BSJ Game Report: Bruins 5, Golden Knights 2 - Smith scores hat trick, Swayman stands tall in impressive win over Vegas

Everything you need to know from the Bruins’ 5-2 win over the Golden Knights, with BSJ insight and analysis:

Box Score

HEADLINES

Jeremy Swayman continues to operate at elite level

At this point, I don’t think we need to allocate a ton of time discussing where exactly Jeremy Swayman lands on Boston’s netminding depth chart.

Instead, it might be time to start making the case for Swayman’s place among the NHL’s top goalies.  

The Bruins’ de-facto No. 1 goaltender was stout once again on Thursday night in Las Vegas, turning aside 34 of the 36 shots that came his way en route to a 5-2 win — Boston’s sixth in its last seven games. 

Since Tuukka Rask’s retirement, Swayman has been on an absolute heater in net — with the rookie posting a 6-0-1 record over his last seven outings with a .967 save percentage.

Even though Vegas’ lineup has been sapped of some of its big guns like Mark Stone and Max Pacioretty due to injury, the Golden Knights still laid siege to Swayman for most of the night — with Grade-A stops such as an outstretched blocker stop on Reilly Smith frustrating the home club for most of the evening.  

Add in the fact that one of the two tallies that Swayman relinquished came in the closing minutes of action with Robin Lehner pulled from Vegas’ net, and the Bruins will be more than happy with a performance like this from their young netmidner. 

Smith breaks through

Swayman’s resurgence has been perhaps the top takeaway from Boston’s six-game road trip so far — but the B’s extended trek away from the Commonwealth has also seen several secondary scorers build some much-needed traction on the ice.

First it was Jake DeBrusk’s scoring salvo over an extended stretch, then it was Nick Foligno’s Gordie Howe hat trick on Tuesday in Anaheim. And on Thursday, it was Craig Smith that finally broke through on the score sheet — with the veteran forward collecting his third career hat trick. 

Beyond just Smith finally getting off the schneid, it was a breakthrough showing from the entire third line at T-Mobile Arena. Yes, while this bottom-six grouping has strung together plenty of impressive O-zone shifts together over the last couple of weeks, it’s good to see those efforts finally lead to some tangible production. 

Not sure what the Bruins are more jazzed about — Smith potting his hat trick after an extended scoring drought, or Trent Frederic (three assists) looking more and more like an everyday NHLer on that line. 

They’ll gladly welcome both developments.

FOUR UP

Craig Smith: This is the type of performance that Smith desperately needed, especially after his struggles on Tuesday in Anaheim. Considering that a shot-first winger like Smith has a knack for scoring in bunches, the Bruins are hoping that the veteran continues to light the lamp over a more consistent rate moving forward.

Jeremy Swayman: Swayman was nails once again in this one, with the rookie’s save percentage now shooting up to .929 on the season. Only Igor Shesterkin and Ville Husso boast higher marks on the year. 

David Pastrnak: Pastrnak gave Boston some much-needed breathing room with his 30th and 31st goals of the season during the third period. David Pastrnak has now buried 30+ goals for the fifth time in his career — not too shabby for a guy who’s still just 25 years old. 

Trent Frederic: Smith might steal most of the headlines on the night thanks to his hat trick, but Frederic is right behind him with his three-point showing. After really struggling to find his game and role at the NHL level over the last couple of seasons, the 24-year-old winger seems to finally be settling into a groove. 

TWO DOWN

Charlie McAvoy: It was a complete breakdown all around on the sequence that led to Jack Eichel’s breakaway tally in the closing minutes of the second, but McAvoy has to get knocked for a rare instance of poor situational awareness on the ice. With Matt Grzelcyk heading off, you can’t make a feed like that. 

Power play: Boston only had one power-play bid on the night, but it was more of the same from a unit that’s really slumping over an extended stretch now. Far too much passing and struggles with zone entries plagued them once again in this one. 

PLAY OF THE GAME

Just a ridiculous stop by Swayman here. 

LOOSE PUCKS 

Who needs to acquire another top-six center at the deadline when you have … Taylor Hall? 

LOOKING AHEAD

The Bruins will close out their six-game road trip on Saturday with a matchup against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. EST.