Talking Points: DeBrusk Steps Up, Bruins Beat Kraken 3-2 In OT

Jake DeBrusk scored his second goal of the game 33 seconds into overtime and the Boston Bruins beat the Seattle Kraken 3-2 and extend the Bruins’ winning streak to three games.

The win placed the Bruins (30-17-4, 64 pts), within one point of the Washington Capitals (28-16-9, 65 pts), for the top wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

After Kraken defenseman Mark Giordano gave Seattle a 1-0 lead with a shorthanded goal 3:29 into regulation, DeBrusk tied the game at one for the Bruins 17:33 into the first period. Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak put the B’s up 2-1 6:47 into the second period but Kraken forward Jordan Eberle tied the game 13:19 into the middle frame.

Boston Bruins goalie Linus Ullmark turned back 25 of 27 Kraken shots and Kraken goalie Philipp Grubauer stopped 36 of 39 Bruins shots.

The Bruins now travel to San Jose to face the Sharks in the second game of their six-game road trip.

Here’s your BHN Talking Points:

GOLD STAR: Jake DeBrusk – Has the Prodigal Son returned or is he about to depart? When Boston Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy decided to insert DeBrusk on the top line with Marchand and Bergeron Wednesday, many, including yours truly, speculated that this was a move to showcase DeBrusk. DeBrusk’s trade request went public in late November and until recently, the current Bruins winger has been better, but truly, nothing special. However, with his two goals on Thursday in Seattle, DeBrusk now has goals in three straight games and four over that span. Will this be his ticket out of Boston before the March 21 NHL trade deadline or a change of course for him and the Bruins?

Jake DeBrusk's (@JDebrusk) second of the night is your @SamuelAdamsBeer OT winner! pic.twitter.com/yoU5kNJa0d

— NHL (@NHL) February 25, 2022

BLACK EYE: Line Changes

In his first game back after a six-game suspension, Boston Bruins winger Brad Marchand provided East Coast Bruins fans with a case of deja vu they didn’t need staying up late for this game. There’s no doubt that Marchand’s infamous and errant line change in Game 7 of the 2019 Stanley Cup Final that led to a St. Louis Blues goal was in some nightmares in the wee hours after this game. Just like that regrettable brain fart that led to a goal in the first period of the Blues’ 4-1, Stanley Cup-clinching win on June 15, 2019, Marchand inexplicably headed to the bench for a change in the first period Thursday night with the Bruins on a four-minute powerplay. That led to Giordano breaking through for a shorthanded goal 3:29 into the opening frame. Not sure if it was rust after six games off, but the guess here is, Marchand, like so many Bruins fans never thought they’d see this again.

Probably shouldn’t change there… pic.twitter.com/1IolYYfq1d

— Blake Thorne (@_BlakeThorne) February 25, 2022

To make matters worse though, Marchand wasn’t the only culprit though because his linemate, and arguably the smartest player in the NHL, Patrice Bergeron was guilty of the same crime later in the game. With the Boston Bruins up 2-1, Bergeron was off on a line change as well and that led to an odd-man rush for the Kraken. Eberle ended up with a beauty of a scoring chance and he buried it past Ullmark to tie the game at two 13:49 into the middle frame.

Another bad Bruins change results in a Seattle goal.

Super silky finish from Jordan Eberle.

2-2: pic.twitter.com/oOV8t7tJdk

— Blake Thorne (@_BlakeThorne) February 25, 2022

TURNING POINT: DeBrusk’s First Goal – The Boston Bruins were out-shooting the Kraken 14-5 when DeBrusk scored his first goal. While this may seem a bit early for a turning point, the fact the Bruins weren’t up at least 1-0 by this point and instead, down a goal, could’ve led to frustration taking over. This goal got what could’ve been a huge monkey on their back off before it became an issue and gave the Bruins confidence they weren’t going to fall under a spell of a hot goalie.

Erik Haula accidentally does the ‘The Dishigan’ out front and Jeremy Lauzon bats it down for Jake DeBrusk to tap in.

1-1. pic.twitter.com/BPLAPa3s1s

— Blake Thorne (@_BlakeThorne) February 25, 2022

HONORABLE MENTION: David Pastrnak – Pastrnak was on a mission Thursday and if not for Grubauer, a cross-bar, and a post, he may have had a hat trick. That’s why he deserves tons of credit here because he did not let frustration take over as he failed to light the lamp with five shots on net and nine total before scoring his 28th goal of the season on a seed from Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy. Waiting in his sweet spot in the faceoff circle, Pastrnak simply buried the one-timer past Grubauer to give the Boston Bruins a 2-1 lead 6:47 into the second period. He now has four goals in his last three games after going games without lighting the lamp.

filthy no-look cross-ice feed by McAvoy to Pastrnak. Pastrnak with an absolute howitzer my God pic.twitter.com/QzLGyPLUl3

— Spoked Z (@SpokedZ) February 25, 2022

BY THE NUMBERS: 105 – The Bruins had not played a game in Seattle in 105 years since playing the Seattle Americans.

QUOTE TO NOTE: “You play in that room for all of those guys, and obviously lots of memories considering playoff runs and I’ve grown up in this organization…To hear them say that is obviously very nice. It kind of amplifies how close we are as a group.” – DeBrusk on his teammates’ support of him since the trade request.