Game 16 Live Blog: Boston Bruins Vs. Philadelphia Flyers

Here are five thoughts from the second period with the Boston Bruins leading the Philadelphia Flyers by a 6-2 score after the opening 40 minutes at Lake Tahoe.

• The Bruins outshot the Flyers by a 15-3 margin in the second period and really took over the game with four unanswered goals as the middle-6 forward group created some needed secondary scoring punch.

• First career NHL goal for Trent Frederic, who teed up a puck on edge and beat Carter Hart glove hand with a rocket from beyond the face-off circle. It’s good to see very necessary scoring coming from Frederic, Nick Ritchie and Charlie Coyle in that middle period.

• What a back-check by Patrice Bergeron breaking up a Kevin Hayes offensive chance that almost immediately led to a Bruins goal at the other end of the ice. It was very reminiscent of the back-check by Bergeron in the 2019 Winter Classic game against the Chicago Blackhawks where he caught up from behind and completely squashed the scoring chance for an opponent. That is Selke Trophy-level stuff, folks.

What a backcheck from Patrice Bergeron. pic.twitter.com/MtzNBeUgtA

— Conor Ryan (@ConorRyan_93) February 22, 2021

• Two points for John Moore in the second period, including the deep point shot that Ritchie redirected past Carter Hart for a goal. Moore has been much better in this game as he continues to get his feet wet after sitting out most of the first month of action, and that’s a good thing as the Bruins keep suffering injuries on their back end.

• Jake DeBrusk doesn’t have any points to show for it, but he’s been active and has a handful of shots on net in this game. It seems like all of Boston’s support players up front have to come play in this one.

Here are five thoughts from the first period with the Boston Bruins and Philadelphia Flyers locked in a 2-2 tie after the opening 20 minutes at Lake Tahoe.

• Smart plan by the Bruins to attack right away with their top line and get a goal with the unknowns about the ice conditions and the style of play that would be possible. It was also a pretty good strategy against a young Flyers team that doesn’t have a ton of experience in these outdoor games. They seemed to really catch the Flyers napping and catch Carter Hart way off his angle with the David Pastrnak one-timer after a Patrice Bergeron kick-started their transition game. It’s wholly appropriate Pastrnak gets on the board first after he was rocking the Randy “Macho Man” Savage sunglasses during pregame warm-ups.

David Pastrnak opens the scoring just 34 seconds into the game.

1-0 Boston. pic.twitter.com/dzWSdWgyA9

— Conor Ryan (@ConorRyan_93) February 22, 2021

• What a difference that a healthy Seam Couturier makes for the Flyers, eh? It was Couturier’s long shot off the end boards that created a big carom that set up Joel Farabee’s goal. And then Couturier scored on a scramble in front for the Flyers’ second goal. He was missing from the Bruins/Flyers games earlier in the season and he’s a difference-maker.

• Jeremy Lauzon done for the rest of the game. The Bruins are now missing all three of their left-shot defensemen that they started the season with and are missing Matt Grzelcyk, Jakub Zboril. Kevan Miller and Lauzon on the back end. That’s rough.

• Speaking of rough, the long goal off the end boards for Joel Farabee was exactly the kind of play that hurts the Boston Bruins because they weren’t able to practice at this outdoor rink. If they did then Tuukka Rask might have anticipated how lively the end boards might have been, but instead he was totally surprised when the puck kicked right out to a charging Farabee off a seemingly simple dump-in attempt.

• If I never see Rutledge Wood on a hockey broadcast again, I’d be totally okay with that. It ain’t working.