BSJ Game Report: Bruins 6, Predators 2 - 6 skaters score goals as B’s get back in win column

Everything you need to know from the Bruins’ 6-2 win over the Predators in quickie form, with BSJ insight and analysis:

Box Score

HEADLINES

Bruins right ship: Perhaps it was the added motivation of having close to 20 of their mothers in attendance for Tuesday’s game in Nashville. Or maybe the Bruins were just finally sick of treading water for the past month. Whatever the reasoning was, the Bruins snapped their three-game losing skid in impressive fashion on Tuesday, besting the Predators by a final score of 6-2 at Bridgestone Arena. 

Some much-needed scoring depth contributed on Tuesday, with six different Bruins lighting the lamp in the victory. In total, only five players on the B’s finished the game without a point (Kuraly, Chara, Moore, Carlo & Bjork). Even Tuukka Rask, who finished with 34 saves on 36 shots, closed out the contest with a helper on David Krejci’s empty-net tally with 55 seconds to go in regulation. 

With the victory, the Bruins now improve to 25-8-11 on the season. 

Finally some balance up front: Even if a revamped second line of DeBrusk-Krejci-Bjork didn’t exactly dominate when it came to generating O-zone possessions, the promotion of Bjork did allow some key pieces of Boston’s bottom-six forward corps to fall back into place — with Charlie Coyle slotting back to the third-line pivot between Danton Heinen and Brett Ritchie.

With Coyle back to driving a group against third-line competition, his line responded with a two-goal night, as Boston held a 5-0 edge in scoring chances when that trio was out on the ice. Add in a strong showing from the fourth line (a Chris Wagner goal and a 70.00% shot share), and it should come as no surprise that Boston won this one pretty handily with everyone pulling their weight.  

FOUR UP

David Pastrnak: The spaghetti man just keeps on rolling. Pastrnak did his best impression of Guy Lafleur in the first period, skating into Nashville’s zone and beating Pekka Rinne with a slap shot from the right circle. Pastrnak, now up to 32 goals, extended his point streak to 11 straight games. He put together a 13-game point streak earlier this year from Oct. 8 — Nov. 5. 

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Power play: It took them until the final minutes of the second period to get a look on the man advantage, but the Bruins’ power play continued its hot streak as of late — with Patrice Bergeron’s tally making it 11 straight games in which Boston’s power play has cashed in. They have not had a power-play streak like that since a 12-game stretch from Dec. 31, 1987  to Jan. 23, 1988.

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Tuukka Rask: The Bruins built their lead throughout the night, but a strong showing from Rask prevented any chance of a Nashville rally, especially during a second period in which Nashville landed 16 shots on goal. Rask finished with 32 saves in the victory, including an absurd stop on Viktor Arvidsson in the third period. 

Coyle Line: The third line put together one of its best performances in quite some time, with the trio of Charlie Coyle, Danton Heinen and Brett Ritchie combining for two goals and five total points in the victory. In their 4:52 of 5v5 ice time together, Boston held a 5-0 edge in scoring chances, two of which were high-danger looks. 

ONE DOWN

Krejci Line: They weren’t nearly as bad as the metrics might show, but Boston’s new-look second line was often spending many shifts fighting for pucks in the neutral zone or treading water in their own end. In Krejci’s 12:39 of 5v5 ice time, Nashville held a commanding 20-6 edge in shot attempts. 

PLAY OF THE GAME

Just an absurd stop from Rask here on Arvidsson. Arvidsson’s reaction says it all. 

https://twitter.com/ConorRyan_93/status/1214749976301056002

PARTING THOUGHT

The Bruins might have to bring their moms to every game going forward as a good-luck charm. 

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LOOKING AHEAD

The Bruins will return home to TD Garden on Thursday night, with the B’s set to host the Winnipeg Jets. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m.