FINAL: Bruins 3, Devils 0 - Boston, Swayman return home with shutout

Pretty thorough ass-kicking by the Bruins during Monday's 3-0 matinee win over the shorthanded Devils. The B's have earned at least one point in 10 of their last 11 games.

Charlie Coyle potted the only goal goalie Jeremy Swayman needed early in the second period. David Pastrnak added a power play goal in the third, and Trent Frederic finished it with a diving tip-in into an empty net.

"We played north," said Jim Montgomery, succintly. "We wanted to get it in on our forecheck... and I thought we were able to do that for the majority of the game."

This game should have been over in the first period and would have been if not for Nico Daws. He was absurdly good in the opening 20, robbing the B's of several grade-A chances but also getting some help from wayward shots and an overturned goal. The B's flurry started with Marino in the box for boarding Pavel Zacha. James Van Riemsdyk was in his bag, possessing the puck and then finding Brad Marchand on the doorstep, but Mr. 900 point man clipped the shot wide. Pastrnak had another opportunity later on the man advantage but couldn't hit the corner from point-blank range.

JVR finally potted one on the power play, set up nicely by Marchand, then showed unreal patience in front of Daws, spinning and finding the top shelf with the forehand blocker side. But the Devils challenged it, and it was the right move by Lindy Ruff. Pastrnak was offsides, and the goal was taken off the board. 

Marchand got himself another quality chance, but his bid to go 5-hole was denied. Later, Jakub Lauko could have broken through (off a Zacha feed) but batted the airborne puck just wide. At this point, I was beginning to think this was going to be one of those days, and when Mason Lohrei busted out a little toe drag swag and put a hard shot on Daws, leaving a juicy rebound that was also turned away, I was convinced of it.

Coyle got the B's on the board early in the 2nd, his 15th goal of the season. He took a pass from Marchand while driving to the net, was on the backhand, and stayed there, beating Daws short side. 

Pasta doubled it up on the power play in the 3rd. The B's had excellent puck control, kept the Devils from getting reset, and McAvoy slid a nice pass to Pastrnak at the top of the circle, and his one-timer whistled past Daw's short side again. It's his 26th of the season.