Not the same, but B’s win
Small token of revenge for Stanley Cup defeat
The first few moments of last night’s contest with the Blues carried the energy of a game that meant a little something more, but in the end, the Bruins 3-0 win won’t earn them another crack at the Stanley Cup.
But, two points in October during a tough stretch of the schedule is something this year’s version of the Bruins can feel pretty happy with.
“If you force (the Blues) to chase the game a little bit, I think you’re much better off,” said Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy. “That’s a general statement, most teams play better with a lead, but some teams are really good with a lead, and I think they’re one of them. St. Louis is that type of team that’s built to play better with a lead.”
Just 38 seconds into the game, Zdeno Chara laid down a big hit on Oskar Sundqvist, sparking Brayden Schenn into a scrum by the Blues bench and forcing a 4-on-4, and that set the tone for the Bruins most physical contest of the season to date.
“I thought Zee had a big hit early on, clean hit on a breakout,” said Cassidy. “(Connor Clifton) had a couple of counter hits, and off we go, it felt like we were back in the playoffs. Good, solid clean hits, started well, had some good looks early, kept them out of our end.”
The Bruins first goal, though, was a familiar sight for viewers this season.
With 5:01 left in the first, David Pastrnak one-timed a blast that clipped off Jordan Binnington and crossed the goal line, putting the Bruins ahead 1-0 on the power play.
The Bruins had another late period power play but didn’t capitalize that time in what was an infraction-filled opening frame; twice the Bruins and Blues had matching penalties to lead to 4-on-4 situations, and once the Blues went to the power play on a Sean Kuraly cross-check.
The closest they got to finding the net in the first was an Oskar Sundqvist breakaway denied by Tuukka Rask during the second 4-on-4.
The B’s second goal had some meaning.
Anders Bjork, in his second NHL game of the season, fired in his first goal of the season from the right circle after a pass from Matt
Grzelcyk with 9:31 left in the middle period.
It was his first NHL tally in over a year, with his last coming on October 13, 2018.
The Blues continued to rack up penalty minutes, with Sundqvist going to the box for the second time late in the second, this time via boarding Charlie McAvoy, but the Blues survived the third
Bruins man advantage of the contest.
St. Louis headed into the game with the fifth-most effective power play in the NHL, but the Bruins penalty kill shut it down every try, and Rask earned his second shutout of the year with 26 saves.
Brandon Carlo sealed it with a long-distance empty net goal with 48 seconds left,
the defenseman’s first goal of the season.
It doesn’t make up for Game 7, but a 7-1-2 start in the season following, during a tough part of the schedule, isn’t too bad, either.
“Unless they brought the Cup here for this game, I don’t think it has anything to do with it,” said Rask. “Different year, different teams. But, two good teams. So it was a great Saturday night game.”
The Bruins head to New York to face the Rangers at Madison Square Garden tonight before returning home to face the Sharks on Tuesday to conclude a stretch of three games in four nights.