Bruins’ weekly 3 stars: Brad Marchand keeps momentum going following bye week
COMMENTARY
With momentum on their side after three wins in the first three games of the Bruce Cassidy era, many wondered how the Bruins would fare coming out of their bye week. League wide, teams have struggled with four wins in 16 tries in their first game coming out of the bye. The Bruins came out firing Sunday in San Jose, and had no issues post-bye, kicking off their four-game road trip with an impressive win.
Some defensive breakdowns and bad puck luck doomed the Bruins in Wednesday against Anaheim before Thursday’s solid 4-1 victory in Los Angeles, marking the B’s first winning trip through California since the 2011-12 season.
Let’s take a look at this week’s three stars:
Brad Marchand
There is no denying Brad Marchand is putting the Bruins and their offense on his back. Sure, David Pastrnak has been great as he sits tied with Marchand for the team lead in goals with 26; but Marchand has been the Bruins most consistent forward this season and that really showed in their two victories in California this week.
Marchand notched the game-winning goal Sunday in overtime against San Jose and then picked up a goal and an assist in Thursday’s victory over the Los Angeles Kings. Marchand continues to run away with the Bruins’ points lead, now sitting atop the list with 61.
Anton Khudobin
The Bruins’ backup goalie woes have been well documented this season. Between Anton Khudobin, Malcolm Subban and Zane MacIntyre, none of the three have been able to step up and give Bruins management any confidence.
As they continue to battle with several teams in the Eastern Conference for playoff positioning, the Bruins will need to pick up wins when giving Tuukka Rask a night off here and there.
On Thursday, the Bruins finally got what they were looking for as Khudobin put forth his best effort of the season. The veteran goaltender made 27 saves and really stole the show in the second period as the Kings brought the heat and found themselves with a handful of golden scoring opportunities.
With 21 games left in the regular season, the Bruins will need Khudobin to pick up some more wins when called upon.
Peter Cehlarik
It appeared that Cehlarik had scored his first career National Hockey League goal Thursday in Los Angeles, but further review after a coaches challenge showed Pastrnak was offsides just prior to the rookie’s tally.
Despite a scoreless trip in California, and a minus-2 night in Anaheim, Cehlarik continues to impress and has proved to be a nice fit alongside Pastrnak and David Krejci. Cehlarik certainly has speed and can move the puck up the ice with ease. His hockey smarts and slick hands has helped Pastrnak and Krejci in the scoring opportunities department. As long as the 21-year old doesn’t take a step backwards, he should solidify a spot at the NHL level for the long haul.
