BSJ Game Report: Bruins 3, Senators 2 - Another last-minute goal helps B’s sweep 6-game homestand taken at TD Garden (Bruins)

(Photo by Steve Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images)

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BSJ Game Report: Bruins 3, Senators 2 - Another last-minute goal helps B’s sweep 6-game homestand

By Conor Ryan

Mar 9, 2019 • 11:49 pm

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Everything you need to know from the Bruins’ 3-2 win over the Senators in quickie form, with BSJ insight and analysis…

BOX SCORE

HEADLINES

B’s keep on rolling — and keep their flair for the dramatics: The Bruins were already set to extend their point streak to an absurd 19 games on Saturday, with the final minute ticking off the clock in regulation and Boston and Ottawa stuck in a 2-2 deadlock. But for the second night in a row, the B’s struck before overtime could get underway — with David Krejci tipping a shot from Danton Heinen home at 19:15 to give Boston the lead for good.  It marks the third straight comeback win for the Bruins, who, along with their point streak, swept their six-game homestand and have now won 10 straight contests at TD Garden. This is now the second-longest point streak in team history — trailing only a 23-game run achieved during the 1940-41 season.

It’s been the same old song and dance with this club as of late — without three top-six contributors, Boston once again found a way to win, with Krejci breaking through again with a new set of linemates and fourth liner Chris Wagner burying his 11th goal of the year. This club is going to need guys like David Pastrnak, Jake DeBrusk and Marcus Johansson back in the fold soon, but this B’s team is continuing to buck the trend when it comes to the flaws that stuck with them for most of the first couple months of the season — including secondary scoring woes and a spotty penalty kill.

Lineup switches pay off: Even with the score still stuck in a 2-2 deadlock down the final stretch of the third period, Bruce Cassidy once again put his lines in a blender, with this crew being the end result:

Marchand-Bergeron-Wagner
Heinen-Krejci-Backes
Kuraly-Acciari-Nordstrom
Cehlarik-Coyle-Stempniak

“We shortened the bench,” Cassidy said. “I just thought a few guys weren’t competing hard enough offensively with the puck, to get inside, to get behind the goal. Sometimes the guys, rolling them out there, keeping them in the game, shortening your bench is the way to go. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. Tonight, I’m not going to say that was the reason why we scored goals, but that’s the reason why we did cut it down a bit. We want to be able to use four lines every night.

“We play again tomorrow. Sometimes there are ways to send messages. Sometimes they get them, sometimes they don’t, but I just feel that there are a few guys that need to start competing a little more offensively. Be a little harder to play against, get inside, and get rewarded.”

Obviously, it worked out for the B’s — as the new second line of Heinen-Krejci-Backes were out on the ice for the eventual go-ahead goal, while Wagner was rewarded with a couple of reps up on the top line.

FOUR UP

David Krejci: Despite some turbulence among the forward corps, Krejci has now tallied goals in three straight games, all with some of these wingers on his line — Joakim Nordstrom, Karson Kuhlman, Peter Cehlarik and Lee Stempniak.




Brad Marchand:
Make that a six-game point streak now for Marchand, who has tallied four goals and added six assists during that stretch. If you want to stretch it over his last 23 games, Marchand has lit the lamp 12 times and compiled 34 total points.




Penalty Kill:
After surrendering a pair of power-play tallies against the Panthers on Thursday, the B’s PK locked down the Sens — with Boston holding Ottawa off the board on three stints on the man advantage, while also holding a 4-4 edge in shots on goal during 5:35 of 4v5 play.


Fourth Line:
No complaints from the play of Boston’s checking line, even if
Noel Acciari
finally shed his fishbowl helmet. Along with
Chris Wagner’s
11th goal of the season at 8:47 in the third, the trio was out on the ice for nine attempts for and just four attempts against (69.23 CF%) over 7:36 of 5v5 TOI.


TWO DOWN


Torey Krug:
Krug giveth — Krug taketh away. While he had a slick feed that led to Marchand’s tally on the power play, you can’t excuse the brutal turnover down the other end of the ice at the start of the third period. Not what you’re looking for on a sequence that could have easily been negated with a clear off the half wall.




Lee Stempniak:
Not a whole lot to take note from Stempniak’s debut on Saturday — as he landed zero shots on goal through just 7:46 TOI, before eventually getting demoted to the fourth line.


PLAY OF THE GAME


Krejci, for the win.




PARTING THOUGHTS


Give an honorary secondary assist tonight to Bruins assistant equipment manager Matty Falconer, who is one of the best in the business when it comes to the stick exchange from the bench.




LOOKING AHEAD


After closing out this homestand, the Bruins will hit the road for a three-game trek, starting with a matchup against the Penguins on Sunday night. Puck drop is set for 7:30 p.m.
Jaroslav Halak
will get the start in net against the Pens, who currently sit in third place in the Metropolitan Division.

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