BSJ Game Report: Bruins 5, Panthers 3 - Shorthanded Bruins pass first test of season

Everything you need to know from the Bruins’ 5-3 win over the Panthers, with BSJ insight and analysis:

BOX SCORE

HEADLINES 

Bruins pass first test of new season: After posting wins out of the gate against a banged-up Capitals squad and a Coyotes team just begging to get relegated (unless they play Toronto), a shorthanded B’s roster was ready for its first gut check of the 2022-23 campaign — hosting a Panthers team that posted 122 points last season and added a formidable force up front this summer in Matthew Tkachuk.

Add in the fact that a B’s squad already without Charlie McAvoy, Brad Marchand and Matt Grzelcyk was going to roll out a patchwork D corps with five left-shot blueliners after Brandon Carlo was also bit by the injury bug, and things could have gotten ugly at TD Garden on Monday night.

But rather than take their lumps given their banged-up lineup and the talent matched up against them, the B’s answered the challenge with strong goaltending, a stingy defensive gameplan and contributions across the depth chart lifting Boston a 5-3 win over the Panthers. 

Jake DeBrusk (two goals, one assist) led the charge up front for the Bruins, with most of the scoring burden also handled by the rest of Boston’s top-six unit (goals from both Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak). 

Trent Frederic added his first goal of the season in the third period, with the B’s now up to 12 different goal-scorers through three games.

Down the other end of the ice, Linus Ullmark helped keep Florida at bay, with things only getting dicey after the Panthers scored with their net empty at 18:23 in the third. 

Add in an admirable performance from a banged-up B’s defense, and there’s not a whole lot to knock Boston for in this one. Boston passed a pretty stout test in this one, and with reinforcements on the horizon in Marchand, McAvoy and Grzelcyk — a win like this has to do wonders for a team that is building plenty of confidence in the room. 

DeBrusk impresses in return to game action

Once scheduled to be on the shelf for “at least 10 days” with an upper-body injury, according to coach Jim Montgomery, DeBrusk made a surprise return to the lineup on Monday and looked like he never left — posting a two-goal, three-point showing in his first full game of the 2022-23 campaign.

After a strong end to last season in a top-six role, DeBrusk continued to follow a similar script on Monday, using his speed to put opposing skaters on their heels and generate Grade-A chances in short order.

The return of Marchand might stand as the missing ingredient that will vault the Bergeron line back into “elite” territory, but Monday stood as a prime example of how a speedster like DeBrusk can serve as a very effective weapon in his own right. 

“A big part of the game plan was to put pucks in behind and go to work,” Montgomery said. “And we didn't do that very efficiently tonight, but he was one guy that was doing it."

THREE UP 

Jake DeBrusk: Quite the turnaround for DeBrusk, who went from a projected scratch due to injury to the B’s first spark of offense — lighting the lamp just 21 seconds into the contest on Boston’s first shot of the night. His drive to the net and set-up of Bergeron’s tally might have been even better, and he iced the game with an empty-net tally at 18:57. Quite the way to celebrate your 26th birthday. 

Linus Ullmark: Another strong outing for Ullmark, especially when it came to making stops at critical points of the game. Much like that 2-on-1 save on Lars Eller on Wednesday, Ullmark kept his team afloat in the second period — robbing Sam Reinhart on a breakaway bid in the second. Just minutes later, Bergeron scored to give Boston the lead once again. Ullmark finished with 36 saves in the win. 

D corps: Bit of a cop-out to throw the whole unit into this one, but any time you can hold a team with the firepower that the Panthers have to just three goals — especially given the personnel present on your blue line — you deserve a whole lot of stick taps.  As the lone right-shot option on Boston’s D corps, Connor Clifton helped anchor that side of Boston’s blue line, logging 25:21 of ice time, recording two assists and doling out two hits, while Derek Forbort was a plus-5 in the win.

"I loved him. Competed, posied,” Montgomery said of Clifton. “Made a lot of strong plays. Wheeled pucks out of our zone, skated pucks out of our zone. That's two games in a row where you're starting to see the Connor Clifton that I've known since he was a college hockey player."

TWO DOWN

Pavel Zacha: After a rough turnover from Zacha led to a shorthanded tally for the Coyotes on Saturday, Zacha was knocked for another costly miscue in this one, turning the puck over on a breakout attempt in the second period that eventually led to a goal from Sam Bennett. It sure didn’t help that Zacha was also sleepwalking during the backdoor play to Bennett. 

Power play: Boston could have given itself some breathing room had it managed to cash in on the power play — which was 0-for-3 on the night.

PLAY OF THE GAME

Marc Staal might not want to check social media for a while after this sequence.

QUOTE OF NOTE

“Let’s wait until 63 and 73 and 48 are back in the lineup.” - Jim Montgomery on when he plans to evaluate what type of team he has here.

LOOKING AHEAD

The Bruins will continue their “three games in four nights” slate on Tuesday with a road matchup against the Senators. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m.