The Boston Bruins won their second consecutive game in 48 hours over the New York Rangers with a 1-0 victory at Madison Square Garden Friday night. Two nights after winning 3-2 in overtime, the Bruins were able to grind out a win over a Rangers team that has struggled early in the season putting the puck in the net.
Boston won their 10th game of the season in just game No. 13. Let’s take a look at some of the good, and, ugly from the Bruins’ shutout victory.
The Good
- Jaroslav Halak earned his 51st shutout in his career as he stopped all 21 Rangers’ shots, including 10 in the first period to improve to 4-0-1 this season. His best save was in the first period when New York’s No. 1 draft pick in October pick Alexis Lafreniere batted the puck out of the air, but Halak, sliding side to side, was able to flash out the right pad to make the save.
- Prior to the game, I wrote about how the Bruins needed to get secondary scoring from someone, anyone, and Nick Ritchie provided it in the second period for the game’s only goal. Ritchie broke down the right side and flipped a backhander on net that Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin stopped. The rebound found its way back to Ritchie and he was able to bank it into the net from behind the goal line off of Sherterkin’s back.
- The Bruins penalty killing has been very good lately and it was again Friday night. Boston killed off all six Rangers opportunities, including a 6-on-4 for the final 1:02 of the game when Charlie McAvoy was called for a delay of game after flipping the puck straight into the empty stands. Brandon Carlo and Kevan Miller killed most of the time along the boards behind the Bruins net by pining the puck along the boards to run out the clock.