Two best of bunch for Nash
Late-season addition has history of scoring multiples
TAMPA — Rick Nash has a history of scoring in bunches and that was the case for the veteran winger in yesterday’s 6-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning at Amalie Arena.
The Bruins secured Game 1 of their best-of-seven playoff series against the Bolts. The series resumes tomorrow night on the same sheet of ice.
Nash scored on a net-presence goal on the power play and on a snipe from the top of the right circle at even strength. Nash has three goals and one assist in eight playoff games.
“It nice and I’ve always seemed to be, throughout my career, my goals have always come in bunches,” said Nash. “The chances were there which was good and I was playing on the inside and finally I got rewarded tonight.”
Nash put the Bruins up 1-0 at 17:11 of the first on a power-play goal that was prototypical for the big forward. He set up camp on the doorstep of Lightning goalie
Andrei Vasilevskiy and let the play develop around him.
Patrice Bergeron got the puck back to David Pastrnak on the right point. Pastrnak let fly a wobbling one-timed slap shot through traffic. Nash got his blade on the puck and redirected it between Vasilevskiy’s pads.
“It was going to the net and goalie are so good today you have to take their eyes away and create traffic,” said Nash. “I think it tipped off something before it hit my stick but it was a nice shot from Pasta to get it through the lane.”
David Krejci made a beautiful drop pass to Nash who scored to give the Bruins a 3-1 lead at 12:33 of the second. Nash uncorked a wrister through a screen that deflected off the far post, off the top of the net and out. The ref said goal but the play was reviewed.
“First, I looked at the ref’s reaction and he pointed a goal,” said Nash. “They went to the huddle and Pasta told me it didn’t go in and it was post post.”
DeBrusk is playoff star
Bruins second-line left winger Jake DeBrusk has developed into an offensive presence in the postseason. He notched a pair of goals in the Bruins’ win in Game 7 against the Maple Leafs on Wednesday.
He closed out the scoring against the Lightning with an empty-net tally at 13:41 of the third, which put him at six goals and two assists in the playoffs.
But it was a defensive sequence of plays on one shift that defined DeBrusk’s first game against the Lightning. He was knocked to the ice on a vicious hit from Tampa forward Alex Killorn. DeBrusk got to his skates and made a clean block on Yanni Gourde’s open shot from the point. He then dove to the ice to clear the zone.
“I started the whole shift off with a turnover and I was trying to find my stick after the hit,” said DeBrusk. “I tried to regroup and get my stick and stay in position.”
No stop for broken skate
Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy
was surprised he didn’t get a whistle to stop play when goalie Tuukka Rask shed the blade on his left skate during a Bolts power play in the second period.
Rask was floundering in the crease and besieging the refs to blow the whistle. Mikhail Sergachev
scored from the left circle at 13:22.
“We just assumed there would be a whistle and let the goalie get his equipment squared away,” said Cassidy. “Tuukka was talking to them for eight seconds.”