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Talking Points: Boston Bruins Grind Way To Record Victory

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1 year ago

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Boston Bruins

RALEIGH, NC – Here are the Talking Points from the Boston Bruins highly entertaining 4-3 shootout win over the Carolina Hurricanes at PNC Arena on late Sunday afternoon.

GOLD STAR: It’s got to be David Pastrnak, who stepped into a big time leadership role wearing the “A” with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand out of the lineup and then carried the B’s on the ice with a pair of goals including his milestone 50th of the season. Pastrnak finished at 51 goals after scoring a pair and was Boston’s offensive engine early in the game before Carolina stormed back into the game in the third period. Pastrnak finished with the two goals and a plus-1 rating in 19:53 of ice time to go along with a team-high six shots on net, eight shot attempts and a pair of hits. Then he posed for a picture with his game puck afterward commemorating his place in Boston Bruins history along with legends like Cam Neely, Johnny Bucyk, Rick Middleton and Phil Esposito.

BLACK EYE: It’s been an inconsistent run for Connor Clifton as of late with a crowded field of Boston Bruins defensemen vying for playing and he was not at his best in the win over Carolina. He finished a team-worst minus-2 and it was Clifton that failed to tie up Jack Drury in front after Jalen Chatfield threw a centering pass toward the front of the net. Clifton finished with a shot attempt, four hits and a blocked shot in 15:53 of ice time, but he was somebody that the Hurricanes were able to attack at points in the game. He’s going to have to be better if he wants to keep his spot in the lineup once the playoffs start and those kinds of mistakes get magnified.

TURNING POINT: Once it got to the shootout, it was all over. A confident Jake DeBrusk apparently winked at the Bruins bench prior to dashing out and speeding toward the net before burying one under the bar for the game-clinching shot. Charlie Coyle gets credit for the actual game-winner after beating Freddie Andersen five hole in the opening moments of the shootout, but it was DeBrusk that slammed the door shut with a pretty goal that Andersen didn’t even have a snowball’s chance of stopping. He really has become one of Boston’s weapons in the shootout with a couple of signature moves that goalies have a difficult time stopping.

HONORABLE MENTION: Jeremy Swayman was stellar in net for the Boston Bruins throughout a game where there were quality scoring chances for both the Hurricanes and the Black and Gold. Swayman was brilliant in the first period while 14 saves and held things together in the third period with 10 saves when the tiring Bruins began to let up Grade-A chances around the Boston net. Swayman saved some of his best for the final seconds of OT when he stopped Brent Burns and Eric Staal on successive chances that allowed Boston to get to the shootout where they took the victory. In all Swayman made 34 saves and once again showed that he’s going to be a viable option once the playoffs get going if Linus Ullmark falters even a little.

BY THE NUMBERS: 57 – the Bruins have now tied the franchise record for the most wins in Boston Bruins history with their next one set to break a longstanding record.

QUOTE TO NOTE: “I’ll probably have a beer or two.” –David Pastrnak with a wide smile on his his face when asked how he’s likely to celebrate scoring his 50th goal.

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