Boston Bruins: 3 takeaways from 5-4 comeback shootout win over Flyers
After going down 2-0 to the Philadelphia Flyers in the second period, the Boston Bruins came out guns blazing in the third period and scored four goals to help get the game to a shootout where they ultimately won.
The game started off well for the B’s. They continued their play from the game against the Islanders. They were creating chances and sustaining pressure at 5-on-5, but just couldn’t finish. The game went into the first intermission scoreless.
However, the Black and Gold struggled in the second period. They had difficulty creating chances at 5-on-5 and finally allowed a powerplay goal against. To make matters worse, the Flyers scored a late goal in the period to make the score 2-0 going into the second intermission.
After that embarrassment of a second period, many Bruins’ fans felt hopeless, they thought this game was all but lost. There was no way Boston was coming back from down 2-0 with their inability to score a goal at 5-on-5.
But this just wasn’t the case last night. The impossible happened as the B’s finally scored a 5-on-5 goal early in the period with rookie Jack Studnicka potting his first NHL goal to make the score 2-1. Miraculously, just over a minute later, Charlie Coyle scored another 5-on-5 goal to tie the game.
Both the Bruins and Flyers would go on to score two more goals in the period to force the game to overtime with a 4-4 score. Overtime would be eventful with goalie Tuukka Rask having to bail out his Boston teammates several times. But, ultimately, the Black and Gold would emerge victorious via a shootout thanks to a nifty move by Jake DeBrusk.
Now that you have the recap of the game, here are my three takeaways from the exciting event.
3. Boston Bruins’ fans owe Nick Ritchie an apology.
Since being acquired by the B’s at last year’s trade deadline, fans have had ridiculously high expectations for left wing Nick Ritchie. They expect him to be a type of player that he just isn’t — a speedy, flashy superstar.
The fact is that Ritchie isn’t pretty to watch. He’s a big-bodied power forward/grinder-type player that makes a living in front of the net deflecting shots and cleaning up rebounds. He’s not fast, doesn’t have the softest hands, and doesn’t have the hardest shot, so don’t expect to see highlight reel goals from the former first-round pick.
Now it’s true that Ritchie wasn’t good during his small amount of time with the Black and Gold last season after being acquired. But you have to give him credit where credit is due — he has been arguably the best forward for Boston this season.
Ritchie seems like a totally different player than he did last season. He’s getting to rebounds and finding loose pucks to create scoring chances. He’s been in the right spot at the right time and just seems to have a knack for this.
Because of Ritchie’s improved play this season, he currently leads the team in goals with two and his tied for second on the team in points with three. While he doesn’t play like a stereotypical top-six forward, he’s been producing like one and fans owe him an apology.
2. Ondrej Kase shouldn’t be guaranteed a spot in the Boston Bruins’ lineup when he’s healthy.
After being apart of arguably Boston’s best line in the playoffs with David Krejci and Jake DeBrusk, head coach Bruce Cassidy wouldn’t move Ondrej Kase from this line. However, with Kase going down with an upper-body injury, Cassidy was forced to mix up the lineup.
Although this doesn’t seem like a good thing for a team to be missing its top two right wings, mixing up the lineup has been extremely beneficial for the B’s play at 5-on-5.
Despite the first period of the first game of the season, the Bruins play at 5-on-5 had been abysmal with Kase in the lineup. With Kase out of the lineup over the last two games, the team’s 5-on-5 play has been much better.
DeBrusk has been somewhat revived playing on the first line with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand, and Studnicka has meshed well on the second line with Ritchie and Krejci as he doesn’t have to go up against top lines like he had to while on the first line.
Furthermore, the third line of Anders Bjork, Coyle, and Craig Smith has been finding chemistry and was the best line of the game for the Black and Gold last night. Moreover, the fourth line of Trent Frederic, Sean Kuraly, and Chris Wagner continued their solid play.
With the B’s offense finally finding their stride, I just don’t think it would make sense to insert Kase if the team is still playing well and scoring. So far in his Bruins tenure, Kase has been more of a liability than an asset and shouldn’t be guaranteed a spot in the lineup if he’s not going to produce.
Guys like Ritchie and Studnicka are playing better than he was on his line, so unless Cassidy wants to slot him in for Bjork on the third line or for Wagner on the fourth line, Kase shouldn’t be in the lineup if Boston is scoring and winning.
1. The lack of discipline was the difference between a regulation win and a shootout win for the Boston Bruins.
Once again, the Bruins played a very undisciplined game. They committed five penalties, awarding the Flyers with five powerplay opportunities. However, unlike the previous three games, the B’s were unable to kill every penalty.
The Flyers managed to score two goals on a Boston penalty kill that was perfect before last night’s game. These two goals were the difference between a 4-2 regulation victory and a 5-4 shootout win.
The fact is the B’s are taking way too many penalties. Through the first four games they have had to kill five penalties in three of the game and three in one.
This undisciplined play needs to end. Penalties can be the downfall to winning a game as they change momentum and can take key players off the ice.
I’m not saying that the Bruins need to play without taking any penalties because this just isn’t realistic. But, they need to cutdown on the number of penalties they take. Five per game is just too many and kills any momentum the team has going and ultimately wears down guys like Bergeron and Marchand and all the others that have to kill these penalties.
Next. Boston Bruins: 3 players that need to step up in two games vs Flyers. dark
Overall, these penalties proved costly for Boston tonight and is now also the difference between being behind the Flyers in the standings by two points instead of one. Being able to put away your opponent in regulation is so much more important this season as every game is against a division foe.