The 2022 trade deadline passed on Monday with some activity by the Boston Bruins. In this edition of Bruins Weekly, the Black and Gold received help on the blue line before the 3 o’clock deadline, one goalie stood tall on the four-game road trip, a veteran showed some big restraint and more.
Cassidy Facing Some Decisions on Defense
At the trade deadline, Bruins general manager (GM) Don Sweeney added two pieces to the Bruins defense in acquiring Hampus Lindholm from the Anaheim Ducks and Josh Brown from the Ottawa Senators. Lindholm was locked up on Sunday with an eight-year contract extension and will slide into the top-four, most likely next to Charlie McAvoy. Brown was acquired for depth and will be in a rotation that includes Connor Clifton, Mike Reilly, and Derek Forbort for two spots.
Clifton made a case to remain in the lineup Monday night when he tied the game at 2-2 with the Montreal Canadiens late in the third period before the Black and Gold won the game in overtime. Clifton has been playing well of late, while Reilly and Forbort have had their ups and downs. The top-four of McAvoy, Lindholm, Brandon Carlo and Matt Grzelcyk is set in stone, now the Bruins coach needs to mix and match his bottom pair. Brown is a 6-foot-5, 217-pound physical player that is not afraid to drop the gloves.
Following their win over Montreal, the Bruins will return to the TD Garden to begin a five-game homestand against the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning Thursday night, and both Lindholm and Brown are expected to be ready to play.
Ullmark Stood Tall on Road Trip
Goalies Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark split the four-game road trip, with Ullmark winning both games he started. He opened the trip with a 2-1 overtime win over the Chicago Blackhawks where he needed to make only 19 saves, but all 19 of those saves were needed as Marc-Andre Fleury was putting on a show against the Bruins. Fleury stopped 46 of the 48 shots he faced.
Against the Winnipeg Jets on March 18, Ullmark stopped 27 shots in a 4-2 Boston win, but again, he came up with some key saves early in the game. In the first period, he stopped Nikolaj Ehlers on a penalty shot. Then in the second period, he stopped former Bruin and Winnipeg captain Blake Wheeler on a breakaway to allow the Black and Gold to take a 2-0 lead into the third period. The Jets scored two goals 1:35 apart in the final period to tie the game, but a late power play goal from Taylor Hall allowed the Bruins to secure two key points. In his first season in Boston, the former Buffalo Sabres netminder is 19-9-2 with a 2.72 goals-against average (GAA) and a .909 save percentage (SV%).
Marchand Showing Restraint on Trip & Climbs Franchise Scoring List
It’s no secret what the relationship between Brad Marchand and the NHL’s Department of Player Safety is. It’s not a good one. After going a couple of seasons avoiding suspensions, he has been hit with two separate suspensions this season for a total of nine games. Against the Minnesota Wild and Jets, the Bruins alternate captain showed some big restraint in both games.
In a 4-2 loss to the Wild on March 16, Marchand was pulled down to the ice from behind by the back of his shirt by Matt Dumba of Minnesota at the end of the second period during a scuffle in front of the Bruins net. No penalty was called on the play and obviously, Marchand was not happy, but he did not retaliate. Two nights later against the Jets while killing a penalty, Marchand was cross-checked around the head area by Josh Morrissey after the whistle and again, no penalty was called. Marchand had words for Morrissey, but nothing more.
Earlier this season, Marchand may have responded in a way that would have had him on a call with the Department of Player Safety, but the veteran showed a lot of restraint knowing that anything that is considered questionable that a suspension could be coming at a bad time for him and his teammates.
Against the Canadiens Monday night, Marchand scored two goals in a 3-2 overtime. His first goal in the first period was the 345th of his career and move him into sixth place on the franchise all-time list, passing current Bruins Team President Cam Neely. With his overtime goal, Marchand tied Ilya Kovalchuk for fourth-most in NHL history with his 17th.
Bruins Continue to Shine Following Losses
The Bruins improved to 18-4-2 this season in games following a loss. They are the only team in the NHL not to lose three games in a row, which is kind of remarkable considering how tough the first three months of the season were with them hovering around .500. Against the Jets following their loss to the Wild, Hall’s goal in the third period put them ahead to stay. Cassidy believes the reason why his club has not dropped three in a row is that his team sticks by their structure no matter who the opponent is.
“You have to get back to your structure and your game and a mentality that, ‘OK, it didn’t go our way the other night but we’re gonna stick with the plan. We’re not gonna change everything,'” said Cassidy. “You’re always tweaking for your opponent, but at the end of the day you’re gonna get back to your game and what’s been successful for you. I think our guys understand that, how we need to play to be in games and win games.”
The Week Ahead
- Thursday: vs. Tampa Bay Lightning, 7 p.m.
- Saturday: vs. New York Islanders, 12:30 p.m.
- Tuesday: vs. Toronto Maple Leafs, 7 p.m.
