Four games in seven days provided a lot of storyline for the Boston Bruins as the 2022-23 regular season comes down to the final two weeks. As they close in on securing the Presidents’ Trophy for this season, they posted three impressive wins before they had their seven-game winning streak snapped on home ice by the Nashville Predators on March 28, 2-1.
In this edition of Bruins Weekly, their leading goal scorer reached a season milestone, they had two wins against two Eastern Conference contenders, and a prospect is going to the NCAA Frozen Four and more.
Pastrnak Notches First 50-Goal Season
With 12 games remaining in the 2019-20 season, David Pastrnak was on his way to his first career 50-goal season when the season was cut short because of the coronavirus pandemic. He had 48 goals and finished the season tied with Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals to share the Maurice Rockey Richard Award, but it was only a matter of time before he reached the 50-goal plateau and he finally did on March 26.
In the first period against the Carolina Hurricanes, Pastrnak took a pass from Charlie McAvoy and broke in alone of Frederik Andersen. The puck slid off his stick and went into the net for an early 1-0 lead and goal No. 50. In the second period, he scored his 51st on the power play, then added his 52nd against the Nashville Predators in a 2-1 loss on March 28.
“That’s how the game works. You have a couple chances [Saturday] night to get there, a couple breakaways and good chances that I wouldn’t change much,” said Pastrnak after the Carolina game. “But it didn’t go in last night. Today, you kind of lose the puck and it goes in. That’s the game. I obviously take it…I’m not [Nikita Kucherov], I don’t know how to do that on purpose.”
Related: 3 AHL Bruins’ Deserving of Call-up to Boston Late in 2022-23
It was the first 50-goal season for a Bruin since current team president Cam Neely did it in the 1993-94 season and he is the sixth player overall in franchise history to reach the milestone. The goal was also his 600th career point and he became the third-fastest player in franchise history to reach 600. Bobby Orr did it in 461 games and Ray Bourque did in 569. After signing his extension earlier this month, expect him to pass more milestones in the future.
Bruins Post Impressive Back-to-Back Wins Against Playoff Contenders
The Bruins were given a late-season test on March 25 and 26 with back-to-back games aaginst two other Eastern Conference contenders in the Tampa Bay Lightning and Hurricanes. Boston pulled out a pair of wins that were nothing short of impressive.
Against Tampa Bay, the Lightning tried to bully the Bruins from the drop of the puck, but the Black and Gold pushed back and gutted out a 2-1 win on a second-period game-winning goal from Garnet Hathaway. Boston had five first-period power plays, only scored once when Brad Marchand’s pass deflected off of Patrice Bergeron and then Victor Hedman for the captain’s 27th goal of the season.
The even more impressive victory happened 24 hours later in North Carolina where the Bruins beat Carolina at PNC Arena for the first time in 2019. That arena has been a house of horrors for the Black and Gold, who lost all four playoff games there last season and then the only other meeting there this season in January.
Prior to the game, coach Jim Montgomery announced that Bergeron, Marchand, and Hampus Lindholm were going to be out, yet with Oskar Steen called up and placed into the top six. The Bruins built a 3-1 lead, and withstood a Carolina third-period onslaught to win, 4-3, in a shootout when Charlie Coyle and Jake DeBrusk scored and Jeremy Swayman stopped both of the Hurricanes’ attempts. Down three of their top players, that’s about as an impressive of a win as the Bruins have had all season long.
Bruins Prospect Ty Gallagher Heading to Frozen Four
The Bruins had three prospects make the NCAA Tournament, but only one is still standing and heading to the Frozen Four in Tampa Bay at Amalie Arena on April 6. Boston University and defenseman Ty Gallagher won their regional, beating Western Michigan, 5-1, in their opener, then eliminated Cornell University, 2-0, to punch their ticket to Central Florida.
Gallagher, who was selected in the seventh round of the 2021 Entry Draft, did not figure in any Terriers’ goals, but he did play on the top-pairing and has three goals and 18 assists this season for BU. In his first two collegiate seasons, his offensive game has blossomed and he is turning into a two-way blueliner.
BU will play the University of Minnesota at 5 p.m. on April 6 in the first semifinal, with the University of Michigan playing Quinnipiac University in the second semifinal. The two winners will meet on April 8 for the National Championship.
Bruins Week Ahead
- Thursday: vs. Columbus Blue Jackets, 7 p.m.
- Saturday: at Pittsburgh Penguins, 3 p.m.
- Sunday: at St. Louis Blues, 3:30 p.m.
