 |
| David Pastrnak #88 of the Boston Bruins scores against the Detroit Red Wings at the TD Garden on October 13, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Brian Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images) |
The Boston Bruins handed the Red Wings another tough lesson in offensive strength. David Pastrnak and Jake DeBrusk scored five goals combined at TD Garden to devastate Detroit 8-2 Saturday afternoon. It was their fourth straight win while they handed the Red Wings a fifth loss in a row.
Detroit continued to show their rebuilding woes as they suffered a fourth straight loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs who they were so close to forcing overtime with. Despite plenty of pucks to the net, it remained a fight with the opposing goaltenders and missed opportunities that held them back from victories.
In their third road game of the season, the Red Wings would have to deal with starting earlier than usual and playing the Bruins who are 3-1-0 and have the line of Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and Pastrnak running things. They put together 11 points four days ago where two hat tricks were recorded in their 6-3 win over Ottawa. It was clear that not only holding their line back would be a fight but also getting started on time.
The Bruins were the first to do that taking a 3-1 lead on shots to the net after three minutes. The Boston first line charged into the Detroit zone but were stopped midway with Marchand’s line blocked off. The breakdown helped the Red Wings get time with the puck to level with them on shots with seven minutes in. Their ability to win more than three quarters of the faceoffs allowed them to get two more shots on Boston goaltender Tuukka Rask.
It was a move that had them coming out stronger than Boston but neither they or the Bruins had put one in the net with the last minutes of the first remaining. Both teams were comfortable playing one another until a scoring chance for Boston changed the tide in their favor. Pastrnak got into a comfortable spot in the Red Wings zone where he was unguarded to fire one through Jonathan Bernier for his fifth and seventh point.
It wasn’t enough for them to get the lead adding a big hit to Dylan Larkin who was smashed into the boards by Acciari. The two of them nearly went at each other after Larkin took a cheap shot. Officials broke them apart sending them both to the locker room with Boston on the power play. Detroit outshot the Bruins 12-8, five blocked shots by the defense and delivered more hits to the Bruins then they received.
When play resumed to begin the second, Boston tried to make good of their time on the man advantage but the Red Wings penalty killing unit took care of it. While it was an accomplishment for Detroit, the Bruins used it to heat up and wait for their next moment to nail down a scoring chance. On a faceoff inside the Detroit end, Boston won the draw getting the puck to Charlie McAvoy who didn’t hesitate. The sophomore fired the one-timer through traffic where it got deflected to get into the net behind Bernier for his first this year and a 2-0 lead.
Detroit had time with the puck but they lost possession giving Boston time to fire away at the Red Wings netminder more. They had ten shots through 12 minutes where scoring chances continued to come from them. On a bad turnover in the neutral zone, Jake DeBrusk went in all alone to score his first and create an even wider gap on the scoreboard. The next four and a half minutes were all Boston as they ran the puck away from Detroit putting all the pressure on Bernier to make the majority of blocked shots.
When the Red Wings took another penalty, it spelled more trouble for them as the Boston power play lit up the lamp 20 seconds in. Earning his second of the game as Pastrnak who also reached a milestone scoring his 100th career goal. While it was a great moment for the Bruins on their home ice, it left Detroit feeling sour as they played out the rest of the period struggling. When 40 minutes were done, the Bruins outshot them 15-8 and a giant four goal deficit.
Detroit knew that the game was out of their hands but having a good period as they consistently have done in the past was essential. With a power play from the previous period still in play, the Red Wings made something happen with Filip Hronek scoring on a puck high on the top shelf ringing in for his first NHL goal. It was their first shot on goal that looked like a good thing to come together but was quickly silenced.
Pastrnak added another accomplishment to his day receiving the puck on a bad Detroit transition that gave him time to get to his spot and record a hat trick for the second of his career since March. 13. Boston showed signs of playing defensively but still made the game difficult for the young Detroit squad who ran way behind with 16 minutes left in regulation.
They suffered another penalty that gave the Bruins time to increase the score but didn’t. Instead, Dylan Larkin made it his priority to score for the Red Wings getting ahead of everyone. Larkin went at Rask nailing a wrister on the netminder’s right while shorthanded for his third. What came together as a good sign of improvement was again darkened by vulnerabilities. Frans Nielsen had the puck but a pass made to a rookie player got out of control which Boston got control of. Anders Bjork earned his chance to record his first ever while unassisted making it 6-2.
The Red Wings caught a third power play to try and cut the lead in half but it was killed off with strength. After they returned to even strength, a situation between Anthony Mantha and McAvoy ensued where he didn’t take a cross check lightly. Mantha shoved him to pick a fight but got Kevan Miller in the mix as well. A 2 on 1 was about to occur but officials put a stop to it even when the Montreal native was more than ready for it.
He wouldn’t get the chance as the teams went to 4 on 4 on matching roughing penalties. Boston carried the leverage and made it count of DeBrusk’s second of the day. Boston had full positioning in the Detroit zone where he fired it to the pad where he ran the length before ringing inside the corner of the net.
All Detroit could do in the remaining minutes was to eagerly wait for the day to be over as they were out of options on how to get another one. The Bruins would do it with two seconds left as Sean Kuraly scored for good measure. It was his first in a day full of them becoming the fourth of the team. When the horn sounded, it gave the Bruins their ninth straight win against the Red Wings outshooting them 39-34.
Rask made 32 saves on the day for a .941 save percentage while Bernier’s percentage tanked. He stopped 31 against Boston but let too many get through. While it adds a fifth to their 0-3-2 record they would try and put a stop to it on Monday when they face familiar faces in the Montreal Canadiens.
No comments:
Post a Comment