Boston Bruins: 3 Studs & 3 Duds Against the Flyers
The Boston Bruins wrapped up their four-game road trip through Washington and Philadelphia with a 3-0-1 record following another come-from-behind win over the Flyers, 2-1, at the Wells Fargo Center Friday night.
It was a mixed effort for the Black and Gold as they played a strong third period, but in the first 40 minutes, the Bruins looked like a team at the end of a week-long road trip that just wanted to get on a plane and get home.
Getting home is exactly what Boston will be doing over the next four days. Their two-game homestand scheduled for tonight and Monday at the TD Garden against the Buffalo Sabres has been canceled because of COVID-19 protocols with the Sabres.
The Bruins can enjoy their mini-break following their fourth win over the Flyers on the season. Here are three duds and three studs from their eighth victory of the season in 11 games in the newly realigned East Division.
No. 3 Dud
Trent Frederic
Frederic has had a solid start to the season, but he seemed to be in Bruce Cassidy’s doghouse Friday night after playing just 9:39 on16 shifts. Aside from two hits in the game, he was not noticed much in the game.
He had one nearly costly turnover in the first period and was bailed out by goalie Tuukka Rask with a save, but the 22-year-old first-round pick has had better nights this season. Frederic has impressed early in the season, but this was not the best game or road trip for the youngster.
No. 2 Dud
Nick Ritchie
Speaking of turning the puck over, it was not a night that Ritchie will have on his highlight reel anytime soon. He had multiple turnovers in the Bruins’ end and like Frederic, he was bailed by out by Rask. In the third period, he made two bad plays that resulted in a pair of icings.
In just over 14 minutes of action, Ritchie was even ineffective on the Bruins’ two power play chances, which is where he has done most of his scoring this year with all four of his goals coming on the man-advantage.
It’s safe to say that the Nick Ritchie the Bruins got Friday night was more like the Nick Ritchie that came to town following last February’s trade with the Anaheim Ducks. The Bruins need more from Ritchie than they got last night.
No. 1 Dud
Chris Wagner
Wagner got a little too aggressive in the game and it cost him and the Bruins. The Flyers were being called for a penalty in the first period when Wagner evened things out when he was called for roughing when he punched Flyers defensemen Travis Sanheim in the face after the whistle.
Wagner was not so lucky at the end of the second period when he whistled for his second penalty of the game when he punched James van Riemsdyk behind the play after finishing a check. The penalty was called with three seconds left in the period.
Early in the third period, van Riemsdyk capitalized for Philadelphia on the man-advantage by tipping Erik Gustafsson’s slap shot from the point. Wagner played just over 10 minutes, but it was far from his best 10 minutes this season. He did not take a shift in the third period.
No. 3 Stud
Sean Kuraly
Kuraly does a lot of the dirty work for the Bruins, but Friday night, he scored what turned out to be the game-winning goal.
Twenty-seven seconds after the Bruins tied the game, Kuraly broke down the left side into the Flyers end and his wrist shot from the circle hit the inside of the far post behind Philadelphia goalie Brian Elliott and into the net.
Aside from his goal, it was a very Sean Kuraly night. He spent time killing penalties and was strong on the forecheck. He had two shots on net, but he did what most coaches tell their players to do, get the puck to the net and good things will happen. Something good did happen in the third period and he was a big reason why the Bruins left Philly with two points in regulation.
No. 2 Stud
Brad Marchand
Marchand’s strong start to the season contained Friday night. With Boston trailing 1-0 with less than eight minutes left the game, the Bruins won an offensive zone faceoff and worked the puck to the front of the net.
A David Pastrnak shot from the point was blocked by Elliott, but Marchand led a charge of players that crashed the crease and Marchy was able to push the puck into the net to tie the game. As usual, Marchand was all over the ice for the entire game.
He had a team-high six shots on net, but he had another strong night killing penalties as well. The goal gave Marchand the team led in lamplighters with seven, one ahead of Bergeron.
No. 1 Stud
Tuukka Rask
Coming into the game, the Flyers were averaging 23 shots on net a night. Friday night, they fired 24 at Rask, and the Bruins No. 1 netminder turned back 23 of them. His biggest save of the night occurred in the second period when he stopped the Flyers Joel Farabee on a penalty shot.
The only shot to find its way behind Rask was van Riemsdyk’s tip 27 seconds into the third period. After that, Rask stopped the final 12 shots Philadelphia had on the net in the final 19:33 including being under fire in the final five minutes.
Craig Smith was called for a penalty with just under four minutes left and Rask was able to make three saves, including one through a screen on the power play.
Rask made seven first period saves and then four in the second before coming up big in the third. Some of the opportunities the Flyers had early in the game was because of turnovers by the Bruins in their own end.
Rask has had another strong start to the season and got his second consecutive start by Cassidy most likely because of the two Sabres games being canceled this weekend.
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With the win, Rask improved to 4-1-1 this season with a 2.57 goals-against average (GAA) and a .888 save percentage (SV%). He has won all three starts against the Flyers in 2021 and allowed eight goals on 75 shots.