The Boston Bruins keep on rolling. Last night at Madison Square Garden, they completed a mini road trip sweep through New York with a 3-1 win over the Rangers. They’ve outscored their opponents 7-2 on this road trip and continue their perfect month of January.
Game Summary
The Bruins continue to roll. After beating the New York Islanders on Wednesday, they defeated the New York Rangers 3-1. Boston wasted no time getting on the board right out of the gate. Just over a minute into the opening period, Pavel Zacha deflected a David Krejci shot past reigning Vezina Trophy winner Igor Shesterkin.
After securing the lead, they kept pouring it on when Patrice Bergeron sniped a shot top shelf, and Connor Clifton opened the third period by finishing a two-on-one with Brad Marchand. The Rangers would grab a late goal, but once the horn sounded, the Bruins emerged victorious. However, the game came at a price for Boston as they lost Brandon Carlo due to a lower-body injury.
Stats Of The Game
The Bruins may have dominated the scoreboard and capitalized on their chances, but the Rangers dominated the game. At 5v5, the Rangers had the better possession (56.67%) and dominated all three periods in that regard. Both teams excelled in the high-danger area, only allowing nine chances, but the Rangers generated more scoring opportunities. However, the Bruins put on more quality chances and excelled in the expected goals department (51.42% expected goals for). Special teams were non-factor, as each team was sensational on the penalty kill. The most significant difference in this game was the goaltending.
Game Notes
The Goaltending
This game featured a goaltending duel between Igor Shesterkin and Jeremy Swayman. Swayman went on to outduel his counterpart and secure the victory. Swayman improved his record to 11-3-3 and remains perfect in January (4-0). Here is a breakdown of how the two goalies compared:
Shesterkin: 27 of 24. .889 save percentage and a -0.29 goals saved above expected.
Swayman: 32 or 31. .969 save percentage. 1.73 goals saved above expected.
Kick save…from the Beauty | Part II pic.twitter.com/pcVUETyKtp
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) January 20, 2023
It is not often anyone outduels Shesterkin, but Swayman was sharper and was a big reason why the Bruins won. He made plenty of key saves, and the one above was one of many.
Impactful Lines
Two lines continue to impress. One line that keeps producing further is “The Czech Line.” Last game, the guys had nine points in a humiliating fashion. They grabbed the first goal in the game, and Zacha and Krejci (one goal, two assists) capitalized early.
This one felt inevitable. © pic.twitter.com/MisZnHYSDW
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) January 20, 2023
The other line is Bergeron, Marchand, and Craig Smith. What made them so good was dominating possession (Corsi For of 61.54), and dominated the expected goal share with 81.98%. This means that good things were happening when they were on the ice, and they accounted for a goal. They generated five scoring chances, and we’re on the ice for none.
What’s Next for the Boston Bruins?
The B’s have a few days off as they suit up Sunday against the San Jose Sharks on home ice.
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