BSJ Game Report: Bruins 5, Canucks 2 - Lindholm shines again as B’s improve to 9-0-0 at TD Garden

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

BOX SCORE

HEADLINES

Bergeron continues to lead the way as B's post best home start in franchise history: There’s been plenty of praise to go around so far this season for the Bruins, with a strong supporting cast and plenty of unsung heroes all playing a major role in Boston’s 14-2-0 record start to the season.

Established NHLers like Linus Ullmark and Hampus Lindholm have all been immense in the early going for this team, while players further down on the depth chart such as Connor Clifton, Nick Foligno and Derek Forbort have all re-written plenty of narratives with their strong play out of the gate.

But at the end of the day, the root of this team’s success has once again been centered around the play of its star talent. And even at 37 years old, Patrice Bergeron doesn’t seem like he has lost a step in the slightest.

Given all of the mileage and injuries that Bergeron has tacked onto his body over 19 seasons with Boston, it’s only natural to expect some slippage in his stout, two-way game.

But with another tally in Sunday’s 5-2 win over Vancouver, Bergeron has continued to chug right along as arguably the top two-way pivot in the game, with the B’s captain now up to eight goals and 15 points over 16 games so far this season. 

And with Bergeron once again at the top of the league when it comes to limiting high-danger chances for opponents, the question has to be asked: If Bergeron is still playing at this level … should we really be operating under the assumption that this is a farewell tour for No. 37?

Because he sure isn’t playing like a star on their last legs. 

Lindholm continues to build case for Team MVP in early going: Sure, the continued brilliance from the likes of Bergeron and David Pastrnak has led to plenty of instant offense — while Ullmark’s stout showing between the pipes has bailed this team out of trouble on many nights.

But if we’re doling out some early awards for the Bruins, Hampus Lindholm has to be near the top when it comes to consideration for Team MVP.

The keys to the B’s blue line have been handed back over to Charlie McAvoy, as expected. But Lindholm is looking more like a dominant 1B on Boston’s D corps next to Boston’s franchise star, with the 28-year-old Swede turning in another three-point night on Sunday while logging 22:44 of ice time. 

Lindholm, who is still averaging 24:21 of ice time per game, has now posted two three-assist games already this season — tying him with Adam Fox and Brandon Montour for the most among NHL D-men this season.

And with 17 points in just 16 games, Lindholm is already just 17 points away from surpassing his career-high for points in a season (34 in 2014-15).

McAvoy might have been the odds-on favorite when it came to potential Norris Trophy candidates on this roster in 2022-23 — but Lindholm is making a pretty compelling case five weeks into the new year. 

FOUR UP

Lindholm-Clifton pairing: Cliffy Hockey continues to roll right along for the Bruins in his top-four spot next to Lindholm.  Clifton buried his second goal in three games — snapping a puck past Thatcher Demko following some impressive O-zone patience from Taylor Hall in the first. But Lindholm also turned in another poised performance, finishing with three assists and routinely extending possessions by corralling pucks near the blue line.

A.J. Greer: Playing in his first game in eight days, Greer followed a pretty simple gameplan in order to state his case for more playing time — be a fly in the ointment in a checking-line role. Greer, who landed four hits in just 8:37 of ice time, energized the Garden crowd with his scrap against Vasily Podkolzin in the first period — forcing the Canucks forward to leave the ice for repairs after delivering a heavy right hook. With Craig Smith struggling in his fourth-line spot, having a physical, north-south skater like Greer in that role does seem like the best way for Boston to add some more heft to its forward corps. 

Linus Ullmark: Ho hum, another steady night between the pipes for Ullmark — with the veteran stopping 29 of the 31 shots that came his way. Vancouver only really ramped up its shot total in the third period, but Ullmark kept momentum on his team's side with some saves on Grade-A chances throughout the night. 

Tomas Nosek: Along with finally getting off the schneid and scoring his first goal since Jan. 2, 2022 — Nosek also drew plenty of praise postgame from his teammates for coming to David Pastrnak's defense and scrapping with Kyle Burroughs after the Canucks skater delivered a heavy hit on the B's star winger. It was the first fight in Nosek's eight-year NHL career. 

TWO DOWN

Brandon Carlo: Boston’s PK has been stout all season long, but this was a rough sequence from Carlo here on J.T. Miller’s power-play strike in the first period. Nice pass from Quinn Hughes, but not sure what Carlo was doing here.

Five-forward power play: While a five-forward power-play unit might present the highest offensive ceiling for the Bruins, that lack of defensive integrity on the blue line does offer plenty of risks — as seen on Saturday during Tage Thompson’s shorthanded strike and in multiple instances on Sunday where Boston could not corral pucks up high. It wasn't necessarily a surprise that Boston began to generate better O-zone time on the man advantage once either Lindholm or McAvoy were operating up at the point. 

PLAY OF THE GAME

I respectfully don’t know how Linus Ullmark managed to keep this puck out.

LOOKING AHEAD

The Bruins will continue their current homestand on Thursday night when they battle the Flyers at TD Garden. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m.