After defeating the Chicago Blackhawks in their season opener by a 3-1 final score, the Boston Bruins looked to carry over that momentum against the Nashville Predators. Although they had a slow start, they heated up significantly as it went on and defeated the Predators by a 3-2 final score. Let’s now discuss three main takeaways from the Bruins’ win.
Swayman Shines In Season Debut
After winning the William M. Jennings Trophy with Linus Ullmark in 2022-23, Jeremy Swayman is heading into this season with high expectations. It is understandable, as he was nothing short of his excellent last campaign. The Alaska native got his season off on the right foot against the Predators, as he stopped 33 out of 35 shots, securing the win for the Bruins.
Swayman was marvelous for the Bruins in this one. He faced a ton of high-danger chances and helped bail out the Bruins on several penalty kills. With that, he showed immense confidence in the net, and it only grew as the game went on.
Overall, Swayman was one of the Bruins’ top stars in this contest, and without his excellent play, there is a good chance that they would have lost this one. Instead, Swayman played a huge part in their win, and now they have two wins in two games on the season because of it.
van Riemsdyk’s Two-Goal Night
James van Riemsdyk was one of the Bruins’ most notable offseason signings this past summer. The 34-year-old winger has the potential to be a strong addition to the Bruins’ top six and power play, and we got a great look at that last night. The 2007 second-overall pick potted two power-play goals, and his second tally proved to be the game-winner.
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van Riemsdyk’s first goal was not necessarily the prettiest, as he was aiming to make a pass across the slot. However, Predators defenseman Dante Fabbro dove to block the pass and accidentally deflected it in his own net in the process. Yet, JVR’s second goal was certainly a nice one, as he beautifully tipped a shot from Bruins star defenseman Charlie McAvoy and beat Juuse Saros in the process.
Overall, van Riemsdyk certainly made himself noticed in this contest. If he can continue to make a big impact with his net-front presence ability on the power play all season, this could end up being a nice bounce-back season from the New Jersey native.
Penalties Galore!
Besides Swayman and van Riemsdyk having strong games, perhaps the biggest storyline of this contest was the array of penalties. The referees were certainly not lenient in this one, as the Bruins were called for seven penalties over the first two periods of the game. Brad Marchand and Jakub Lauko (double-minor) had four penalty minutes, while Derek Forbort, Hampus Lindholm, and Charlie McAvoy each had two penalty minutes.
Although the Bruins had many penalties in this one, they were not burned by the Predators, as their penalty kill was outstanding. They did not allow a single power-play goal to the Predators, as Swayman was remarkable, while their penalty-killers stood up big time. This was quite promising to see, as the Bruins notably lost six-time Selke Trophy winner Patrice Bergeron to retirement this offseason. Yet, this game shows that they have the potential to still be an elite defensive team even with the NHL’s best two-way forward no longer on their roster.
Nevertheless, this was a gutsy, hard-fought win for the Bruins. This easily could have gone the Predators’ way, but Swayman and the Bruins’ defense carried them to victory. With that, van Riemsdyk’s two-goal night played a huge factor, while David Pastrnak’s beautiful penalty-shot goal was very clutch.
The Bruins are now gearing up for their annual California road trip and will start it on Oct. 19 against the San Jose Sharks. This is a winnable game, but the Bruins will need to stay sharp even after having that much time off from game action.
