What we learned from the Bruins’ 5-1 win over the Senators
Riley Nash cashes in with three points.
COMMENTARY
It seems like more than eight months ago since the Boston Bruins and Ottawa Senators went six games, including four overtime affairs, in last April’s first-round NHL playoff series. Boston exited in the 4-2 series loss, while Ottawa pushed Pittsburgh to the limit in the Eastern Conference final before losing to the eventual Stanley Cup champions.
Quite a different scenario presented itself in the first meeting of the year between the two teams Wednesday night at TD Garden. The Bruins are locked into third place with that playoff chit in hand, while the Sens languish at the bottom of the division with only the Sabres behind them, and are now a whopping 13 points behind the Bruins.
Boston is on a season-high four-game win streak and 7-2-1 in its last 10; Ottawa is without a regulation win in its last three and only two in its last 10. The Sens’ eight overtime losses are tied for the most in the NHL.
Nonetheless, the Bruins were winless in their last six regular-season games against the Senators at 0-4-2, including 0-2-1 in their last three home games.
Here’s what we learned as Boston ended that streak by breaking out to a two-goal lead and never looking back in the 5-1 win.
The Bruins can spread the wealth
This is why you go hard to the net. #NHLBruins pic.twitter.com/9TTOkImyEv
— x – Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) December 28, 2017
Last week, Bruce Cassidy got contributions from the rookies early in the week, and the leadership core later.
“A balanced scoring, secondary scoring,” Bruce Cassidy said to open his postgame press conference. “It’s something we were searching for. Nice to see the D get involved tonight.”
That would be primarily Kevan Miller and Riley Nash, followed by Ryan Spooner and Anders Bjork. Miller interrupted his consistent defensive play with a right-dot rebound rocket off a David Backes blast at 5:22. That beat Craig Anderson short-side top shelf for his first goal of the seasons in 36 games, with Riley Nash also assisting.
A Spooner dish to a Danton Heinen backhand past Anderson made it 2-0 at 8:28. Heinen hit the post on a Boston power play with a minute left in the period but assisted on the last goal of the game by Backes at 18:40 of the final period, with Grzelyck also earning the assist.
Reilly Nash ‘has it in him’ to score big
.@rileynash20‘s second goal of the night tied a career high with three points. pic.twitter.com/r4KKw1SukC
— x – Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) December 28, 2017
With David Krejci still sidelined, Cassidy put Nash between Backes and Danton Heinen.
“[Riley] has been in the league a long time,” Cassidy said, “just he has the younger wingers, so the more 200-foot guys with Backes and Heinen – that’s why they were put together.”
With much success.
Nash intercepted an Erik Karlsson pass and went 150 feet to beat Anderson on a wrister unassisted at 1:25 of the second period. It was his first goal in 10 games. He cashed in again at 14:43 with a nifty move down the left dasher, stickhandling right to Anderson’s crease before tucking it by the left post with Anders Bjork assisting.
That marked Nash’s fourth career two-goal game and tied a career high for three points in one game.
“He has it in him,” Cassidy said about Nash’s role. “Been a little streaky for us, so hopefully this pushes him in that direction.”
“I’ve been a little bit snake bit this year,” Nash concurred. “It seems to be every year it kind of comes in bunches, so you know, now I get two tonight. Hopefully, I can keep that rolling and feel good and maybe shoot the puck a little bit more.”
Thomas Chabot got one past Rask in between at 3:49 for Ottawa’s lone offense.
Tim Schaller backs up his teammates
Noel Acciari took a headbutt from Fredrik Claesson at 15:01 for a five-minute major. Fellow Providence College alum Tim Schaller promptly responded, handing Claesson his head in a one-sided match that went the distance.
“I think that was a high hit,” Cassidy said, “and Timmy reacted accordingly. It is well received in the room.”
“That was a really bad hit,” Schaller said. “I think anyone in the lineup would do the same thing I did. So, that’s the type of team that you want to play for, so we’ve got a good thing going.”
Erik Karlsson can be neutralized
Pick the one player in last year’s playoff series as the ultimate factor in sending Boston to early tee times and it was Ottawa’s all-world defenseman Erik Karlsson. No impact Wednesday night for the Sens captain with 23 points coming in. He ended with his customary 26:32 of ice time, but with no points and a whopping minus-3.
“It’s been a little bit of our story this year,” Karlsson said after. “We give up the lead a little bit too easy, too early and we can’t find ways to push back. Today was another one of those. And I don’t really know what to tell you about much of it anymore.”
Tuukka Rask can back it up
The Boston netminder named the NHL first star of the week for the week ending December 24 with a 3-0-0 record and a 1.30 goals against average.
Rask’s 25-save effort against the Sens marked his ninth win in 10 starts (9-0-1).
“You don’t want to get complacent and just satisfied with [the way] things have been lately,” Rask said after moving to 9-7-4 lifetime against Ottawa. “I think you want to keep pushing yourself, and that’s what great teams do.”
