Despite a three-day holiday break in the last seven days, it certainly was an eventful week for the Boston Bruins with three games sandwiched around their break. The theme of the week was comebacks for the Black and Gold who still sit on top of the NHL standings with a 27-4-3 record.
In this edition of Bruins Weekly, the teams leading scorer joins elite company, the Bruins continue to show resilience, two prospects begin the 2023 World Junior Championship on different paths, and more.
Pastrnak Joins Elite Bruins Company
To say that David Pastrnak is enjoying his final season before what appears to be his free agency, is an understatement. He leads the Bruins with 24 goals and 23 assists, but he joined some elite company with former Bruin greats last week in the Black and Gold’s 3-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets.
Pastrnak’s second-period goal off a lucky bounce in the Winnipeg end led to a goal and it was his 10th straight game with at least one point. It was the sixth time in his career that he’s had a 10-point streak or more and it moved to fourth on the franchise list. Phil Esposito reached the feat 10 times, while Bobby Orr did it seven times and Ray Bourque six. Pastrnak’s achievements didn’t stop there. He also is tied for 10th on the franchise list with 264 goals.
The second-period goal was his 100th point in the 2022 calendar year in 79 games and he became the third Bruin to reach that feat. Two other recorded 100-point calendar years, Brad Marchand (2019) and Adam Oates (1993). The Bruins hope this isn’t Pastrnak’s final season wearing the Black and Gold, but his price keeps going up on a nightly basis.
Bruins Continue to Thrive in Comebacks
Boston is 34 games into the 2022-23 season, but they already have nine comeback wins in their 27. Their two latest happened before the three-day holiday break on back-to-back nights last week.
Related: Bruins’ 3 Up, 3 Down: Pastrnak, Carlo, Sweeney & More
Against the Jets on Dec. 22, the Bruins fell behind 2-0 after the first period, but second-period goals from Pastrnak and Jake DeBrusk tied the game, before Nick Foligno scored the game-winner in the third period. One night later against the New Jersey Devils, the Bruins again fell behind, 1-0 after the opening period, but four second-period goals, two from Pastrnak and one each from DeBrusk and Patrice Bergeron paved the way to a 4-3 victory. It’s evident just 34 games into the season that Boston never feels like the game is over.
DeBrusk, Zacha & Marchand Reaches Milestone
Over the last year, DeBrusk has found his scoring touch again and against the Jets, the 14th overall pick of the 2015 Entry Draft, reached a milestone with his power play goal. When DeBrusk redirected a Pastrnak shot past Connor Hellebuyck to tie the game, it was his 200th career point. One night later he collected two more points with a goal and an assist in a win over New Jersey and had a goal against the Ottawa Senators on Dec. 27 in a 3-2 shootout loss.
Marchand also reached a milestone and it is an impressive one. In the Bruins’ loss to the Senators, it was Marchand’s 900th career game, while Pavel Zacha tied the game 2-2 in the third period with his fourth goal of the season for his 200th career point.
Locmelis & Lysell Have Different Starts at WJC
Two Bruins’ prospects, Fabian Lysell and Dans Locmelis are playing in the 2023 World Junior Championship this week. Both already have two games under their belt, two wins for Lysell with Sweden and a win and a loss for Locmelis and Latvia.
Locmelis, selected in July’s draft 119th overall in the fourth round, is playing on the second line for Latvia who split their first two games. Latvia opened the tournament with a 5-2 loss to Team USA on Dec. 26 and a 3-2 shootout loss to Switzerland, he scored in the first period to tie the game when he pounced on his rebound and buried for his first point of the tournament. He also scored one of the two Latvia goals in the shootout.
In Sweden’s 11-0 win over Austria on Dec. 26, Lysell failed to register a point, then in a 1-0 win over Germany, the 21st overall pick of the 2021 Draft again did not find his way onto the scoresheet and showed some frustration. Through two games, Sweden sits on top of Group A with six points and a plus-12 goal differential.
Bruins Quotes of the Week
- Jim Montgomery on the Jets forecheck: “We were relieved because the crowd got into it and I think we started to play a lot better. You’ve got to give the Winnipeg Jets [credit], I think they did the best job that we have faced as far as a forecheck and being over top of us with really good sticks, that unfortunately we did not manage the puck well against, but I give credit to them for how determined they were at checking us.”
- Jeremy Swayman on his bounce-back from allowing two first-period goals to Winnipeg: “I did, absolutely. And again, a lot of the credit goes to the guys in front of me. You focus on one shot at a time and take the positives from the play before, so that’s what I wanted to focus on and, luckily, I didn’t let another one in, so I was happy with that.”
- Pastrnak on David Krejci: “I think a big thing is obviously the whole team is doing well and that helps with confidence. Krech, you know, he’s never going to shoot, so somebody has to do that.”
- DeBrusk on Cam Talbot’s 49-save performance in net: “It seemed like we were giving Cam all he could handle. Give him a lot of credit. I used to skate with Cam in the summers when he was in Edmonton, so I have a lot of respect for him. It [stinks] that we couldn’t get the two points, but it was a barrage of shots. We gave it our best shot. Give credit where credit’s due.”
Bruins Week Ahead
- Wednesday: at New Jersey Devils, 7:30 p.m.
- Saturday: vs. Buffalo Sabres, 1 p.m.
- Monday: vs. Pittsburgh Penguins, 2023 Winter Classic at Fenway Park, 2 p.m.
