Everything you need to know from the Bruins’ 4-3 shootout loss against the Jets in quickie form, with BSJ insight and analysis:
BOX SCORE
HEADLINES
B’s let point slip away: There was plenty for the Bruins to be positive about following Tuesday’s tilt at TD Garden. Boston seemed to have its legs after some extended time off, the club’s latest additions in Peter Cehlarik and Trent Frederic made their mark — and the home club finished the night with a 76-48 edge in attempts and 39-27 advantage in shots on goal.
And yet, as it’s been the case for most of the year, Boston’s gaudy possession stats and shot totals didn’t equate to two points on the board. Sure, the Bruins have a silver lining in the form of a point earned against one of the top clubs in the Western Conference. But once again, brief lapses in judgment proved to be Boston’s undoing — whether it be poor line changes or a one-minute meltdown by Jaroslav Halak in the early minutes of the third period.
There are plenty of positives to take away from an entertaining game like this, but based on the final result, it’s hard to not have a bad taste in your mouth — given Boston’s struggles at times to cash in when points are up for grabs, especially against a Winnipeg club on the second leg of a back-to-back.
B’s still need an enforcer?: For all of the talk about the Bruins needing to add an enforcer to their current lineup, the B’s did a more than adequate job of dispelling that notion on Tuesday, with both Kevan Miller and Trent Frederic earning fighting majors just 29 seconds apart in the middle stanza.
Frederic’s bout with Brandon Tanev, in particular, brought the TD Garden crowd to its feet, with the rookie landing 14 right hooks against the Winnipeg winger in what was his NHL debut. This club may not be the “Big Bad Bruins”, but don’t discount this roster when it comes to dropping the gloves. Boston currently ranks second in the NHL with 15 fighting majors on the season.
THREE UP
Bergeron line: It looks like some time off was just what Boston’s top line needed. While David Pastrnak buried his 28th goal of the season on the power play, the B’s trio of Pastrnak, Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand were also impressive at 5v5 play — finishing with a 61.11 Corsi For Percentage and a pair of goals for Bergeron.
Kyle Connor: Where can the Bruins get a guy like this? The 22-year-old Jets winger completely flipped Tuesday’s game on its head in the span of 34 seconds in the third — beating Halak twice to give the Jets their first lead of the night. Boston already hears enough grief about Mat Barzal when it comes to the 2015 NHL Draft. But Connor? Well, those 102 points in 146 career games would be pretty helpful right now if he was in Black and Gold.
Frederic line: Frederic’s fight might be the biggest takeaway from the center’s debut, but the rookie did a solid job centering a line that’s struggled to gain traction all season long. In 8:13 of 5v5 TOI together, that trio generated a Corsi For Percentage of 76.92 while holding a plus-5 shot differential and a high-danger scoring chance generated.
TWO DOWN
Jaroslav Halak: The Bruins are going to need Tuukka Rask back ASAP because Halak still seems mired in a slump that has stretched on for close to two months now. Since December 1, Halak is 5-6-1 with a .894 save percentage — while allowing three or more goals in eight of those 12 matchups. It gets worse in January, with Halak sporting an .863 save percentage over five outings.
Danton Heinen: For as good as Frederic and Backes looked together, Heinen was largely invisible for most of Tuesday’s outing — landing one shot on goal over 11:35 TOI.
PLAY OF THE GAME
It took just a few minutes — and about 14 punches— for Trent Frederic to become a cult favorite in Boston.
Trent Frederic yesterday:
"It’s not what I’m trying to be, just a drop-the-gloves guy. But yeah I’m willing to do it.
"It’s fun, too. It’s a good time."
Good god, man. #NHLBruins pic.twitter.com/RsIAZOyar4
— Conor Ryan (@ConorRyan_93) January 30, 2019
Trent Frederic's parents are PUMPED. #NHLBruins pic.twitter.com/zGZPupulcl
— Conor Ryan (@ConorRyan_93) January 30, 2019