Bruins Postgame: Road Warrior Bruins Kick 2024 Off With 4-1 Win

The Boston Bruins were an NHL record, 32-9-4 on the road in 2023, and now they have their first road win of 2024 with a 4-1 win over the Blue jackets in Columbus on Tuesday night.

The Bruins have now won four straight games and are once again the best team in the Eastern Conference.

Here’s your Boston Hockey Now Bruins Postgame:

CLUTCH: Yes, this is usually reserved for players or a coach because they play a direct role in the outcome of the game. However, and as mentioned here before, Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney deserves a ton of credit for the bargain-hunting he did on the NHL free agent market last offseason. From James van Riemsdyk to Kevin Shattenkirk and then Danton Heinen on a professional tryout, all three have played pivotal roles in the team’s success this season, and that was the case again on Tuesday night. All three players factored into each Boston goal, with van Riemsdyk scoring the game-winner and assisting on two others, and Shattenkirk and Heinen both lighting the lamp as well.

Danton Heinen lights the lamp for the fifth time this season. It's a 3-1 game.

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— Jamie Gatlin (@JamieGatlin17) January 3, 2024

DOGHOUSE: The doghouse is full of Boston Bruins fans and some media that somehow think that Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery should just give rookie Georgii Merkulov an automatic spot in the top 6 forward group. They really need to wake up to the reality of an NHL team, like the Bruins, not in a rebuild. Yes, Merkulov was the AHL player of the month for December with 10 goals and eight assists for a league-high 18 points in 12 games last month, but he looked out of place in his first two NHL games, and the Bruins rightfully dropped him down in the lineup.

To think that he should instantly, and no matter how he plays, be ahead of Charlie Coyle, Morgan Geekie, or Pavel Zacha in a top 6 center spot is absolutely ludicrous. The read here is that these are the same fans who thought the same about Ryan Spooner and Ryan Donato and blasted Claude Julien and Bruce Cassidy for not following their game plan. How’d that turn out?

BANGER: Jakub Lauko finished with three hits and continues to be a new ‘Little Ball Of Hate’ for the Boston Bruins.

UNSUNG HERO: Two weeks ago, there were plenty of Boston Bruins fans and even some in the local media who were ready for the Boston Bruins to trade winger Jake DeBrusk away for whatever the Bruins could get. What a difference a couple of weeks can make, eh?

With an assist on van Riemsdyk’s game-winner, DeBrusk now has two goals and four assists in his last five games and appears to be finding his groove offensively.

After a little double-deflection action, the Bruins have a 2-1 lead. James van Riemsdyk gets the goal and now has seven this season.

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— Jamie Gatlin (@JamieGatlin17) January 3, 2024

Truth be told, now or even two weeks from now if this continues, would be a better time to gauge DeBrusk’s trade value if the Bruins don’t plan on signing him to a contract extension. However, the read here is that the Bruins aren’t close to either scenario yet.

Boston Bruins Lineup

Forwards

Pavel Zacha-Morgan Geekie-David Pastrnak

Brad Marchand-Charlie Coyle-Jake DeBrusk

James van Riemsdyk-Trent Frederic-Danton Heinen

Jakub Lauko-Georgii Merkulov-Oskar Steen

Defensemen

Mason Lohrei-Charlie McAvoy

Hampus Lindholm-Brandon Carlo

Matt Grzelcyk-Kevin Shattenkirk

Goalies

Linus Ullmark

Jeremy Swayman

NEXT UP: The Boston Bruins return home for a two-game home stand. They play the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday night and then host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday night before beginning a four-game road trip against the Colorado Avalanche in Denver next Monday.