Three takeaways from the Bruins’ victory over the Coyotes
By jc
What did we learn about the Bruins in their victory against Arizona?
The Boston Bruins visited Arizona on Saturday night to take on the new-look Coyotes. Unfortunately for the home team, the Bruins leave with their second victory of the young season.
Arizona started strong and carried play for most of the first period. Jaroslav Halak, however, stood tall and kept the Coyotes off the scoreboard. Brad Marchand gave Boston a 1-0 lead late in the first.
The second and third periods saw more of the same. The Coyotes generated a bunch of chances, but Halak stopped them all. He finished with his first shutout of the season. As such, he’s the big story coming out of the game.
Jaro Halak will make a major impact again this season
There’s really no other way to say it: Jaro Halak won the game against Arizona. He finished the game with 35 saves on 35 shots, but even that doesn’t do him justice.
Halak was especially dominant in the second period. After Coyotes goalie Darcy Kuemper made a big stop on Brad Marchand, Halak responded with a better one on Clayton Keller. He also made a strong save on a 2 on 1 with about five minutes left in the period.
One player in particular who will have nightmares of Halak is Phil Kessel. Kessel had a number of chances to tie the game in the third, but Halak stopped them all. At one point, Kessel couldn’t help but smile at his misfortune.
Halak’s shutout against Arizona doesn’t mean there’s a goalie controversy. Tuukka Rask remains the starter. Nonetheless, Halak showed that he’ll make a big impact on Boston’s season yet again.
Halak played in 40 games for the Bruins last season. His play took pressure of Rask and allowed Bruce Cassidy to manage his workload. As a result, Rask had enough energy left for a long playoff run.
Based on his game in Arizona, expect Halak to again play around 40 games this season. He may be a backup, but he’s one of Boston’s most important players.