BSJ Game Report: Bruins 4, Blackhawks 2 - Kuraly, Rask lift B’s to Winter Classic victory in South Bend taken at Notre Dame Stadium (Bruins)

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BSJ Game Report: Bruins 4, Blackhawks 2 - Kuraly, Rask lift B’s to Winter Classic victory in South Bend

By Conor Ryan

Jan 1, 2019 • 5:44 pm

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SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Everything you need to know from the Bruins’ 4-2 win over the Blackhawks at the 2019 Winter Classic in quickie form, with BSJ insight and analysis:

BOX SCORE

HEADLINES

Sean Kuraly excels in crunch time again

Don’t let Sean Kuraly get hot. After tallying the game-winning goal in arguably Boston’s most important win on Saturday against the Sabres, the bottom-six grinder once again came up clutch on Tuesday, knocking home the game-winning tally at the 2019 Winter Classic.

After failing to generate some quality looks at 5v5 play for an extended stretch in the second and third periods, a shot from Matt Grzelcyk led to Boston’s game-winning scoring bid. Even though Grzelcyk’s shot hit off of Chris Wagner in front, Kuraly was there to clean up the loose biscuit, knocking it past Cam Ward to put Boston ahead for good.

Even on outdoor sheet, Bruins’ usual strengths emerge

The outdoor conditions forced both the Bruins and Blackhawks to simplify their games at Notre Dame Stadium, but Boston still largely relied on its bread and butter to stay afloat early in the contest.

While the B’s squandered a number of chances on the man advantage later in the contest — including a 5-on-3 stint that lasted for 1:09 — Boston made the most of its first two looks on the power play, with both David Pastrnak and Patrice Bergeron lighting the lamp to keep things tied up. Kuraly might have been the late-game hero, but it was once again the top line of Bergeron, Marchand and Brad Marchand (three goals, five points) that set the tone up front.

THREE UP

David Pastrnak

Not a bad Winter Classic debut for Pastrnak. The 22-year-old winger tallied his 24th goal of the season at 12:38 in the opening period, beating Ward short side after Bergeron fired the puck back into a Grade-A spot of the ice.

It was a nice finish from No. 88, who capped off his power-play strike with his best impression of LeBron James. As he’s done for most of his young career, Pastrnak once again stepped his game up under the added spotlights of a primetime matchup.




Patrice Bergeron:
Bergeron could have been out for a goal or two against, and he’d still get major a high mark for an impressive sequence at the end of the second period. On the power play after after a roughing call against
Erik Gustafsson
, Boston seemed primed to relinquish its ninth shorthanded goal off of a breakaway. However, Bergeron was there to turn aside the scoring bid with a strong backcheck before burying a chance down the other end of the ice less than a minute later.


Tuukka Rask:
After a rough outing (along with just about every other Bruin in 2016 Winter Classic), Rask was a force in net on Tuesday, stopping 36 of the 38 shots that came his way.


Along with the win, Rask’s reached another major milestone on Tuesday. With his start at Notre Dame Stadium, Rask reached his 469th career appearance with the Bruins, standing as the most of any B’s goalie in franchise history. He passed
Tiny Thompson,
who set the record while playing for Boston from 1928-38.


Sean Kuraly:
Who else?




ONE DOWN


That whole sequence leading to Perlini’s goal:


“Yuuuuuck” might be the best way to describe this stretch, which led to the game’s opening salvo off the stick of
Brendan Perlini
at 8:30 in first. After a rough turnover by
David Krejci
in the D zone,
Torey Krug
was unable to clear the puck behind Boston’s net, with
David Kampf
feeding the biscuit back out to an uncovered Perlini in the slot.






PLAY OF THE GAME:


Here’s Patrice Bergeron, four-time Selke Trophy winner.




MISCUE OF THE GAME:


Some bad luck there, eh?




PARTING THOUGHT:




LOOKING AHEAD


The Bruins will now head back to Boston to open up a four-game homestand, starting with a matchup against the Flames on Thursday. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. Out of Boston’s 12 games locked in on the schedule in January, nine of them will be held at TD Garden.

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