BSJ Game Report: Bruins 3, Islanders 0 - Swayman slams door as B's take care of New York

Everything you need to know from the Bruins’ 3-0 win over the Islanders  in quickie form, with BSJ insight and analysis:

Box Score

HEADLINES

Well, what a difference a deadline makes.

A re-energized Bruins lineup posted its second regulation win in as many nights over a fellow East Division contender in the Islanders — with trade pickups in Taylor Hall, Mike Reilly and Curtis Lazar all flexing their muscles in what was a 3-0 victory on Friday night.

Reilly helped orchestrate Boston's opening tally with a slick feed to David Pastrnak with just three seconds remaining in the first period, while Hall scored his second goal in his third game in a B's sweater in the middle frame to give Boston some breathing room. Curtis Lazar closed things out with an empty-net strike, but the star of the night was entrenched down the other end of the ice — with Jeremy Swayman earning his first career shutout after stopping all 25 shots that came his way in the victory.

Swayman especially stood tall in the opening 20 minutes of action, with the Islanders generating plenty of Grade-A chances as Boston struggled to replicate its dominant start from just a night prior. But after Reilly threaded the needle and fed Pastrnak for a goal at 19:57 — New York's hopes of building off of an encouraging opening period deflated, with Boston taking control of the game as the contest progressed.

https://twitter.com/ConorRyan_93/status/1383204481882591232

With Swayman standing tall in net, New York simply didn't have a chance in this two-game series, with Boston holding a 19-6 edge in high-danger scoring chances and a 4-1 edge in 5v5 goals scored over their two-game sweep. Things are starting to fall into place for this Bruins club, and that's even with Matt Grzelcyk, Brandon Carlo and Kevan Miller still on the shelf.

FOUR UP

Jeremy Swayman: Swayman's impressive rookie campaign continues. While the University of Maine product maybe didn't face as heavy of a shot volume as he did in previous wins, it was quality over quantity for the Isles — with the B's goalie turning aside multiple Grade-A looks and breakaways throughout the evening. It's tough to undersell just how crucial the play of Swayman has been to help Boston navigate this storm of injuries and setbacks over the past month.

https://twitter.com/ConorRyan_93/status/1383200306280947716

Taylor Hall: He no longer has to be "the guy" on this deep Bruins roster, but Hall is certainly looking every bit like the elite winger he was prior to a few miserable seasons in Buffalo and Arizona. After scoring only two goals in 37 games with the Sabres, Hall has equaled that scoring total in just three games with Boston. So far, it seems that Hall hasn't lost a step with his new linemates in Krejci and Smith — with Boston holding the edge in both shots on goal (18) and goals scored (2-0) in that new-look second line's 29:00 of 5v5 ice time.

https://twitter.com/ConorRyan_93/status/1383215220194123779

Mike Reilly: There were plenty of high expectations for a guy with the resume of Hall — but few expected Reilly to be this good. The B's pickup on the blue line continues to look like a steal (especially for just a third-round pick), finishing second on the B's in ice time (22:56) while helping to get Pastrnak off the schneid with a fantastic feed down low.

Penalty kill: A lot of it had to do with some clutch stops from Swayman, but Boston's PK clamped down on the Isles throughout the night — going a perfect 5-for-5 on the evening.

TWO DOWN

Sean Kuraly: Perhaps you could argue the validity of some of the calls against him, but regardless — you can't get whistled for three penalties as Kuraly did in this one, especially with a rookie goalie in net for your team. That fourth line still managed to put together a strong, physical outing against the Isles — but you wonder if a guy like Trent Frederic might draw back into the lineup in the next couple of days.

Power play: While the Bruins' penalty kill negated all of its chances down one end of the ice, the Bruins weren't able to cash in down the other end of the ice — going 0-for-3. However, it should be important to note that the top unit has been generating a lot more quality chances as of late. Any coincidence that Reilly is operating up high and Hall is down along the half wall now?

PLAY OF THE GAME

What a feed from Reilly, sheesh.

https://twitter.com/NHL/status/1383208121796079617

PARTING THOUGHTS

Swayman/Vladar 2024?

https://twitter.com/ConorRyan_93/status/1383193275025219587

QUOTE OF THE DAY

https://twitter.com/ConorRyan_93/status/1383234428965515271

LOOKING AHEAD

The Bruins will close out their homestand with a Sunday matinee against the Washington Capitals — with the B's looking to avenge the 8-1 drubbing they received the last time both these teams faced off last weekend. Puck drop is set for noon.