Boston Bruins: 4 takeaways from 3-2 shootout win over the Devils
The Boston Bruins won their first game of the 2021 season against the New Jersey Devils last night. Here are four takeaways from the game.
Last night, Jan. 14, the Boston Bruins played their first game of the 56-game 2021 NHL season against the New Jersey Devils in Jersey. The outcome of this matchup was a 3-2 victory in the shootout.
The final score doesn’t show it but, the B’s dominated most of this game, especially the first period where the Devils only managed three shots and could only muster opportunities off of rushes and the transition.
Boston, on the other hand, held the puck in the offensive zone and cycled the puck. They finished the first period with 13 shots and up 1-0 thanks to a Brad Marchand powerplay goal off a nice David Krejci cross-crease pass.
The second and third periods were a bit more even between the two teams. The second period ended the same way the first did — with the Black and Gold up 1-0.
However, in the third period, the Devils found twine twice. However, the second goal, scored by rookie defenseman Ty Smith (the first of his career) was a bit of a fluke as it bounced off of around three players and over goalie Tuukka Rask. The third ended in a 2-2 tie with Nick Ritchie finally able to bury the puck in the net.
Overtime saw the Devils dominate, but Rask stood on his head and helped the B’s get to a shootout. In the shootout, Rask stopped every shot he saw while Marchand scored own his attempt to win the game for the Bruins.
Now that you know how the game went, let’s look at the takeaways from the game.
4. Kevan Miller is back for the Boston Bruins.
Defenseman Kevan Miller finally played an NHL game again after missing over 20 months due to a knee injury he suffered in early April of 2019. To say that he made his presence known would be an understatement.
Miller was a wrecking ball, demolishing the opposition with his physical play. In one play, Miller takes out one Devil, while another tries to check him from the behind. Miller just absorbs the check and the Devil falls down like he was the one that just got hit.
Miller finished the game with 16 minutes and 49 seconds of ice time, two hits, one shot on goal, and a -1 plus/minus (+/-). Having him back in the lineup really solidifies the right side of the Bruins’ defense.
Besides Miller, Charlie McAvoy also impressed with his physicality. He was throwing Devils all over the ice and finished the game with the most time played among the entire team with 25:33. Additionally, he had three hits, three blocked shots, two shots on goal, four penalty minutes, and a -1 +/-.
3. Matt Grzelcyk is ready for more responsibility with the Boston Bruins, Jeremy Lauzon is not.
This game started with Jeremy Lauzon on the first defensive pairing with McAvoy. However, he finished the game with just 12 minutes of ice time with McAvoy.
The hope from head coach Bruce Cassidy was that Lauzon could replace Zdeno Chara. But that just isn’t the case just yet. Lauzon just isn’t ready to handle the big minutes that Chara played.
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However, Lauzon could possibly be this player eventually. He may have to be slowly transitioned into this role this season instead of thrown right into it. But with a stacked division, this will be difficult to do this year as it’ll be hard to find favorable matchups to do this.
Unlike Lauzon, Matt Grzelcyk thrived with his expanded role. He finished second among B’s defensemen in time on ice with 24:07 and first in powerplay time with 5:51 across five powerplays.
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Grizz finished the game with six shots on goal, two penalty minutes, and one assist. Grzelcyk showed that he can handle quarterbacking a powerplay and playing top minutes against a bottom-tier team, however, it’s still unknown if this is the case against one of the better teams.
2. Trent Frederic and Anders Bjork need to be regulars in the Boston Bruins’ lineup.
Going into last night, it was expected that Craig Smith would be handling the duties of third line right wing. However, it was suddenly announced that he had suffered a lower-body injury earlier in the week and was a game-time decision. He was ultimately scratched and didn’t play.
Because of Smith’s scratching, Anders Bjork moved up from fourth line left wing to third line right wing and Trent Frederic went from being scratched to playing fourth line left wing.
These lineup changes to prove to be great for the Black and Gold as both Frederic and Bjork brought tenacity and energy to their lines. The fourth line of Frederic, Sean Kuraly, and Chris Wagner was arguably the best line for the B’s. The third line of Ritchie, Charlie Coyle, and Bjork was also very good as Ritchie had multiple scoring chances tonight.
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When Smith is able to play, Frederic and Bjork must remain in the lineup if they continue to play at this level. It’s hard to find someone to take out of the lineup, but I’m sure Cassidy will figure it out. My top choices are either Ritchie or Wagner.
Frederic finished the night with 10:44 of ice time, one takeaway, and two shots on goal, while also playing just over a minute on the penalty kill.
Bjork finished the game with 13:56 of ice time, one takeaway, one shot on goal, and a -1 +/-, while also playing just under a minute on the penalty kill.
1. The Boston Bruins need to play a full 60 minutes and have better discipline.
The Bruins started this game off hot, dominating the Devils in every zone and in every aspect. However, they were nowhere near as aggressive in the second and third periods.
Now, the Devils did make adjustments in the first intermission, but I think the Devils getting back in this game is due to the Bruins not keeping the pedal to the metal.
While the B’s were extremely aggressive and dominated the first period, they sleep walked through the next two and even overtime. The two reasons why this game was so close on the scoreboard were New Jersey’s goalie MacKenzie Blackwood and because Boston let Jersey back into the game.
The Black and Gold were outshooting the Devils 13-3 after the first period, they finished the game up 37-22. They let up and let the Devils have the opportunities to score their two goals.
Along with not playing a full 60 minutes, Boston also took too many penalties. They gave the Devils five powerplay opportunites, including one that ended one of their own powerplays.
These ill-timed penalties can change the complexion of a game by giving the opposition momentum. This undisciplined play just cannot continue. Yes, the Bruins killed all five Devil powerplays, but that isn’t the point.
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The Bruins go at it again against the Devils tomorrow, Saturday, Jan. 16. If they play a full 60 minutes and play a more discipline game, I think they’ll win by at least two goals.