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Bruins Postgame: Bruins Snap Out Of It; Beat Sharks 3-0

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12 months ago

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Boston Bruins

A much more inspired and physical Boston Bruins team snapped their three-game losing streak with a 3-0 win over the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night.

Danton Heinen and Jake DeBrusk put the Bruins up 2-0 in the second period, and Pavel Zacha, who also had an assist, sealed the deal, making it 3-0 Bruins at 6:37 of the third period. David Pastrnak added two more assists and now leads the team with 20 helpers.

Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman earned his second shutout of the season with a 28-save performance.

Here’s your Boston Hockey Now Bruins Postgame:

CLUTCH: Over the last ten games, and more specifically during their recent three-game skid, the Boston Bruins have been brutal in the second period, specifically in the first five or last five minutes. Clearly, there was a focus on that since the Bruins’ 5-2 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets because the Bruins played arguably their best second period of the season and easily their best period of hockey in their last four games.

After a decent first period that wound up in a scoreless draw, the Bruins came out flying in the second, and just 1:39 into the middle frame, Danton Heinen scored his third goal of the season to make it 1-0 Bruins.

 

 

Heinen now has a goal and an assist in his last two games and two goals and three assists in his last six contests.

David Pastrnak, Pavel Zacha, and Jake DeBrusk then made a beautiful tic-tac-toe entering the offensive zone, and DeBrusk finished it off with a goal scorer’s goal to put the Bruins up 2-0 8:10 into the second period with his fourth goal of the season.

 

 

BANGER: During their recent three-game losing streak, the Bruins were criticized for not defending each other and having more of a pack mentality. That was on full display in their 7-4 loss to the New York Rangers last Saturday when Trent Frederic was hit with a two-hander to the head from Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba. The dirty play by Trouba went unpenalized by the referees and, sadly, by Frederic’s teammates.

Well, during the second period of the Bruins’ game against the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night, Trent Frederic did for his captain, Brad Marchand, what his teammates didn’t do to Trouba for him. With the Bruins up 2-0 on the Sharks 13:57 into the second period, Sharks 6-foot-2, 214-pound forward Givani Smith took a run at the 5-foot-9, 186-pound Marchand in the corner and hit him right on the numbers.

 

 

Not so surprisingly, given how inconsistent officiating has been this season, all Smith got was a two-minute minor for boarding. Boston Bruins defenseman Derek Forbort tackled Smith to the ice and got called for a two-minute minor for roughing, but the Bruins, and more specifically, Frederic, weren’t done with Smith. With :54 seconds left in the middle frame, Frederic hunted Smith down and challenged him. After falling to the ice early in the bout, Frederic recovered nicely and held his own.

 

 

DOGHOUSE: I’ve been trying my hardest not to criticize NHL officials when it comes to minor penalties and run-of-the-mill stuff, but when it comes to the inconsistency in protecting players, I can’t take it anymore. How was Trouba not suspended last Saturday, and how was Smith not given a five-minute boarding penalty and thrown out of the game when he hit a guy from behind right on the numbers and with Marchand in a vulnerable spot?

UNSUNG HERO: Danton Heinen continues to make Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney look like a genius for signing him to a second tour of duty with the Bruins off a professional tryout. Heinen has given head coach Jim Montgomery the option to slot him in on any line, and on Thursday, he found himself skating with Marchand and Matt Poitras. Once again, he was a factor and the unsung hero.

Boston Bruins Lineup

Forwards

Jake DeBrusk-Pavel Zacha-David Pastrnak

James van Riemsdyk-Charlie Coyle-Trent Frederic

Brad Marchand-Matt Poitras-Danton Heinen

Jakub Lauko-John Beecher-Morgan Geekie

Defensemen

Matt Grzelcyk-Charlie McAvoy

Hampus Lindholm-Brandon Carlo

Derek Forbort-Kevin Shattenkirk

Goalies

Jeremy Swayman

Linus Ullmark

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