Debrusk, Swayman power B’s
ond left on the advantage, the most talked about Bruin of the last few days got them on the board.
On Monday, it was revealed the Debrusk had requested a trade and that the B’s would try to accommodate him. But in the meantime, Debrusk had to continue to play for the undermanned B’s and they needed some quality play out of him.
And Debrusk did what can do. As the power-play was winding down, Smith made a nice crossice pass to Debrusk on the left wing and he beat Saros with an absolute snipe inside the near post for the 1-0 lead. It was Debrusk’s fourth goal of the season for the 1-0 lead.
The B’s started the second period just like they did the first, except with more immediately fruitful results. Charlie Coyle won a puck battle along the left boards and got it to Haula in some open ice. Haula dished a backhand pass to Brandon Carlo for his second goal of the year, giving the B’s a 2-0 lead 30 seconds into the period.
But the B’s buzzard luck continued to hover. Just under five minutes into the period, Zboril took a heavy but fairly routine hit from Tanner Jeannot. Zboril’s right knee buckled against the boards and he crumpled to the ice. He would not help to get off the ice as he could not put any weight on the leg.
It not only looked like a serious injury, but seriously heartbreaking for Zboril, the 2015 firstround pick who had been slow to develop but appeared to be finally establishing himself as an everyday NHLER in his seventh straight game. Moving forward to Saturday’s game against the Lightning, the B’s will be down to their last available player, Connor Clifton, who could slot back into Zboril’s spot. Because of a Covid outbreak in Providence, they can not bring any players up from their AHL affiliate right now.
But of more immediate concern was that the Zboril injury also put the B’s down to five defensemen with a whole lot of game left to play. Swayman saw 14 shots in the second period, though his teammates did a good job of keeping most of them to the outside and the B’s went into the third with a 2-0 advantage.