BSJ Game Report: Bruins 5, Avalanche 1 - B’s dominate Colorado, improve to 14-0 at TD Garden

Everything you need to know from the Bruins’ 5-1 win over  the Avalanche, with BSJ insight and analysis:

BOX SCORE

HEADLINES

Bruins continue to stake claim as top contender: Yes, let’s get the obvious out of the way first.

The Avalanche that skated on the Garden ice Saturday were far from the same team that went scorched earth against the rest of the league during the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs — not with key cogs like Gabriel Landeskog, Valeri Nichushkin, Bowen Byram, Josh Manson and many others currently on the shelf with injuries. 

That being said, this is still the same Colorado roster in the midst of a 13-7-1 start — and still rolled out three superstar players on Saturday in Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar and Mikko Rantanen. 

The Avs are still a very, very dangerous opponent. And the Bruins still completely throttled them for most of their anticipated showdown on Causeway Street.

After a pretty strong surge for the Avs in which Linus Ullmark had to turn aside a few Grade-A looks, the Bruins controlled play for most of the evening — outshooting Colorado, 40-25, and holding a 16-7 edge in high-danger scoring chances at 5v5 play. 

Saturday’s 5-1 victory stood as the latest impressive showing from a Bruins team that is now 20-3 on the season and 14-0-0 within the friendly confines of TD Garden — with the B’s now 4-1 so far in this daunting gauntlet that has featured wins over Tampa Bay, Carolina and Colorado. 

Sure, you can discount or diminish Boston’s performance on Saturday by looking at the Avs’ injury report. But take the opponent out of the equation in this exercise. 

Because frankly, if the Bruins played as they did on Saturday against ANY opponent, the result would have probably been the same. 

That was a suffocating, dominant, Cup-level performance from a Bruins team that is continuing to shred any team that has stood in their way. 

SEVEN UP

Brad Marchand: Yes, his lone point of the evening once again came on the power play, but Marchand was a force all night against Colorado — drawing two penalties and routinely extending O-zone possessions with some quick cuts and dangles. A vintage performance from a player in Marchand who is continuing to get back to full strength from major hip surgery — with consistent 5v5 production standing as the next goal for the veteran winger to reach.

Linus Ullmark: In his first outing since Nov. 25, Ulmark was more than up to the task, stopping 24 of the 25 shots that came his way. Yes, Boston controlled a majority of the game thanks to some fantastic transition play and effective checking, but Colorado still managed to generate nine total high-danger scoring chances in this one — with Ullmark stopping eight of those looks.

Charlie McAvoy: Yes, Cale Makar deservedly sits at the summit when it comes to the most impactful blueliners in the NHL. But a game like Saturday shows that McAvoy is right there with the UMass product when it comes to today’s top D-men.

McAvoy’s stat line on Saturday was once again stacked: 25:04 TOI. Two assists. Three hits. Two blocks. 

But Boston’s No. 1 defenseman also dominated in head-to-head matchups against both Makar and the MacKinnon line — with Boston outscoring Colorado, 2-0, in the 12:39 of 5v5 ice time when McAvoy and MacKinnon were on the ice together. McAvoy does get knocked for his miscue that did lead to Andrew Cogliano’s third-period tally, but Boston’s star was still money for most of the evening. 

David Pastrnak: The price continues to go up and up when it comes to Pastrnak’s next contract. Whether it be another howitzer from the left circle on the power play or a danglefest breakaway tally, Pastrnak was the great equalizer at the end of many fruitful chances for the B’s on Saturday. 

Special teams: A meeting with the Avs and their top-ranked power play (33.8 percent success rate) was likely the last thing a slumping B’s penalty kill wanted to see on Saturday. But after relinquishing power-play tallies in seven straight games, Boston’s PK regrouped in impressive fashion against the likes of Makar and MacKinnon — going 3-for-3 in their shorthanded reps. Add in a power-play strike for Pastrnak, and this was a one-sided affair as far as special teams was concerned.

Trent Frederic: Good to see Frederic continue to establish his game next to Charlie Coyle and Taylor Hall — with Frederic recording the first two-goal game of his career. That first tally might have been a simple tap-in, but the second was a missile of a shot from the young forward.  

Jake DeBrusk: DeBrusk’s goal at 15:42 in the third might have been the final nail in the coffin for the Avs, but it was still a major milestone for the winger — standing as the 100th goal of his NHL career.

ONE DOWN?

Eh … probably the call against DeBrusk in what probably should have been another goal for Boston in the second period?  McAvoy’s boo-boo in his own end that led to the Cogliano goal? 

Otherwise, I really don’t think there’s a whole lot to knock in terms of Boston’s play in this one.

PLAY OF THE GAME

LOOSE PUCKS

A vintage, old-time scrap here between Nick Foligno and Andreas Englund. 

LOOKING AHEAD

The Bruins will close out their four-game homestand on Monday when they host Bruce Cassidy and the Vegas Golden Knights in an anticipated bout. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m.