BSJ Game Report: Bruins 2, Lightning 1 - B’s shut down Tampa, extend division lead to 9 points

Everything you need to know from the Bruins’ 2-1 win over the Lightning  in quickie form, with BSJ insight and analysis:

Box Score

HEADLINES

New line combos shine as B’s hold off Bolts: The final score might have illustrated a slim, one-goal victory for the Bruins in a spirited matchup against the Lightning, but Bruce Cassidy’s club primarily spent the first 40 minutes of Tuesday’s 2-1 win skating circles around Tampa Bay in its own building. 

Entering the second intermission, Boston remained afloat off of its one-goal lead — with Jake DeBrusk’s long-awaited tally serving as the eventual game-winner on the night. But things could have been much much worse for a Tampa team looking to crawl back up in the Atlantic Division standings. Through two periods, Boston limited a Lightning roster averaging 31.3 shots on goal per game to just 14 against Tuukka Rask — while Boston landed 31 shots against Andrei Vasilevskiy down the other end of the ice. 

Though DeBrusk and Brad Marchand were the ones to beat Vasilevskiy, it was both Boston’s second line of David Krejci, Nick Ritchie and Ondrej Kase and a reshuffled checking trio of Sean Kuraly, Par Lindholm and Joakim Nordstorm that primarily gave Tampa fits through the first two periods. 

Along with matching up against Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point and Tampa’s top line, Krejci’s crew dominated in the O-zone — with Boston holding an 18-5 edge in shot attempts and a 12-3 advantage in scoring chances in that line’s 10:34 of 5v5 ice time through the first two periods. 

Kuraly and a re-energized fourth line hemmed the Bolts in throughout the opening period, with Boston generating five scoring chances — and surrendering only one — in that line’s 2:25 of 5v5 ice time. 

Even when Tampa predictably ramped things up over the final 20 minutes, the Lightning only landed seven shots on goal during that stretch — most from outside of the Grade-A areas of the net. 

Put it all together, and the Bruins have managed to put together another complete effort against a quality opponent for the second game in a row — and now hold an impressive nine-point lead over the Lightning in the Atlantic Division. 

Boston matches Tampa’s physicality: As we noted yesterday, the Lightning made an effort to throw their newly added weight around on Tuesday night — with Tampa Bay adding physical skaters like Blake Coleman, Zach Bogosian and Barclay Goodrow to the roster since the last time it met Boston back in December. 

But even if Tampa tried to mix things up, especially in the closing minutes of the second period, Boston didn’t let a bigger Lightning lineup knock the B’s off their game. For as much as Boston caught flak earlier this season for not responding to larger clubs, Boston was often the aggressor in this one, with Nordstrom even dropping the gloves at one point and landing a couple of solid punches against Yanni Gourde. 

Much like Boston’s middle-six scoring woes earlier this season, it seems as though the B’s issues with physical teams are becoming less and less of an issue as Boston readies for another Cup run. 

FIVE UP

Brad Marchand: Despite missing Tuesday’s morning skate and getting tabbed as a game-time decision due to illness, Marchand gutted things out during 14:25 of ice time, tallying his 28th goal of the season off of a great feed from Torey Krug at 19:05 in the first period. Marchand, who extended his point streak to 10 games in the process, was clearly fighting it all game — as he exited the game for a couple of shorter stretches — but did more than enough to put Boston in the position of snagging two valuable points. 

Jake DeBrusk: DeBrusk picked a pretty good time to snap out of his 10-game scoreless streak, burying his first goal since Feb. 8 at 10:06 in the second period. DeBrusk, who has found himself demoted down to the third line over the last couple of games, responded to a new-look combination with Charlie Coyle and Chris Wagner — with Boston holding a 4-0 edge in high-danger scoring chances in that line’s 12:22 of 5v5 ice time. 

Tuukka Rask: A strong defensive effort from Boston might have limited Tampa’s total chances on net, but Rask stood tall when the Bolts managed to slip past Boston’s blue line — highlighted by a stop on Anthony Cirelli during a breakaway bid in the third period. Rask finished with 20 saves in the victory. 

https://twitter.com/ConorRyan_93/status/1235034792481239041

Krejci Line: They may not have factored into the scoresheet, but Boston’s new second line put together arguably its most complete effort to date in Tuesday’s win. Along with the impressive puck-possession totals listed earlier, Ritchie dished out five hits and blocked a shot in 15:20 of ice time, while Kase landed three shots on goal and blocked a pair of shots in his 16:39 of ice time. 

Jeremy Lauzon: Like the Krejci line, Lauzon might have been tagged for a goal against, but the young defenseman played a key role in limiting the number of quality looks that Tampa was able to generate in the third period — using his size to win puck battles down low and knocking Lightning skaters off the puck during rushes into Boston’s zone. 

https://twitter.com/ConorRyan_93/status/1235038012410662912

ONE DOWN 

Power play: While Boston excelled in most areas of Tuesday’s game, the same can’t be said for its power play — which went 0-for-3 on the night and failed to generate much of anything against the Lightning's PK unit. 

PLAY OF THE GAME

What an effort by DeBrusk to stay with the play and break out of his scoring slump: 

https://twitter.com/ConorRyan_93/status/1235021573674938368

PARTING THOUGHT

Joakim Nordstrom — Bruins enforcer? 

https://twitter.com/ConorRyan_93/status/1235026992396783616

LOOKING AHEAD

The Bruins will close out their three-game road trip on Thursday night when they take on the Florida Panthers over in Sunrise. While the B’s just wrapped up on key divisional matchup, the Panthers will be rested — having last played on Sunday night in a home bout against Calgary. Puck drop for Thursday’s game is set for 7 p.m.