game with 6:49 remaining.

The Bruins needed to do something to counteract New Jersey’s offensive pressure. They didn’t necessarily counteract it as best they could, but they did enough to bring the game to overtime and secure a point. Shots in the period were 19-5 in favor of New Jersey, and 41-28 overall in regulation.

Score: 2-2

Overtime

The absences of Torey Krug and Charlie McAvoy forced a different 3-on-3 look for the Bruins in overtime.

After scoring twice last time he was in New Jersey, Grzelcyk nearly called game just past the halfway point of overtime, but rung the post. It appeared the shootout was going to commence gracefully until Bratt took a tripping penalty with 11.6 seconds remaining. Bruce Cassidy then took a timeout. Patrice Bergeron cut across the crease with a chance to end it in the dying seconds, but the puck just escaped the grasp. Shots were 3-2 in favor of the Devils in overtime, and 44-30 overall.

Score: 2-2

Shootout

Round one

Nikita Gusev: Miss

Charlie Coyle: Miss

Round two

Jesper Boqvist: Miss

David Pastrnak: Miss

Round three

Kyle Palmieri: Miss

Brad Marchand: Miss

Round four

Wayne Simmonds: Miss

Jake DeBrusk: Miss

Round five

Jack Hughes: Goal

Chris Wagner: Goal

Round six

Damon Severson: Goal

Patrice Bergeron: Miss

The shootout woes continue for the Bruins as this one went down to the wire, but Damon Severson’s goal in the sixth round was the backbreaker. Jaroslav Halak stood on his head, making 42 saves, but it wasn’t enough. It was a rough game for a battered bunch of Bruins. Next up are the Columbus Blue Jackets at TD Garden on Thursday at 7 PM ET. The Bruins are 24-7-10 heading into 2020.

Final Score: 3-2 New Jersey

Check out the new Black N’ Gold Hockey Podcast episode 160 that we recorded below! You can find our show on many worldwide platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, SoundCloud, and Stitcher.

Please subscribe to our new Black N’ Gold Hockey YouTube channel! We’d really appreciate the continued support. Click HERE for exciting Black N’ Gold online content!!

Bruins Post-Game Recap: Boston vs. Washington: 12/23/19

/ Mike Cratty / Leave a comment

NHL Predictions

(Photo Credit: Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

By Mike Cratty | Follow me on Twitter @Mike_Cratty

Home: Boston Bruins

Away: Washington Capitals

Boston’s Lineup

Forwards

Marchand – Bergeron – Pastrnak

DeBrusk – Krejci – Heinen

Kuraly – Coyle – Bjork

Nordstrom – Lindholm – Ritchie

Defense

Moore – McAvoy

Krug – Carlo

Grzelcyk – Clifton

Goalies

Rask

Halak

Washington’s Lineup

Forwards

Ovechkin – Backstrom – Wilson

Vrana – Kuznetsov – Oshie

Hagelin – Eller – Panik

Leipsic – Dowd – Hathaway

Defense

Kempny – Carlson

Orlov – Jensen 

Siegenthaler – Gudas

Goalies

Holtby

Samsonov

The Bruins got some bad news on Sunday when it was announced the Zdeno Chara would be out of the lineup against the Capitals. The reason stems back to some work that Chara had done on his jaw during the playoffs last season. He now has an infection in his jaw and needs surgery to remove the plates he had put in. John Moore slotted in on the first defensive pair in his absence.

Not what you want if you’re the Bruins against a Capitals team that you haven’t been able to figure out at home since last beating them on March 6, 2014. Regardless, the show had to go on without Chara as the Bruins looked to get back in the win column and end their losing skid. It was a milestone night for Danton Heinen, as this game marked the 200th of his career.

First Period

Things were pretty pedestrian to start before Nick Jensen took the first penalty of the game, as he went off for high sticking a minute and 30 seconds in. Unfortunately, they failed to score.

A second opportunity came when Radko Gudas went off for hooking. It didn’t take long to score this time as Jake DeBrusk buried a loose puck created by his own rebound. His persistence paid off for his ninth goal of the season, assisted by David Krejci (18) and Matt Grzelcyk (8). The Bruins were pushing the pace early, outshooting Washington 5-1 through the first seven minutes of the game.

The first Bruins penalty kill of the game came at 11:06 when Charlie McAvoy went off for tripping – and they killed it against the always terrifying Capitals power play. They weren’t satisfied with a one-goal lead, so Brad Marchand made it two by burying a rebound created by David Pastrnak. Marchand’s 19th goal of the season was assisted by Pastrnak (24) and McAvoy (13). It was Marchand’s first goal in 12 games, and he reacted accordingly, as one might do when they break a scoring drought.

That wasn’t all. Anders Bjork potted his sixth goal of the season just 27 seconds later. Charlie Coyle had the lone assist, his 12th of the season. Things got hectic real fast, in a good way.

Things got even crazier as Connor Clifton both went off at the same time – Clifton for slashing, Hathaway for cross-checking. A two minute 4-on-4 ensued. The extra open ice didn’t help a whole lot as neither team scored.

The Capitals went back on the penalty kill shortly after as Jakub Vrana went off for tripping, and Evgeny Kuznetsov went off for slashing. Patrice Bergeron used this 5-on-3 opportunity to extend his hot streak, potting his 14th goal. Pastrnak (25) and Krejci (19) had the helpers.

It was 4-0 Bruins with 1:03 to go and it stayed that way. Shots in the period were 11-8 in favor of the Bruins. That was one way to be efficient and if you can be one thing, you should be efficient.

Score: 4-0 Boston

Second Period

Braden Holtby was pulled to start the period for Ilya Samsonov. Four goals on 11 shots will do that. Bjork nearly had his second of the game early on thanks to a chance on a partial break, but couldn’t get a good enough handle on the puck to make anything happen. DeBrusk went off for slashing to give Washington their second power play of the game. The Bruins went on to kill it off.

Krejci took a penalty of his own for tripping. On the delayed penalty, the puck, untouched eventually made its way into Washington’s net, but wasn’t counted as a goal even after a review of the play.

Bad news came when it was announced that Torey Krug was banged up after taking a hit from Tom Wilson.

The miscue by the referees following the Krejci penalty didn’t matter as much when Charlie Coyle scored the 100th goal of his career in shorthanded fashion. His seventh goal of the season came 6:55 in and was assisted by Marchand (34).

Despite having a huge lead, the Bruins were being outshot 11-1 through the first 14 minutes. Again, if you can be one thing, you should be efficient. I guess? Definitely not as much as the first period, but the sentiment stands. Washington’s dominance eventually broke through as Alex Ovechkin broke the shutout for Tuukka Rask with 5:25 remaining.

John Carlson took a slashing penalty not too long after Ovechkin’s goal, sort of throwing off any momentum the caps could have gained. Although the Bruins didn’t score, they made it to the locker room up four goals. Tuukka Rask was busy, making 16 saves in the period, 24 overall, while the team was outshot 17-2 in the period. The total shots were 25-13 in favor of Washington – they didn’t mess around after a rocky first period.

Score: 5-1 Boston

Third Period

Torey Krug remained out of the game to start the third period. He was eventually ruled out with an upper-body injury, giving the Bruins just four defensemen for the rest of the game.

Another Bruins power play came thanks to a holding call on Ovechkin just about five minutes in. Grzelcyk was on the receiving end and was in some discomfort on the bench. No dice for the Bruins brought their power play efficiency to 33 percent (2/6) in the game.

Washington kept up their dominance in the shot category, holding an 8-2 advantage through eleven minutes. Up until this point, the Bruins had just four shots on goal since the start of the second period.

Tom Wilson decided it was a good idea to target Pastrnak after spearing him and make contact with the referee at the same time, for some reason. Pastrnak didn’t shy away. Wilson was given a two-minute minor and ten-minute misconduct as a result. Pastrnak received a roughing penalty of his own, and DeBrusk served a too many men on the ice penalty. Lars Eller redirected a shot in Rask’s grill past him to make it a 5-2 game with 4:31 remaining.

Samsonov was pulled early for an extra attacker and Krejci made good on potting an empty netter. Krejci’s eighth goal of the season was assisted by Sean Kuraly (10) with 3:10 remaining. Hathaway buried a late goal to make it 6-3 with 2:13 remaining.

T.J.Oshie launched himself into McAvoy late, injuring McAvoy in the process. Bergeron added another empty netter, unassisted for his second of the game and 15th goal of the season. A scrum ensued at the conclusion of the game and that was it.

The shots were 42-17 in favor of Washington. But the Bruins scored seven goals. Crazy how that works in a mess of a game like this, in a lot of ways. Rask made 39 saves in the win. It was the Bruins’ first home win against Washington since March 6, 2014. Next up are the Buffalo Sabres on the road at 7 PM ET on Friday. The Bruins now head into the Christmas break with a win at 22-7-9.

Final Score: 7-3 Boston

Check out the new Black N’ Gold Hockey Podcast episode 159 that we recorded below! You can find our show on many worldwide platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, SoundCloud, and Stitcher.

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Bruins Post-Game Recap: Boston vs. Los Angeles: 12/17/19

/ Mike Cratty / Leave a comment

Image result for bruins kings 2019

(Photo Credit: Steve Babineau/NHL via Getty Images)

By Mike Cratty | Follow me on Twitter @Mike_Cratty

Home: Boston Bruins

Away: Los Angeles Kings

Boston’s Lineup

Forwards

Marchand – Bergeron – Pastrnak

DeBrusk – Krejci – Coyle

Bjork – Kuraly – Heinen

Nordstrom – Wagner – Backes

Defense

Chara – McAvoy

Krug – Carlo

Moore – Grzelcyk

Goalies

Rask

Halak

Los Angeles’ Lineup

Forwards

Iafallo – Kopitar – Brown

Clifford – Carter – Lewis

Kempe – Lizotte – Wagner

Toffoli – Amadio – Prokhorkin

Defense

Ryan – Doughty

Hutton – Roy

MacDermid – Walker

Goalies

Quick

Campbell

The Bruins have hit a bit of turbulence as of late. Despite pulling out the win in Florida on Saturday night, the Bruins have lost five of their last six games and are 3-4-1 in the month of December. The Pacific Division’s last-place team, the Los Angeles Kings came to TD Garden looking to continue to make life hard for the Bruins.

First Period

Things got off on an awkward note when the Bruins took a too-many-men penalty just a minute into the game. A failed breakout attempt lead to the puck ending up on Jeff Carter’s stick and beating Tuukka Rask thanks to a deflection by Blake Lizotte out front. The Bruins were down early, just two minutes and 17 seconds into the game.

David Pastrnak showed us that it’s not all finesse with him sometimes, I suppose. Both teams were trying to feel each other out in the early going.

The feeling-out process continued for quite some time until Kyle Clifford went off for interference with 1:46 remaining – giving the Bruins their first power play of the game. Danton Heinen made good on the power play, using his skate to redirect one past Quick. The ruling on the ice stood even after a quick review. Heinen’s goal was his sixth of the season was assisted by Brad Marchand (33) and David Pastrnak (21).

It took a while to get things going for the Bruins, but they broke through. Shots in the period were 11-7 in their favor. Despite not generating a whole lot of consistent offense, they didn’t really play poorly. They actually have a great track record in games in which they don’t score first. It was anyone’s game going forward.

Score: 1-1

Second Period

We saw another early penalty come in the second period, this time it was on Kings forward Trevor Lewis for hooking. Things didn’t go as planned. Adrian Kempe found a loose puck after Jonathan Quick robbed Brad Marchand and buried it on a breakaway. It was 2-1 kings just 2:45 into the frame.

It took a bit of time, but Patrice Bergeron responded with a goal of his own on a shot with eyes through traffic – evening things up with 9:16 to go. Bergeron’s 11th goal of the season was assisted by Torey Krug (19).

Dustin Brown went off for slashing with just a little bit less than four minutes remaining, but the Bruins failed to score. Things went on to wrap up in a fairly standard fashion after that to close things out in the second period. Shots in the period were even at ten, bringing the total to 21-17.

Score: 2-2

Third Period

The trend of big things happening early on in a period continued – this time with a goal instead of a penalty. Brandon Carlo threw a shot towards the net that hit off of Kings defenseman Matt Roy and in. Carlo’s third goal of the season was assisted by Danton Heinen (9) and Jake DeBrusk (9) just a minute and 24 seconds in.

Los Angeles didn’t roll over after the Carlo goal, but the Bruins were doing enough to keep things out of reach. Check out this impressive sequence that very well could have extended the Bruins lead to two. Just some crazy puck possession on display from Anders Bjork and then some.

Offensive zone stints like that definitely help when you’re trying to preserve a lead. Outshooting your opponent by a lot helps too, and that’s what the Bruins did, 14-5 at one point. It worked for a while until Roy hammered a one-timer past Rask to tie the game with 2:01 remaining. A frustrating way to go to overtime. The final shots in the period were 16-8, and 37-25 overall.

Score: 3-3

Overtime

The start of overtime was highlighted by Charlie McAvoy nearly scoring and then making a great sliding effort to thwart a chance to end it for the Kings. Anders Bjork then went on to find himself all alone not too long after, but was stopped by Quick. Patrice Bergeron sent a premium chance high over the net and then Anze Kopitar ended it one a 2-on-1 chance.

Shots in overtime were 3-2 Bruins, and 40-27 overall but Los Angeles came out on top. The Bruins have now lost six of their last seven games and are 21-7-7 on the season. Next up on the schedule are the New York Islanders at TD Garden on Thursday at 7 PM ET.

Final Score: 4-3 Los Angeles

Check out the new Black N’ Gold Hockey Podcast episode 158 that we recorded below! You can find our show on many worldwide platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, SoundCloud, and Stitcher.

Please subscribe to our new Black N’ Gold Hockey YouTube channel! We’d really appreciate the continued support. Click HERE for exciting Black N’ Gold online content!!

Bruins Post-Game Recap: Boston vs. Carolina: 12/3/19

/ Mike Cratty / Leave a comment

Jan 6, 2018; Boston, MA: Boston Bruins center Sean Kuraly controls the puck in front of Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin during the third period at TD Garden. (Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports)

(Photo Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports)

By Mike Cratty | Follow me on Twitter @Mike_Cratty

Home: Boston Bruins

Away: Carolina Hurricanes

Boston’s Lineup

Forwards

Marchand – Krejci – Pastrnak

DeBrusk – Coyle – Heinen

Bjork – Kuraly – Backes

Nordstrom – Lindholm – Wagner

Defense

Chara – McAvoy

Krug – Carlo

Grzelcyk – Clifton

Goalies

Halak

Rask

Carolina’s Lineup

Forwards

Svechnikov – Staal – Foegele

Niederreiter – Aho – Teravainen

Dzingel – Wallmark – Martinook

McGinn – Bishop

Defense

Slavin – Hamilton

Edmundson – Pesce

Gardiner – van Riemsdyk

Fleury

Goalies

Reimer

Mrazek

The Bruins stayed at home for a third straight game with hopes to win their eighth straight game. The Hurricanes came to TD Garden winners of seven of their last ten games. This one marked number 500 in the career of Jaroslav Halak, and what a goaltending battle it was.

First Period

The Bruins played with good pace early on, outshooting Carolina 6-0 through the first 2:51 of the game. Also within those first three minutes came the first penalty of the game, as Jake Gardiner went off for two minutes for tripping. Despite playing well to start the game, the Bruins couldn’t sneak one past James Reimer on the power play.

After a fast-paced 2:51 of the game, the Bruins didn’t record a shot for 8:16 after that. Jordan Martinook took the second Canes penalty of the game in the form of a holding penalty with 9:14 to go. No dice.

Just over four minutes later, Jake DeBrusk went off for tripping. No dice for the Hurricanes either. Even in a good back-and-forth first period, both teams had trouble finding the back of the net. David Pastrnak took a rare penalty as it became apparent he was sick of Warren Foegele, so he yanked him to the ice by his collar. He sat for two minutes for roughing as a result with 1:26 to go.

Both teams went into intermission unscathed, but the Hurricanes had 34 seconds of their power play remaining to start the second period. The final shots for the period were 10-9 in favor of the Hurricanes. It was anyone’s game from here on out.

Score: 0-0

Second Period

Pastrnak’s penalty was killed and the stalemate continued into the second period. This was in large part due to Halak was locked in early on and making saves like this. He wasn’t messing around for game number 500.

Reimer was solid as well on the other side of things. Some of his best work in the second period came when he made a big stop part on a great chance from Brad Marchand just around the 11-minute mark, as well a series of chances not too long after that. The new second and fourth lines were responsible for these chances. Reimer and the team defense of the Hurricanes kept the Bruins off the board.

The opportunities were there, but it was just a matter of puck luck to start the scoring. It appeared that Jaccob Slavin had broken the scoring, but the shot went through the side of the net.

That’s not something you see every day. The first two periods were truly a grind and the stalemate lived on. The Bruins held a 13-8 advantage in the shot department this time, bringing the total to 22-18 in their favor. Again, it was still anyone’s game.

Score: 0-0

Third Period

Nothing too crazy in terms of scoring chances throughout the first half of the period, outside of a near David Krejci goal as he approached Reimer with speed. There haven’t been many games like this for the Bruins this season, it had a much different feel to it, in my eyes.

A few scrums came and went, good chances, not a whole lot of physicality, it was a weird one. David Backes nearly had his second goal in as many games, as well of the season as a whole.

That all changed as Marchand fielded the puck off the boards from Danton Heinen to his left and sent it to Charlie Coyle who buried it out front. Coyle’s sixth goal of the season was assisted by Marchand (26) and Heinen (8) with 4:05 to go. It was quite the sequence from all involved.

Heinen made it all happen from the start, forcing a turnover from Jake Gardiner at the Bruins’ defensive blue line, and then capping off the sequence with a secondary assist. An effort like that can go a long way in close games like this one.

David Krejci followed it up with a sixth goal of the season of his own a minute and eight seconds later, deflecting a Charlie McAvoy shot past Reimer. McAvoy’s assisted was his eighth of the season and Pastrnak’s secondary assist was his 18th. That was one way to add to the obscurity of this game. It was 2-0 Bruins with 2:57 to go.

The 500th game of Halak’s career was the 49th shutout of his career and his seventh as a Bruin. What a night for him. Krejci’s goal was the 200th of his career as he built on what has been an excellent season for him.

Shots were 12-6 in favor of the Bruins in the final frame, 34-24 overall. Grit and persistence got it done in the end. Next up are the Chicago Blackhawks at TD Garden on Thursday at 7:00 PM ET. The Bruins are 20-3-5, winners of their last eight games, and the first time in the NHL to reach the 20-win mark.

Final Score: 2-0 Boston

Check out the new Black N’ Gold Hockey Podcast episode 156 that we recorded below! You can find our show on many worldwide platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, SoundCloud, and Stitcher.

Please subscribe to our new Black N’ Gold Hockey YouTube channel! We’d really appreciate the continued support. Click HERE for exciting Black N’ Gold online content!!

Bruins Post-Game Recap: Boston vs. Buffalo: 11/21/19

/ Mike Cratty / 1 Comment

Image result for bruins sabres 2019

(Photo Credit: Photo By Stuart Cahill/Boston Herald)

By Mike Cratty | Follow me on Twitter @Mike_Cratty

Home: Boston Bruins

Away: Buffalo Sabres

Boston’s Lineup

Forwards

Marchand – Bergeron – Pastrnak

DeBrusk – Krejci – Coyle

Bjork – Lindholm – Heinen

Nordstrom – Kuraly – Wagner

Defense

Chara – McAvoy

Grzelcyk – Carlo

Vaakanainen – Clifton

Goalies

Rask

Halak

Buffalo’s Lineup

Forwards

Vesey – Eichel – Reinhart

Skinner – Rodrigues – Sheary

Girgensons – Larsson – Lazar

Mittelstadt – Asplund – Olofsson

Defense

McCabe – Ristolainen

Dahlin – Montour

Scandella – Jokiharju

Goalies

Ullmark

Hutton

After a solid 5-1 win over New Jersey on Tuesday, it was back to TD Garden for the Bruins for this Atlantic division tilt with the Buffalo Sabres. This game served as an opportunity to continue to get back to their winning ways against the struggling Sabres.

Having Patrice Bergeron back in the lineup after missing the last two served as a boost, while at the same time, Brett Ritchie sat out as an old infection flared up again. The baby steps towards a healthier Bruins team continued.

A huge congratulations to Bruins trainer, Don DelNegro on his 2000th game. What a tremendous accomplishment. Not only was it game number 2000 for DelNegro, but it was also game number 2000 for Sabres Assistant Equipment Manager, George Babcock. Congratulations to him as well.

First Period

Things got off to a rough start when Pat Lindholm went down awkwardly in the corner in a collision with Rasmus Asplund. He proceeded to go down the tunnel to get things checked out. Sean Kuraly then went off for tripping and Rasmus Ristolainen made him pay by burying a rebound to put the Sabres ahead by one just 5:25 into the game.

Through 11:31, the Sabres outshot the Bruins 13-0. I can’t imagine that was in the plans for either team. The first shot on net didn’t come until 40 seconds later. But, if you can be one thing, you should be efficient. That is when it comes to making your shots count, in this case. Brad Marchand clearly knows that, as made good on the team’s second shot of the game, deflecting it past Linus Ullmark for his 14th goal of the season. Zdeno Chara (5) and David Pastrnak (16) had the helpers. Tie game.

A scrum then broke out shortly after and Chris Wagner and Curtis Lazar chucked some knucks, amongst other scrums in front of Tuukka Rask. Good veteran move from Wagner to stick up for Urho Vaakanainen.

The Bruins were awfully fortunate to get out of the first period tied at one, because the Sabres outplayed them big time. Shots in the period were 17-4 in favor of the Sabres. Luckily for the Bruins, they came to life a bit in the second half of the period. A whole lot needed to be better going into the second period though.

Score: 1-1

Second Period

Rask made some noise early with a nice standup save just 26 seconds in on Jack Eichel. Good news came in the form of Lindholm returning to the Bruins bench. Bad news came in the form of a hooking penalty on Matt Grzelcyk in an attempt to backcheck – giving the Sabres their second power play opportunity of the game just 4:44 into the period. Trouble was averted as the Sabres failed to convert on the man advantage.

The Bruins saw a power play of their own as Asplund went off for holding with 6:45 to go in the period. Just 30 seconds after an ugly first minute of the power play, Brad Marchand gave the Bruins the lead. His second of the game and 15th of the season was assisted by Matt Grzelcyk (5) and Danton Heinen (6).

Charlie Coyle went off for hooking 31 seconds after the goal. Rask made an excellent sliding save on Conor Sheary and the Bruins eventually killed the penalty. Jake DeBrusk found himself with space and a great chance to score in the final 30 seconds, but was stopped by Ullmark. Unfortunately in DeBrusk’s case, he went down the tunnel after crashing into the boards hard after his late scoring chance.

Jeff Skinner then had a chance of his own that was saved by the post. Nothing like a good scare in the dying seconds to get the blood flowing. The shots in the second frame were 14-7 Bruins to bring the total to 24-18 Sabres. It was a good step in the right direction – and a needed one at that.

Score: 2-1 Boston

Third Period

Jake McCabe went off for holding 32 seconds in. David Pastrnak made it hurt. In doing so he became the first player in the NHL to reach the 20-goal mark this season. The goal was assisted Heinen (7) and Bergeron (12).

Joakim Nordstrom went to the box for tripping not too long after the goal with 16:27 to go. Rask made an acrobatic, sprawling save across the crease on Evan Rodriques to preserve the two-goal lead. The Bruins then went on to kill the penalty in large part due to Rask.

Brandon Montour made things interesting on a one-timer on his off-side that beat Rask on the glove side, making it a 3-2 game with 7:02 remaining. A tense final seven minutes followed, but the Bruins came out with the win. Shots in the third period were 14-9 Sabres, and 38-27 overall. Tuukka Rask made 36 saves in the win. Next up are the Minnesota Wild on Saturday at TD Garden at 7:00 PM ET. The Bruins are 14-3-5.

Final Score: 3-2 Boston

Check out the new Black N’ Gold Hockey Podcast episode 154 that we recorded below! You can find our show on many worldwide platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, SoundCloud, and Stitcher.

Please subscribe to our new Black N’ Gold Hockey YouTube channel! We’d really appreciate the continued support. Click HERE for exciting Black N’ Gold online content!!

Bruins Post-Game Recap: Boston @ New Jersey: 11/19/19

/ Mike Cratty / Leave a comment

Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy (73) stops a shot as New Jersey Devils center Kevin Rooney (58) watches during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, March 21, 2019, in Newark, N.J.

(Photo Credit: Julio Cortez, AP)

By Mike Cratty | Follow me on Twitter @Mike_Cratty

Home: New Jersey Devils

Away: Boston Bruins

Boston’s Lineup

Forwards

Marchand – Krejci – Pastrnak

Bjork – Coyle – Heinen

DeBrusk – Lindholm – Ritchie

Nordstrom – Kuraly – Wagner

Defense

Chara – McAvoy

Grzelcyk – Carlo

Vaakanainen – Clifton

Goalies

Rask

Halak

New Jersey’s Lineup

Forwards

Hall – Hischier – Bratt

Wood – Hughes – Palmieri

Coleman – Zajac – Gusev

Hayden – Zacha – Simmonds

Defense

Butcher – Subban

Greene – Severson

Mueller – Vatanen

Goalies

Blackwood

Domingue

Bad news came in warmups when it was announced that Patrice Bergeron would miss a second straight game. But, Jake DeBrusk and Brett Ritchie did return to the lineup. Baby steps were made towards a healthy Bruins team. Regardless, the Devils, winners of their last two games, stood in the way of the Bruins at Prudential Center.

First Period

DeBrusk was buzzing early, as he forced a turnover at the offensive blue line and nearly scored. After that, through the first half of the opening frame, there were just three combined shots (2-1 Bruins). It was a bit of an odd start at times.

Things got a bit more interesting when DeBrusk took down Pavel Zacha, creating the first power play opportunity of the game. Luckily for the Bruins, they escaped the penalty kill unscathed. Shortly after the conclusion of that penalty kill, Matt Grzelcyk laced one past MacKenzie Blackwood to open the scoring with 5:34 to. Grzelcyk’s first of the season was assisted by Brad Marchand (20) and David Krejci (10).

That wasn’t all. David Pastrnak found himself open in his favorite spot on the ice – waiting for a one-timer on his off-wing. Two goals in 14 seconds for the Bruins gave them advantage in quick fashion. Pastrnak’s 18th goal of the season was assisted by Marchand (21) and Krejci (11). That’s one way to get things going on the road.

Things didn’t get much better for New Jersey after the Pastrnak goal as with 1:54 to go, Taylor Hall went off for tripping. The Bruins carried left six seconds of power play time on the table going into the second period. Blake Coleman nearly buried a shorthanded chance in the dying seconds, but failed to score and even collided with Rask in the process. The shots were 6-5 in favor of the Bruins at the end of the first, so the Bruins making their shots count in a fairly low-volume period was big.

Score: 2-0 Boston

Second Period

The Bruins came out of the gate with speed and good place, keeping the Devils on edge early in the period. Tempers eventually flared up between DeBrusk and Damon Severson in Blackwood’s crease. Severson was likely looking to ignite his team a bit, and chose DeBrusk as his dance partner for a scrum after the whistle.

Shots were 6-2 Bruins through the first seven minutes of the period. In the limited action he saw, Tuukka Rask was sharp through the first half of the game. The Devils began to ramp things up after the halfway point of the period though, generating four shots in 34 seconds of ice time at one point.

The resurgence paid off for the Devils, as found enough space to roof one on the backhand to cut their deficit to one with 1:49 to go. The Bruins still managed to carry a lead into the third period, but struggled in the latter portion of the second period. Also the Charlie Coyle line was playing consistently well. The shots were 12-11 in favor of the Bruins, 18-16 overall.

Score: 2-1 Boston

Third Period

Tensions were high to start. Charlie McAvoy and Taylor Hall got in each other’s faces, as did Sean Kuraly and P.K. Subban before teammates joined the fray. Just 3:11 into the frame, Subban took a penalty that gave Pastrnak a green light to score his second of the game just eight seconds into the power play. Pastrnak’s 19th was assisted by Marchand (22) and Coyle (7).

It was all Grzelcyk and Pastrnak in the scoring department. Grzlecyk made a move around Subban, then sniped yet again to give the Bruins a vital insurance marker, extending their lead to three. His second of the season and the game was assisted by McAvoy (7).

Connor Clifton then wanted in on the second goal of the season party for Bruins defensemen. The goal was unassisted. After only being up a goal going into the final frame, the response from the Bruins was a huge one. It was 5-1 Bruins with 6:18 to go.

The Devils generated some decent chances late, but it wasn’t enough. The Bruins took over in the third and won by a good margin. Shots were tied at ten in the third and finished at 28-26 in favor of the Bruins. With five goals on the board, a 25-save win for Rask may fly under the radar, but this was a really solid game for him. Next up for the Bruins are the Sabres on Thursday at TD Garden at 7:00 PM ET. The Bruins are 13-3-5.

Final Score: 5-1 Boston

Check out the new Black N’ Gold Hockey Podcast episode 154 that we recorded below! You can find our show on many worldwide platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, SoundCloud, and Stitcher.

Please subscribe to our new Black N’ Gold Hockey YouTube channel! We’d really appreciate the continued support. Click HERE for exciting Black N’ Gold online content!!