It was a feel-good, momentum-building week for the Boston Bruins, who said goodbye to a post-All-Star break slump by winning three of four games and securing seven of the eight possible points.
They did it with a solid defensive structure and deft puck movement in all three zones. Oh, and you can’t leave out mega-solid goaltending, which has been the team’s greatest strength all season.
The four-game stretch included two resounding, home-and-home 4-1 victories over the Toronto Maple Leafs, a 2-1 overtime home loss to the Edmonton Oilers, and Saturday’s 5-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins at the TD Garden.
The Bruins went into the week having gone just 4-4-5 since the break, falling behind the Florida Panthers for the top spot in the Atlantic Division and relinquishing the league’s best record. That span was marked by an inability to finish off opponents, either when holding leads in the third period or in overtime.
The low point came in a 5-1 road loss to the New York Islanders on March 2, one of Boston’s worst performances of the season.
After this solid week, though, the Bruins are 38-13-15 for 91 points, and they temporarily moved into the top position in the 32-team NHL. Shortly after Saturday’s win, however, the Panthers defeated the Calgary Flames 5-1 to boost their Atlantic Division—and league-leading point total to 92.
Jeremy Swayman & Linus Ullmark Continue Hot Performances
Everything starts with goaltending for the Bruins, and it’s amazing that Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark let in just four regulation-time goals in the four games.
Swayman totaled 62 saves in the two wins over the Maple Leafs, and Ullmark stopped 28 shots against the Oilers before getting beat in the 3-on-3 extra period by the Oilers’ dynamic duo when Connor McDavid fed Leon Draisaitl for the game-winner.
By being utterly magnificent Saturday, Ullmark bounced back from that hard-to-take loss to the Oilers by stopping 39 of the 40 Penguins shots. That performance came just one day after the trade deadline, when it was reported that the Bruins were close to dealing Ullmark — last year’s Vezina Trophy winner — to the Los Angeles Kings.
A focus on team defense helped Boston immensely this week, especially with blue-liners Hampus Lindholm (who came back for the Pittsburgh game) and Derek Forbort out with injuries.
Pavel Zacha & Jake DeBrusk Get Their Offensive Mojo Going
While the team’s solid structure and unyielding defensive attitude were definitely the hallmarks of the week’s 3-0-1 showing, the offense came alive, too, with lots of creativity, crisp passing, and, perhaps most importantly, a finishing touch.
Pavel Zacha (five goals, two assists for the week) and Jake DeBrusk (2-4-6) got on the scoresheet often, and it was a welcome sight because DeBrusk had gone five games without a point and Zacha had only one assist in his previous five outings.
David Pastrnak (2-4-6) and Brad Marchand (1-4-5), as usual, were other major contributors, while Mogan Geekie (2-1-3) recorded his sixth point in his last six games with an assist against Pittsburgh.
A Big Question: Will Pat Maroon & Andrew Peeke Fit In?
Acquiring winger Pat Maroon from the Minnesota Wild and defenseman Andrew Peeke from the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday’s trade deadline day is not as dramatic as last year’s pickup of Tyler Bertuzzi and Dmitry Orlov. But that doesn’t mean Maroon and Peeke won’t be a big help as the Bruins steam toward the playoffs.
Bruins fans know the 6-foot-3, 234-pound Maroon well. Also known as “The Big Rig,” he was a thorn in Boston’s side when he won three Stanley Cups, one with the St. Louis Blues (2019) and two with the Tampa Bay Lightning (2020, 2021). He brings a Bruins style of toughness that fans may come to love, as well as that incredible playoff experience.
Peeke, meanwhile, is a stay-at-home defenseman Boston hopes will add much-needed depth and strength to the back line.
As with any midseason changes, it promises to be a very interesting time while the new guys adapt.
The Grind Continues With Three Games This Week
The Bruins are home for a Monday game against the Blues, on the road to play the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday, and back at the TD Garden to face the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday.
Continued defensive consistency, coupled with stellar goaltending, puck movement, and offensive production, will keep Boston on a roll.
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