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Boston Bruins vs Sabres: Redemption in Buffalo

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Boston Bruins forwards Brad Marchand (63) and David Pastrnak (88) celebrate a goal during the second period of the team's NHL hockey game against the Buffalo Sabres, Thursday, Oct. 4, 2018, in Buffalo N.Y. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)

Photo Credits: AP

Last night the Boston Bruins beat the Sabres 4-0 after having a disastrous showing the night before against the Washington Capitals. The black and gold brought more physicality, won more puck battles and had a good amount of zone time down in Buffalo’s end. The season opener saw the Bruins play with a lack of effort, but thanks to the core group of veterans, they were able to bounce back the next night.

Captain Zdeno Chara put the Bruins up on the board in the first at 6:33, making it 1-0. Taking a pass from winger Brad Marchand, Chara was able to capitalize and finish the quick sequence. David Pastrnak drew a slash penalty that gave the Bruins the power play leading to a Ryan Donato goal, making it 2-0 in the first period.

WON PUCK BATTLES

With the start of the second period, the Bruins kept pushing forward as Buffalo tried to play catch up, putting up some minutes down Boston end. The second period also saw Sean Kuraly skating up the ice with a potential breakaway goal that was stopped in net. Charlie McAvoy blocked a hard shot forcing him off the ice for a few moments. David Pastrnak netted his first goal of the season late in the second, while Marchand and Krecji picked up the winning assists.

FINAL MINUTES

With about five minutes left in the third, the Sabres pulled goalie Carter Hutton, giving them an extra man advantage. Unfortunately for Buffalo, the Bruins would put the nail in the coffin as Patrice Bergeron scored an empty net goal making the final score 4-0. Bruins newly acquired back-up goalie Jaroslav Halak continued to play solid with a calm demeanor in net, making 32 saves in his first shutout of the season. Brad Marchand ended the night tallying up four assists.

Coach Bruce Cassidy did not have the team skate Thursday morning, instead they underwent a film session to discuss what needs to be fixed prior to the game against Buffalo. He put a specific emphasis on the need to put more effort on ice.

“It was big. We talked about it and obviously that’s our job to lead this team. Another home opener and we knew that we had to be playing way harder than we did (on Wednesday night)-Zdeno Chara

Bruins forward Brad Marchand after the game:

“We had a pretty good game. We didn’t have a great third but Jaro did a great job shutting the door.But it’s great to get a good win after a night like (Wednesday) night, on a back-to-back with the travels. It was good, but we still have a lot to work on and improve upon. We’ll take the positives from this and keep working.”

The Bruins will play the Ottawa Senator in Boston for their season opener this Monday @ 1:00pm

 

Follow me on Twitter@ pastagrl88

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Bruins Opening Night Preview

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The day that hockey fans have been waiting for all offseason is here. A summer of anticipation is over and the start of the NHL season is only hours away. The Bruins will open their season in Washington against the Capitals tonight at 7:30 and watch them raise their championship banner. This will only motivate a young Bruins team with championship aspirations. It will not be easy as their division only got stronger with Toronto’s addition of John Tavares. The Bruins still have enough talent, and like last year will be looking to surpass expectations.

Last year, the Bruins finished second in the Eastern Conference after a magical regular season. They will again be bolstered by one of the best lines hockey and a young core that is just beginning to emerge. Jake DeBrusk and Charlie McAvoy showed last season that they can be above average players for years to come. This season they will be joined by highly touted rookie Ryan Donato and Anders Bjork who battled injuries last season. How well these young players perform will dictate how far this team goes. They will be looking to build on last season and for this group a playoff appearance will not be enough.

The Bruins Roster

Last season the Bruins Stanley Cup core from 2011 showed that they still have a lot left in the tank. Patrice Bergeron will again center the Bruins’ top line which will only be better this season. Marchand continued to dominate and, when healthy, averaged more than a point per game. They meshed quickly with the Bruins’ young forwards, which was a pleasant surprise. They were carried by their youth and this season will be no different. Their rookies had the most goals in the NHL last season, scoring over fifty. Ryan Donato contributed to that, and will be looking to build on his brief NHL debut. He will be joined by Urho Vaakanien, who will get opportunities with the injury to Torey Krug. They will be looking to make the same type of impact that Charlie McAvoy and DeBrusk did last season.

Bruins

Photo Credit: Eric Bolte- USA TODAY Sports

Furthermore, the Bruins have a solid defensive unit in front of starter Tuukka Rask. Chara will again anchor the group alongside McAvoy who already is one of the NHL’s top defenseman. The only new addition to this group is John Moore, whom the Bruins signed to a five-year deal in free agency. Last year this group struggled at times, but will improve this season as McAvoy and Matt Grzelcyk get more experience. They will also see the return of Brandon Carlo, who missed the playoffs last year due to injury. This group has the potential to be one of the best defensive groups in the NHL, and tonight will be their first major test.

Bruins

Photo Credit: Matt Stone

Final Thoughts

The Bruins will again be a playoff team this season. Despite their youth, they have one of the deepest roster in the NHL. Their mix of veterans and youth should only continue to improve even with new faces added to the mix. Starting off against the defending champs will be a good test for this team. It will give the Bruins a chance to see how well their new line combinations work together. They will be looking to end a 12 game losing streak against the Capitals that has spanned four seasons.

Boston Bruins: 2018 Season Preview

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Photo courtesy:
Matt Stone

The Boston Bruins season is about to begin, with the team and fans alike expecting a deep run to the Stanley Cup.

The Bruins ended last season with a second-round playoff loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Even with the elimination, fans were happy and excited for the road ahead with the promise of the young crop of players who seemed to show promise.

Going into this season depending on Bergeron’s health, the Boston Bruins will still have one of the strongest lines with Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak together. Bruce Cassidy has matched up Danton Heinen with David Krejci during the preseason to hopefully get two strong lines to begin the season. Donato and DeBrusk are still showing they belong; if they can keep up last season’s pace, there will be a good balance of scoring that could make this Bruins team tough to handle offensively.

Defensively, they are still able to depend on Zdeno Chara. Also with players like Grzelcyk, McAvoy, and Krug, they offensively can add some points from the back end. The depth will help them throughout the season when injuries occur with Moore and Miller most likely the other defensemen who will start the season.

Photo courtesy:
Charles Krupa

Important games this season 

Oct. 3 at Washington

The Boston Bruins open the NHL season versus the defending Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals. It is also the night they raise their banner.

Oct. 8 vs. Ottawa

The Bruins will be on home ice for the first time in a matinee game on Columbus Day.

Oct. 27 vs. Montreal

This is the first matchup between the two rivals this upcoming season. This is the Red Sox versus Yankees version of the NHL.

Nov. 10 vs. Toronto

The Toronto Maple Leafs acquired John Tavares and this is the first time the Boston fans see him as a division rival.

Nov. 29 vs. Islanders

Rick Middleton becomes the 12th Boston Bruins player to have his number raised to the rafters on this night.

Jan. 1 at Chicago (Winter Classic – Notre Dame Stadium)

Original Six franchises meet in this year’s 2019 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic, the Bruins face the Chicago Blackhawks. This will be the third time the Bruins take part in the outdoor game.

Apr. 6 vs. Tampa Bay 

The B’s last game of the season is versus the Lightning, Tampa knocked them out of the playoffs. This game could also have implications in the standings.

  • Longest road stretch: 5 games – Feb 15 to 23, against the Ducks, Kings, Sharks, Golden Knights and Blues.
  • Longest Homestand: 6 games – Feb 26 to Mar 9, against Sharks, Lightning, Devils, Hurricanes, Panthers, and Senators.
  • The All-Star Break is Jan. 25-28, with the game being played on Jan. 27 at SAP Center in San Jose.
  • The Bruins play four matinee games at home this season.

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John Moore

Expectations For John Moore And Brandon Carlo

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In less than two months the regular season will begin for the Boston Bruins. Every player will be looking to make an impression before the season starts. Brandon Carlo and John Moore are two players to watch out for. They each have their own reasons for why they will be looking to make their mark early. Those reasons include health and the fact that the Bruins have 8 defenseman under contract for next season. If they struggle then the Bruins will have plenty of replacements to choose from.

Health

Last year Carlo appeared in 76 games after appearing in 82 his rookie season. For the 2nd straight year his season was cut short by a gruesome injury right before the playoffs began. For Carlo, he will be looking to prove that he is healthy. He has been a key player for the Bruins in his young career. In two seasons he has only missed six regular-season games. Carlo struggled last season but was playing his best hockey of the season right before the injury. With the Bruins being so deep defensively Carlo cannot afford another injury. Moore, unlike Carlo, has not had injury problems in his career. Last season he appeared in seventy plus games for the third time in his career. He established himself as one of the Devils’ best young defenseman with free agency approaching. Where he fits in a crowded Bruins defensive group remains to be seen.

John Moore

Photo Credit: Bruce Bennett/ Getty Images

Locks

Of the Bruin’s defenseman only Torey Krug, Charlie McAvoy, and Zdeno Chara appear to be locks. This is both a negative and a positive for Moore and Carlo. Moore is also most likely a lock due to his contract but where he plays remains to be seen. The Bruins’ first defensive pair is set with Chara and McAvoy. The second pairing will most likely include Torey Krug but beyond that nothing is a lock. Carlo and Moore will be looking to make their case in camp to be on the second pairing alongside Krug.

John Moore

AP Photo/Elise Amendola

Final Thoughts On Brandon Carlo And John Moore

By giving John Moore a five-year deal, the Bruins showed that they see him in Boston for years to come. His skating ability allows him to contribute on the rush and recover when out of position. His skating ability also allows him to win puck battles by beating opponents to the puck. He has more offensive upside than Carlo which will play to his benefit. Before last season Moore had never seen top-four minutes. How these two play early on will have a big impact on the Bruins’ season. Even though Moore has more offensive upside, Carlo knows the system. He also has played top-four minutes the past two seasons and has shown he can handle it. How Carlo returns from his injury will determine where he starts the season.

One thing is for sure- watching these two make their case will be an interesting storyline early on.

Adam McQuaid

Adam McQuaid’s Role In Boston

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Adam McQuaid has spent his entire nine-year career in Boston. He is not the Bruins top defender or even in the top four. That does not mean he has not been valuable to the Bruins since making his NHL debut in the 2009-2010 season. McQuaid affects the game in many ways that do not show up on a stat sheet. This season he will be fighting for minutes as the Bruins have eight defensemen under contract. The only locks appear to be Torey Krug, Charlie McAvoy, Zdeno Chara, John Moore, and Brandon Carlo. That will leave Kevan Miller, Matt Gryzelcyk, and McQuaid fighting for limited minutes. McQuaid will more than ever need to show the intangibles that have made him so valuable to the Bruins over the years to get consistent minutes.

Where Adam McQuaid Excels

McQuaid is not an offensively gifted defenseman. In his career, he has only scored 13 goals and distributed 53 assists. His best offensive season was 2010-2011 when he had three goals and 12 assists. What separates McQuaid is the way he affects the game with his physical style of play. He is not afraid to throw his body around and often acts as an enforcer on the ice. Last season he had 6 fighting majors which was the most on the Bruins. Four of them came on the road which showed that McQuaid was not afraid to stand up for his teammates regardless of where he was. For that reason, McQuaid has endeared himself to his teammates. It may however not be enough as his offensive liabilities could impact his spot in the lineup.

Adam McQuaid

Photo Credit: NHL.Com

Adam McQuaid’s Future In Boston

This season marks the final campaign of McQuaid’s four-year deal. Next off-season the Bruins will have a tough decision to make regarding McQuaid in free agency as a potential trade candidate. Some Bruins who will be free agents include Danton Heinen, Ryan Donato, Charlie McAvoy, and Brandon Carlo. That means McQuaid’s future is bleak as those four will likely be the main priorities next offseason. The Bruins will also have a handful of prospects such as Ryan Fitzgerald entering free agency who will be looking for a significant pay raise next year. The Bruins will want to give their top prospects chances to show what they can do which will impact McQuaid’s playing time.

This season McQuaid will most likely serve as the seventh defenseman. He will make 2.75 million which is expensive for the role he will play. If the Bruins do deal their enforcer to free up salary he could net them a mid-round draft pick. He has shown that he is capable of holding down a bottom pair role and his toughness could interest other teams. That is the unique trait that the Bruins would struggle to replace. Regardless of how the season plays out, McQuaid has created an endearing legacy in Boston. He will be remembered for his toughness and willingness to defend his own teammates. His role in Boston may have diminished but his legacy will not.

Why It’s Time to Give Bergeron the “C”

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Fifteen years ago the face of the Boston Bruins franchise changed for the better. They drafted a young kid out of L’Ancienne-Lorette, Quebec, from the Acadie -Bathurst Titan of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. His name is Patrice Bergeron, and it is time for the Bruins to give him the Captian’s C.

By the Numbers

In his rookie year, right away he brought an impact to the Bruins lineup. He played in 71 regular season games and seven playoff games, accumulating 43 points altogether. For a rookie this was certainly a step in the right direction to establish a solid career. He certainly did not disappoint Boston’s passionate fan base, who eat, sleep and breathe the sport.

Following the lockout year, Bergy capped two consecutive 70 point regular seasons, despite Boston missing the playoffs both years. Bergeron’s 2007-08 season lasted just ten games following a nasty hit from Randy Jones, in which he suffered a grade three concussion and a broken nose.

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Bergeron eventually returned to the form that Bruins fans became accustomed to. He tallied 250 points in the four seasons post injury as the boys in Black and Gold qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs every year before 2012. Of course as fans remember the penultimate accomplishment in that span was bringing Lord Stanley back to Causeway Street for the first time in 39 long years.

In the last six years we have seen 377 points from #37. Accompanied by four trips to the postseason is another trip to an unforgettable Stanley Cup Final in 2013. Boston rallied behind the Bruins following the terrible events on what is now Patriots Day,

Out of a Bruins Jersey

A World Junior Championship Gold Medal, World Championship’s Gold Medal, World Cup of Hockey Gold Medal, two Olympic Gold Medals, and a four time Frank J. Selke Trophy winner (nominated in 2018 for the seventh consecutive season). Bergeron is also the only Bruin in the top 20 of the NHL’s most popular jersey sales.

The Bruins’ front office extended Chara’s contract for another year, which marks his 12th year wearing the spoked B as well as the C. However, it has become a little worrisome for fans who don’t know how much Big Z has left in the tank. With that being said, it is certainly going to be soon that we see Chara hang up his skates. It would certainly benefit a lot of people to see a shift in leadership before the big man is out the door. Bergeron continues to lead by example for the Bruins. The effort and determination shown by him every single day to be the best player possible rubs off on those around him, and it certainly shows as he makes those around him better in all aspects of the game.

Bruins Captain

Bruins Extend Their Captain

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Bruins Captain Gets Extension

Early Wednesday afternoon the Boston Bruins gave their longtime captain Zdeno Chara a one year extension. This most likely means the end is soon for Chara. The Black and Gold are playoff bound, and for Chara it could be one of his last runs. This extension means the Bruins captain will most likely finish his career in Boston; a fitting ending for their longest tenured player.

Bruins Captain

Photo Credit: Harry How/Getty Images

Chara’s Early Days

Chara came to the Bruins as a free agent in the 2006 season. The Bruins signed him to a five year deal for $7.5 million a year. He was the first big signing for a Bruins organization that was trying to find its way. Since then, the Bruins captain has had a memorable run in Boston. He won the Norris Trophy in the 2008-2009 season and has finished in the top five for the award four other times. He isn’t the forty point scorer he once was, but he’s still critical to this team.

Bruins Captain

AP Photo/Charles Krupa

How the NHL Has changed

As Chara’s time in Boston has gone, he has changed, and so has the team. When he came here this wasn’t a playoff team. He’s helped instill a culture of winning that wasn’t here when he arrived. It’s the culture he worked for the one he signed on to create. The NHL has also changed, as it is now much faster faced. Offensive minded defenseman are more prominent today. Chara is not the same defenseman that once averaged forty points a season, nor is he the face of the franchise. The title belongs Bergeron now, but that is not where his value lies.

Bruins Captain

Photo Credit: Winslow Townson USA Today Sports

Chara’s Impact on the Youth

When Chara does walk away from hockey he’ll be leaving a playoff team, not one trying to find its way like the one he signed with twelve years ago. He has been key in mentoring the Bruins youth, including players such Charlie McAvoy, Brandon Carlo, and Matt Grzelcyk. These are the kids who will look to build on a season that for many has been a dream. Chara isn’t a top five defenseman in the NHL but he’s still one of the best. This extension could reach five million in incentives, and it could be Big Z’s last one. He is a big reason the Bruins are playoff bound, and for the change since he got here.

Despite Point Streak Bruins Still Have Plenty to Prove

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Yes the Boston Bruins have earned a point in eighteen straight games. But with thirty-five games left on the schedule the Bruins still chasing the Tampa Bay Lightning. There are still a quite few hurdles for the B’s to clear. Up to this point the B’s have proved that they need to be taken seriously. However, let’s look at some concerns the team has even with this point streak.

Composure

This may seem like nitpicking, and it probably is. But could cockiness become a problem for such a young Bruins team? Maybe, while the Bruins have plenty of proven veteran leadership up and down the roster there is a cocky feel around this team. That is what a huge streak can do to a team. While having some swagger on your team is a good thing it can become flat-out arrogance if you let it. Especially when the puck starts bouncing the wrong way for you and all of a sudden you have lost three out of four. That is where Bruce Cassidy, Patrice Bergeron, and Zdeno Chara are going to have to make their presence felt. It has not been a problem up to this point, but lets see what happens with the confidence of the young kids if the team starts to struggle, if that ever happens.

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Workload

This may be the biggest concern surrounding a complete team like the Bruins. Young and old players have different ways of handling a full 82 game schedule. The All-Star break is the last real lull for a hockey team during the grind that is the NHL regular season. With this being the first full season for players like Charlie McAvoy, Jake Debrusk, Anders Bjork, Matt Grezyleck, it will be interesting to see how their legs hold up down the stretch. Also the Bruins’ best defenseman from start to finish this year has been Zdeno Chara, who is forty years old. Chara is leading the Bruins in TOI with 23:26 minutes per game. That is a lot of pressure to keep on the veteran.

With the playoff run really starting to heat up teams are going to give their best every night. That means harder hitting, tougher puck battles, and more emphasis put on every single point. With the Bruins in a tight division race it will be interesting to see if the team can hold up under the pressure. Going on a point streak is one thing, but building off of it is something completely different.

Zdeno Chara: Big Man on Ice

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With the sudden news of young superstar Charlie McAvoy recovering from an abnormality in his heart, the Bruins will once again be playing with one man down. The big difference with this year’s Bruins team is how much depth they have on the bench. With the tremendous amount of talent being developed at the NHL and AHL level, Coach Bruce Cassidy has smartly paired up veterans alongside the first year players. One of those veterans is Captain Zdeno Chara.

GUIDING LIGHT

A towering force at 6”9”, Zdeno Chara has secured the admiration of both teammates and the NHL as both an intimidating defenseman and role model. The amount of value and experience he shares with the younger players comes from playing in the NHL for the past two decades. Fellow teammates gain confidence when they have Big Z on their side. They see Chara as both a mentor and “big brother”. Back in April, McAvoy had this to say:

“.. To put a guy with less experience like myself, or a guy like Brandon Carlo, and put him with a guy like that [CHARA], who just has so much experience, has had such a storied career. It’s easy to see why they do that, to help that transition become easier for someone like myself. I’m just very thankful to have the opportunity today to be able to practice with him…He’s just such an amazing player and the leader of this team.”

For Chara, fulfilling that role of mentor is nothing new.  Early on in his career with the B’s, he was paired up with veteran Dennis Seidenberg before playing alongside a nineteen year old fresh-faced Dougie Hamilton. Last season, Chara once again played along side a young rookie: Brandon Carlo. This season, BU alum Charlie McAvoy has been his new student.

2018 SEASON

(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

One of the many talking points about this year’s Boston Bruins team is how every single line has been productive. The team’s penalty kill becomes instantly improved when Chara is on the ice. In other words, he’s gotten the Bruins out of a few jams. During a recent game against the Montreal Canadiens, the Bruins saw them selves in a five on three situation. Being responsible for starting every penalty kill, Chara had already been on the ice for almost two minutes when both Charlie McAvoy and Brandon Carlo put in the penalty box. And because of Chara’s toughness and skill the Canadiens never came close to scoring during the two power plays.

GOLDEN YEARS

For any New England fan, NFL QB Tom Brady is one of the greatest athletes of all time. And at forty years old, keeps defying odds and silencing his critics. But for any hockey fan, the Bruins have their own age-defying player. Being the biggest player to ever play in the NHL, forty year old Chara is still clocking an impressive amount of time on ice. He averages over twenty-three minutes each game. No workload is too heavy for the Slovakian native. He’s the guy that just loves to play hockey:

“..I love everything about it. I love the sacrifice. I love the pain that goes with it. Love playing with young guys. Love playing with older guys.”

And for Chara, this means no real timetable as to when he’ll retire from the organization. However one thing’s for sure- he’d like to retire a Bruin.

“I take a lot of pride in my offseason training and being ready for every season…I want to still be very effective, get better, improve, maintain my game, and keep adding to my game..it’s still beautiful to have players staying with one team and retiring with that team.”

Keep playing Big Z. Boston will miss you when you’re gone.

 

Follow Liz Rizzo on Twitter:  @pastagrl88

Cover photo courtesy of AP Photo/Charles Krupa.

Bruins Fall To Preds Despite a Big Third Period

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The Bruins fell to the red-hot Nashville Predators on Monday night despite a big third-period push.

Tough Start

The Bruins were back in action on Monday night in Nashville where they fell to the Predators 5-3. The Predators scored the first goal of the game just 1:26 seconds into the contest, then again late in the first to lead 2-0. The Predators scored two more in the second period to go up 4-0. The Bruins struck back in the second with a power-play goal coming off a perfect shot from Charlie McAvoy. The Bruins trailed 4-1 after two periods. In the third the Bruins came out strong, and it paid off. Captain Zdeno Chara scored for the Bruins to get his team within two.

Then, just over a minute later, David Pastrnak Scored to make it 4-3 and a brand new game. Bruins fans had hope. Then less than a minute after Pasta’s marker, Predators forward Filip Forsberg scored on a breakaway to make it 5-3. The Bruins showed up to little to late in this one.

Goaltending Situation

Bruins goalie Anton Khudobin started the game but was lit up early. Dobby gave up four goals on 14 shots. It appears the red-hot Khudobin could riding the pine after this one. Tuukka Rask came into the cage after the Predators fourth goal. Rask only faced 11 shots and made 10 saves. The Bruins should run with Rask at this point.  He’s beaten the best team in the league in Tampa Bay, and recorded a shutout against the Flyers in recent days. Rask looks like the Rask of old, the one all Bruins fans love. Winning games, making big saves, and playing with confidence. Exactly why the Bruins need to roll with Rask from now on.

Comments

”Digging yourself a 4-0 deficit is certainly not a good recipe for winning games. The second half of the game was much better, but it was too little, too late. We need to start on time” said Bruins forward David Backes. Marchand also had some comments on the game. “The Predators are pretty deep, they play hard, but they didn’t really deserve a lot. We just kind of gave it to them. It’s tough to lose like that. We did a good job of pushing back and making it a game, but we need wins.”

Bruins Need Secondary Scoring

The Bruins top line, McAvoy, Chara and Pastranak, scored all three goals. If the Bruins want to win hockey games, it will take more than one line to score all the goals. The Bruins need players like Krejci, Backes, Spooner, and Anders Bjork to contribute on the score sheet on a regular basis. Bruins rookie Danton Heinen has quietly put up points, proving that he can contribute on offense. Heinen picked up an assist on McAvoy’s power play goal in the second, giving him nine assists on the year for a total of 14 points.

Home Stand

The Bruins will play five of their next six games at home, starting Thursday against the Coyotes, then Saturday against the Islanders. After that, they travel to Detroit for a Wednesday face off, then again at home Thursday against the Capitals. Then the Bruins will close out their home stand with games against the Rangers and Blue Jackets.