Facing an early-season showdown on Thursday night at the TD Garden against the Montreal Canadiens, the Boston Bruins were looking to make an early-season statement against a heated rival. Instead, it was the visiting Canadiens who made the statement loud and clear from the drop of the puck.
Montreal scored two goals in the first 10 minutes and extended their lead to 5-0 in the second period before pulling away for a 5-2 victory. Here are two winners and four losers from the Black and Gold's loss that dropped them to 13-5-1 in the season.
Winner: Casey Mittlestadt
Well, the only reason that the Bruins were able to avoid a shutout was because of Casey Mittlestadt. he scored late in the second period on Montreal goalie Jacob Fowler and then added his second goal less than a minute into the third period. Nothing else got by Fowler, but Mittlestadt continues to play well early in the season on the third line. Like Pavel Zacha, it's a contract year for Mittlestadt.
Loser: David Pastrnak
Yikes. When the Bruins needed him to be at his best in a big game, he didn't. He logged a plus/minus of minus-3 and had a brutal turnover at the offensive blueline that led to a Cole Caufield breakaway goal midway through the second period. He wasn't alone in the giveaways and rough play, but he wasn't the answer. Sure, his line had some nice shifts that sustained pressure, but like he did most of the night, Fowler was able to stop nearly everything thrown at him.
Winner: Elias Lindholm
It was a two-assist night for center Elias Lindholm, who continues to play better and better with each game this season. For now, the back issues seem to be a thing of the past, but as anyone who's had back issues knows, they can pop up at any time. Lindholm continues to prove that he is best suited for the third-line pivot role, and he has at least one point in eight of his last nine games.
Loser: Hampus Lindholm and Charlie McAvoy
After their morning skate at Warrior Ice Arena, head coach Marco Sturm was pleased with how his pairing on defense of Hampus Lindholm and Charlie McAvoy was playing. Talk about a jinx. They finished the game against the Canadiens with a minus-2. They were on the ice when Kirby Dach was allowed to skate behind the Boston net in the first period and swing around a stuff attempt for the first goal of the game, and then in the second when Caulfield scored one on a breakaway off the Pastrnak turnover. Not a good night for the top defensive pair.
Loser: Jeremy Swayman
Was this loss all on goalie Jeremy Swayman? No, but it was a case where your team needed a save, and, well, he didn't make it. It was like him with late reactions and getting over to takeaway openings or quickly cover up pucks. Dach's goal was a simple stuff attempt that Swayman never got over to the post. Then, on Josh Anderson's goal later in the first period, Swayman never covered the puck in the crease, and the crafty veteran poked it home.
On Jake Evans's second-period breakaway, Swayman left the pads open, something he had not done much of all this season for a 3-0 Canadiens lead; then he had no shot on Caufield's breakaway off the Pastrnak turnover. He was pulled after the fourth goal, but truth be told, a couple of saves on the first three goals, and it's a different game.
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