Offense starts to go fourth
Bruins forwards making their point
The new-look third line set the pace with an early goal Sunday night, but strong performances from the entirety of the bottom six forwards contributed to a weekend sweep for the Bruins.
BRUINS NOTEBOOK
The bottom three — now consisting of Chris Wagner,
Sean Kuraly and David Backes
— have combined for two goals this season. None of them had a point since Oct. 13 until Sunday against Vegas, when Kuraly notched an assist.
The floodgates for the entire offense opened during the week, and the fourth line, with some new chemistry, could join the fray.
“I think we’re getting closer as a line and I thought we had some good chances tonight and played well and, yeah, it’s going to take a ton of chances and that’s what we want to do and once we get one I think we’ll feel a little better about ourselves and keep going.” Kuraly said.
Kuraly’s assist came on defenseman Jeremy Lauzon’s first NHL goal on an awkward ricochet off the end boards. It wasn’t the flashy type of play the first line has brought, but it still counts as a point.
“I don’t think I can say that I did it on purpose, but I don’t know, only I know that,” he said. “It was good. It’s just getting the puck behind their D and we do that a lot of times but it doesn’t usually end up in a goal right away, but I think it’s just the right mentality to have.”
Backes moved down to the fourth-line wing slot and has started to gain some momentum in the role, and he has shots on goal in each of the last five games.
At some point, it’s just finding a place to stick. The Bruins tried him out in the third-line center role and, without much doing there, he seems to be fitting in on the wing again. It might have earned a few more looks as Bruce Cassidy’s squad heads west.
“I thought our fourth line was outstanding too, the Kuraly line, so you get your bottom six really chipping in and that’s what it’s going to take for us to win on a consistent basis, and I think we’re aware of that.”
Pastrnak top star
David Pastrnak was named the NHL’s first star of the week yesterday. He netted his third career regular-season hat trick Saturday against the Maple Leafs before adding another power play goal Sunday against the Golden Knights.
He had five goals overall over the Bruins’ four games during the week, also tallying against Dallas last Monday. His 16 goals in 16 games are the most in the NHL.
Heinen heating up
Danton Heinen was fifth on the team in scoring a year ago but took until last Thursday to find the back of the net this season. After breaking the ice, he scored again two games later off a nifty pass from Anders Bjork in Sunday’s win.
Heinen is hoping that’s all he needed to find his scoring touch headed into the Bruins’ road trip, which begins tomorrow night in Denver against the Avalanche.
“I felt a little better lately,” he said. “Just trying to tell myself to keep my feet moving and, you know, get on the forecheck and win my battles, so I feel like if I’m doing those things we’re helping the team.”