Welcome to the latest edition of the Boston Bruins’ 3 Up, 3 Down for the 2022-23 season. This will be a weekly column released on Mondays chronicling the highs and lows of the previous seven days.
It was a week that will go down in the record books for the 2022-23 Boston Bruins. They set the NHL record for wins in a season, their leading goalscorer reached a milestone, and much more. Despite it being a week to remember for Bruins fans, there were also some downs along the way for a team that holds a 63-12-5 record with just two games remaining in the regular season.
With that said, let’s get the latest Bruins’ 3 Up, 3 Down fired up.
Plus One: Bruins Avoid Disaster With a Charlie McAvoy Injury
On April 6, the Bruins played the first of their five remaining games and the first of two against two Eastern Conference playoff teams when they hosted the Toronto Maple Leafs. Boston was already locked into the top overall seed for the playoffs and the Maple Leafs are locked into the second seed in the Atlantic Division and a matchup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round. In a physical up-and-down battle with their rival, the Black and Gold got a scare in the second period with Charlie McAvoy
McAvoy collided with Patrice Bergeron, then went hard into the boards behind the Boston net. It took McAvoy a minute to get up and skate off to the locker room, before being ruled out for the remainder of the game in the third period. Fortunately for the Bruins, McAvoy returned to the lineup two nights later against the New Jersey Devils instead of missing time. He was held out of the Philadelphia Flyers game on April 9. The last thing they need right now is to lose McAvoy right before the playoffs begin.
Minus One: Nick Foligno & Derek Forbort Land on LTIR
Prior to the Devils game, the Bruins announced that Nick Foligno and Derek Forbort were placed on Long Term Injured Reserve (LTIR). Forbort has been sidelined since mid-March with a foot injury, and Foligno has been out since a Feb. 28 injury late in the second period against the Calgary Flames.
Related: 3 Keys to the Bruins Winning the 2023 Stanley Cup
In the big picture, it’s not a big deal that both players are placed on LTIR as they are not ready to return before the playoffs if they can. It was more to activate Taylor Hall and allow them to fit him under the salary cap for the New Jersey game.
Plus Two: Pavel Zacha Reaches 20 Goals for the 2022-23 Season
It’s safe to say that Pavel Zacha has significantly benefited from his trade last July from the Devils to the Bruins. Already with a career-high 18 goals this season, he reached the 20-goal plateau and did it against his former team.
With David Krejci out injured, Zacha centered the second line against New Jersey between Tyler Bertuzzi and David Pastrnak and wasted little time in finding the back of the net. He tipped home a Hampus Lindholm shot two minutes into the game on the power play, then scored his second of the game 2:44 later when scored on the rebound off a Pastrnak shot. He added his 21st goal against the Flyers. It’s not surprising that the sixth overall pick of the 2015 Entry Draft is thriving this season in the Bruins’ top six with also setting career highs in assists (36) and points (57).
Minus Two: David Krejci Injury
Over the last week, David Krejci missed the last four games and left practice early on April 5 at Warrior Ice Arena with what coach Jim Montgomery said was “discomfort’’. At this point, Boston is doing the right and according to Montgomery “being very precautionary’’ ahead of the playoffs and little to play for. At this point, there is no reason why the Bruins should be precautious with their second-line center before the postseason begins on April 17.
Plus Three: Historic Night in Philadelphia
It was a night to remember for the Bruins in Philadelphia on April 9. David Pastrnak recorded a hat trick to reach the 60-goal mark to join Phil Esposito as the only two players in franchise history to reach that mark, but they also set an NHL record in the process in the 5-3 victory.
The win was the 63rd of the season for the Black and Gold, setting the NHL record that they tied a night before against the Devils in a 2-1 victory. The 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings and 2018-19 Tampa Bay Lightning are the only other two teams to win 62 games. What was even more impressive was that they set the record without five key players. The only thing left to do over the final two games is to get two points to pass the 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens who holds the record for most points in a season with 132.
Minus Three: Garnet Hathaway Takes Shot to the Head
In the second period against the Flyers, the Bruins sustained another injury when Connor Carrick’s shot from the point deflected off a stick and hit Garnet Hathaway in the head. Acquired at the trade deadline with Dmitry Orlov from the Washington Capitals has been a key addition to the fourth line for the Black and Gold. Since the Feb. 23 trade, Hathaway has three goals and five points, while providing the sandpaper-type of the game that Boston needs in the playoffs. He returned to the game at the end of the second period, but a puck to the head is something of concern even though he was able to finish out the game. The last thing the Bruins need at this point is another injury.
With two games remaining, the Black and Gold will turn their attention on how they can avoid any serious injuries before the playoffs begin on April 17. They know that despite all of their regular season success, it will be forgotten if they fail in the postseason. Regardless, it was a week that Bruins fans won’t forget for a long time.
