Vatrano on fire with Bergy line
DETROIT — Installed at right wing on the line with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand, Frank Vatrano was an immediate hit. He scored two goals in the first period and loudly rang another shot off the post, a fraction of an inch away from a pure hat trick.
But as great as the start was for Vatrano and the Bruins — they led the Red Wings 4-1 after one period — the night ended on a sour note, as they frittered away their lead and lost in a shootout, 6-5.
“We got off to a good start,” Vatrano said. “That was something we tried to do the whole game, but obviously a couple of bounces don’t go our way and we end up on the wrong side. We’ve just got to keep building on what we did in the first.”
He was subdued talking about his own goals.
“You try to finish every night,” he said. “You don’t know when it’s going to come or not; you’ve just got to keep going. It’s good those goals go in, but we need more to win. There were a couple more opportunities I could have buried and we win the game.”
New alignment
The B’s made some big changes in their lines, along with Vatrano going to Bergeron’s group. David Backes played with Ryan Spooner and Austin Czarnik, while David Krejci had David Pastrnak and Tim Schaller for wings.
“If you look at the (Red Wings), they had some pretty balanced lines,” coach Claude Julien said. “We had to try and balance our lines, which we did. That certainly wasn’t the issue. The breakdowns were the issue. A lot of guys played well.”
Drought continues
For a brief time in midDecember, Pastrnak led the NHL in goals, with 19 in 26 games. Then he hit a major drought, which reached 15 games last night.
“He had a torrid start,” Julien said. “I think everybody realized he (wasn’t) going to stay on that kind of a pace the whole year. He had a couple of setbacks with injuries and a suspension, things that maybe took him off his pace a little bit.
“He’s getting points (seven assists in his past eight games), so it’s not like he’s not producing. The goals aren’t coming as easily, but young guys have to learn how to deal with those situations. You’re there to encourage him, or maybe show him some different things. The only way to learn is to deal with it yourself.
“You can’t say, ‘We’re really disappointed,’ because we’re not. He’s still producing, he’s still working hard, and he’s still competing. Sometimes (goal droughts are) part of the game.” . . .
Matt Beleskey took part in the morning skate but did not play. He’s close to returning from a knee injury, which would give Julien his full complement of forwards and line options.
Fond farewell
The Bruins likely played their final game at history-rich Joe Louis Arena, as the Red Wings will move into their stateof-the-art Little Caesars Arena next season.
“The Joe” has been the home of the Red Wings since December 1979. In that span, the franchise has four Stanley Cups (1996-97, 1997-98, 2001-02 and 2007-08).
“From college, (I have) a lot of great memories here,” Bruins defenseman and Michigan native Torey Krug said. “We had a lot of great games in this building. And growing up, just being able to watch a lot of great (Red Wings) teams winning Stanley Cups was great. When I’d go to the games here, there was a special meaning for me and my family.
“It’s a fun place. The atmosphere and seeing the octopus come down was a special moment for me as a kid.”
The $732.6 million Little Caesars Arena will be located near the Tigers’ Comerica Park and the Lions’ Ford Field. The Pistons also will play at the new arena, so Detroit will become the only U.S. city with four major sports teams all playing at downtown venues.
The arena is part of a broader development of a neighborhood to be called District Detroit. The hope is that it spurs a rebirth of the center city, which has been in tough shape but has been making progress in recent years.