B’s scrap it up, too
Reclaim top spot in East
The suddenly scrappy Bruins picked up right where they left off from their fight-filled victory on Thursday night against Tampa Bay.
A 5-1 win over the Florida Panthers yesterday at the Garden was another feisty affair, and just like the win over the Lightning, coach Bruce Cassidy and the Bruins earned two points to put them back atop the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference.
Rookie winger Jake DeBrusk scored a pair of goals skating with David Krejci and Ryan Donato in his return to the lineup after an eight-game absence. Krejci had three assists while Donato added a goal and a helper as the trio, playing together for the first time, clicked instantly.
“I liked it. I thought they had good chemistry. They were feeding off each other,” Cassidy said. “It was a pretty good line in terms of puck possession and making plays. They each complement each other.”
The win came at a cost for a Bruins team already banged up. Brandon Carlo had to be stretchered off in the third period after going down in the corner of the B’s defensive zone. He was moving and sat up as he was wheeled off with what appeared to be a lower-body injury. Cassidy did not have a postgame update.
Earlier, Riley Nash went down and did not return after taking a Torey Krug shot to the head. Cassidy said Nash received stitches and was not sure of the availability of either player for today’s game in Philadelphia against the Flyers.
The Bruins fell behind 1-0 early when Jamie McGinn jammed a puck through Tuukka Rask 4:59 into the game. The Bruins tied it midway through the first period when Krejci found defenseman Nick Holden cutting backdoor for his first goal as a Bruin. They took a 2-1 lead a few minutes later when Donato fed DeBrusk from below the goal line for a tap-in score in front of goalie James Reimer.
The Bruins broke things open and chased Reimer in the second period with three goals. Donato’s fourth of the season was a blistering wrist shot from the slot, and Patrice Bergeron poked home a loose puck in the crease on the power play in the Bruins only man advantage of the game.
DeBrusk scored his second in similar fashion, finding a loose puck under Reimer to make it 5-1, which prompted Florida coach Bob Boughner to bring in Roberto Luongo in relief.
“I was itching to get back in there,” DeBrusk said. “I’m just trying to play my game and not do too much. I felt a little rusty today, to be honest, but at the same time it was nice to contribute.”
The second period was also marked with spats of fighting and aggression that carried over from the Thursday win. Adam McQuaid fought Panthers winger
Rask 2,996 34-11-5 2.28 .919 114 Khudobin 1,659 15-6-6 2.53 .915 70 Michael Haley early in the second, and later in the period Brad Marchand was assessed a four-minute double minor roughing penalty for an incident with Panthers center Vincent Trocheck.
Noel Acciari and MacKenzie Weegar had a heavyweight scrap in the third to cap off the violence.
“(Acciari) did great,” McQuaid said. “But now I guess it’s not a secret that he’s a lefty.”
Rask was steady after allowing the opening goal and finished with 30 saves to earn his 34th win of the season.
“The season’s winding down,” Rask said. “A lot of teams are fighting for a playoff spot. Emotions run high.”
The Bruins clinched home ice advantage in at least the first round with the win.