Coming off a three-game road trip where they went 1-0-2 with two brutal overtime losses, the Boston Bruins were looking to pick up two points in what was a must-win against the Winnipeg Jets. The President Trophy winners last year, the Jets are a team that is going to miss the Stanley Cup Playoffs this spring.
It was mission accomplished for the Bruins. Boston got six different goal-scorers and built a 4-0 lead through two periods on their way to complete a season sweep of Winnipeg. Here are three takeaways with a huge road game looming on Saturday against the Detroit Red Wings.
Lukas Reichel, you are a Boston Bruin
It was a quiet trade deadline for Bruins general manager Don Sweeney. He made a couple of minor moves, one of which acquired forward Lukas Reichel from the Vancouver Canucks. It was seen as a minor move, but you got the feeling you were going to see him in Boston at some point. That came against the Jets. He was called up from the Providence Bruins in the American Hockey League (AHL) on Wednesday night. He was inserted into the lineup and, of course, scored.
With the Bruins leading 1-0 in the second period, Jonathan Aspirot dumped the puck in the Winnipeg end. The puck was misplayed by Connor Hellebuyck and came out in front of the net, where Reichel was able to score into an open net. He had a good first game with a lot of noticeable shifts.
Bruins second line continues to cook
Where would the Bruins be without their second line of Pavel Zacha, Casey Mittlestadt and Viktor Arvidsson? They have been cooking lately and continued against Winnipeg with a goal late in the second period and one early in the third.
Viktor Arvidsson scored off a wild play in front of the Jets net where the puck bounced up in the air and found its way into the net. Nobody knew who scored the goal to lead the line at the bench. In the third period, Zacha scored when he ripped a shot over the shoulder of Hellbuyck for a 4-0 lead. It was another good night for the line.
Jeremy Swayman, have a night
It was a little surprising that Jeremy Swayman got the start against the Jets after playing in Montreal on Tuesday night and a trip to Detroit looming on Saturday night. It turned out to be the right decision as he once again stood his head amde some big saves early and often.
He finished with 22 saves on 23 shots, but his best came in the second period with the Bruins leading 2-0. Winnipeg's Gabriel Vilardi was alone at the far post and one-timed a pass toward the net where Swayman slid post-to-post to make a huge pad save. A goal there and things might get more interesting than it should have. He also made some big saves in the third period when the Bruins had a six-minute stretch where they were badly outplayed. He certainly is having a big bounce-back season.