Talking Points: Marchand Powers Boston Bruins To Victory

Here are the Talking Points from the Boston Bruins 3-1 win over the San Jose Sharks at the SAP Center on Saturday night.

GOLD STAR: Brad Marchand had his best game since coming back from suspension and factored into all three goals for the Boston Bruins. He scored the first one to put the B’s on the board when he finished off a 2-on-1 one-timer off a perfect pass from Jake DeBrusk, and then he fired home a PP one-timer from the bottom of the face-off circle on another great dish from Taylor Hall to provide the game-winning margin. Marchand also helped kick-start the B’s insurance goal in the final minute when Boston Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy put back the Perfection Line to ice the game for the Black and Gold. In all Marchand finished with two goals, three points and a plus-3 in 20:27 of ice time for the Bruins along with a team-high eight shots on net.

BLACK EYE: A tough break for Mario Ferraro, who left the game with an apparent ankle injury after Ferraro and Taylor Hall collided as they were going into the end boards for a loose puck. Hall was called for interference as he made some contact with Ferraro as they approached at the same time. Unfortunately, Ferraro lost his balance in the vulnerable position and crashed awkwardly into the boards with his foot bending the wrong way as he slid into the kick plate. Ferraro (lower body) quickly left the ice and didn’t return to the game in a tough loss for the Sharks on an unfortunate play for the former UMass standout.

TURNING POINT: The game turned in the opening minutes of the third period when Noah Gregor caught Patrice Bergeron in the side of the head with a high stick that put the Sharks shorthanded in a 1-1 game. The Boston Bruins dominated puck possession on the power play and then finally struck gold when Hall snapped a beautiful cross-ice pass to Brad Marchand at the bottom of the face-off circle for a shot attempt that went off James Reimer’s mask on the way to the back of the net. Once the Bruins regained their one-goal lead against the Sharks it was time to rely on defense and Jeremy Swayman’s brilliance in net as he protected the slim lead.

HONORABLE MENTION: Jeremy Swayman wasn’t tested early in the game, but he was under siege late in the third period as the Boston Bruins protected a one-goal lead. And Swayman was up to the challenge. He kicked away a Noah Gregor one-timer from the slot with a confident leg pad save and then minutes later snuffed out a Tomas Hertl odd-man rush attempt at the net as he stopped all seven shots that he saw from San Jose in the third period. And then there was this absolute robbery on Hertl as well.

OMG JEREMY SWAYMAN pic.twitter.com/xmT1I6QBV1

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) February 27, 2022

It was almost the equal of what he saw for the entirety of the previous two periods as he stopped 8-of-9 shots and finished with only 15 saves for the entire game as Boston’s dominated puck possession throughout against the Sharks. But Swayman continued to push for a grasp of the No. 1 job with the Bruins with the brilliant way he’s played since Tuukka Rask announced his retirement.

BY THE NUMBERS: 4 – the franchise-record number of victories for the Boston Bruins out on the road in San Jose, where they haven’t lost a game since way back in 2016.

QUOTE TO NOTE: “When you’re not seeing a lot of rubber, it’s definitely tough to make sure you’re focused. But that’s what I want to emphasize on. And I want the team to have confidence in me. When it’s not a lot of shots, no matter what, I’m ready.” –Rookie netminder Jeremy Swayman on standing tall in the third period where he stopped all seven shots he saw as San Jose attempted a furious comeback in a game that was tight all the way through.