The goal for Trent Frederic that got the Bruins on the board in Wednesday night’s Game 3 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs was a massive one.
It evened the score in the second period after Matthew Knies had drawn first blood for the Maple Leafs and rewarded the B’s for finding an extra gear after Toronto put them behind on the scoreboard. But it was a goal that almost nobody celebrated or acknowledged as it surprisingly beat Ilya Samsonov short side because everybody was instead transfixed at Brad Marchand and Tyler Bertuzzi wrestling around with each other by the neutral zone.
Bertuzzi vs Marchand is getting good pic.twitter.com/RsdmlmvF1U
— Joe Haggerty (@HackswithHaggs) April 25, 2024
The scuffle between the two pests actually helped Frederic gain clean entry into the offensive zone as Leafs defenders were distracted by the Marchand/Bertuzzi battle, but then it turned into a bit of a ghost town when it was time to celebrate the score.
“It was really weird. I was trying to tell the guys that we scored to remind them because I don’t think anyone really knew. It was kind of a weird play. I’m glad it all kind of unraveled like that,” said Frederic. “Normally, you get a reaction from your teammates and the crowd, but I don’t think anyone was watching so it was kind of funny.”
It was more than funny for Frederic after potting his second goal of the Stanley Cup playoffs and continuing a strong brand of hockey in the postseason after a quiet second half to his regular season. Frederic finished with four shot attempts and five hits in 13:09 of ice time along with a plus-2 rating but struggled to a 1-for-7 finish in the faceoff circle as the Bruins look to find guys that can consistently win draws for them.
But between Wednesday night’s strange Game 3 goal that was a distraction to the Marchand/Bertuzzi main event and an empty net goal in Game 1 that served as the first two playoff goals of his NHL career, the heavy and hard-shooting Frederic will be looking for a big-time celebration on his next one should it come in this first-round series against the Maple Leafs.
ONE TIMERS
*Jim Montgomery had nothing but great things to say about Parker Wotherspoon and Mason Lohrei as both young defensemen made their Stanley Cup playoff debuts in Wednesday night’s Game 3 win over the Maple Leafs. Wotherspoon finished with three hits and three blocked shots in 19:10 of ice time including taking a nasty shot to the midsection in the middle of the game. Lohrei had four shot attempts, a couple of hits and a couple blocked shots in 14:19 of ice time along with a couple penalties as well.
“Very good,” said Montgomery of Wotherspoon and Lohrei, who subbed in for the injured Andrew Peeke and Matt Grzelcyk as a healthy scratch. “They were not overwhelmed by the moment; they wanted the moment. That’s the biggest thing. Are there areas of their game that they can improve up on, yeah. That’s good, we’re gonna be able to teach that. But they did a lot of good things. Their battle level, play with the puck for both guys was good.”
*Don’t look now, but Jake DeBrusk is high up on the NHL playoff leaderboard with three goals and five points through the first three playoff games for the Black and Gold. DeBrusk headed into this postseason coming off a so-so regular season in the final year of his contract with the Bruins, so there could be a lot of money on the line for the skilled winger if he continues to produce in the postseason.
“As a net-front guy, I just try to find spots to be open,” said DeBrusk, who has all three goals and four of his five points on the power play this postseason. “Sometimes it just takes one to fall. But at the same time, it’s waves and flows of the season. I think it happens with every group, even the best power plays in the league. Could be a month where it struggles and then finds its tune.
“Obviously, it’s been a big focus for the first three games. Their power play has gotten better as the series has gone on. Even though we killed a lot today, I think they were starting to get their touches. We’ve got to be very conscious of that.”
*Derek Forbort continues to skate as he comes back from a couple of in-season surgeries for issues that were dogging him during the regular season. Montgomery said he wouldn’t be available for Saturday night’s Game 4, but he continues to “step-by-step getting closer” to a return to playoff action.
*James van Riemsdyk made his playoff debut for the Bruins in Game 3 and had a couple of scoring chances on partial breakaway in 10 plus minutes of ice time. It was one of JVR’s best games in the last few weeks, so it bodes well for the veteran winger continuing to get his way into the playoff lineup for the Black and Gold.
“He had two excellent scoring chances himself, set up a third,” said Montgomery. “And was getting to the spots that he has been when he’s playing well. It was a real good game for him.”