The Bruins had the opportunity to get back to their winning ways on Thursday night after three games of subpar play and multiple goals scored against them.Even though the first period ended with a scoreless draw between Boston and the San Jose Sharks, the team still needed to improve in order to find their rhythm.
“We weren’t satisfied with our first (period),” stated Jim Montgomery, the head coach of the Bruins. We were unhappy with our competitiveness. The players decided to improve that standard on their own.
With two goals, an 18-6 shot advantage, and a stronger physical presence thanks to two fights and improved checking, the Bruins accomplished exactly that in the second half. Boston turned on the light that had been out for the past week in those twenty minutes.
Montgomery remarked, “I thought we checked well, and I liked the checking part.” Our position was to the right of the pucks. We seemed to be a little sluggish in switching up our offensive. But we improved. The second phase, in my opinion, was really excellent.
In the third quarter, Boston put in a full effort and added another goal, and Jeremy Swayman finished with 26 saves to secure the victory. The Bruins gave something of a comeback on home ice.
After the victory, Bruins forward and captain Brad Marchand told reporters, “I thought we got better as the game went on.” “We began to play more in the manner that wins games.” For us, it was a wise move. It feels good to be back in the winner column.
After the unsettling three-game losing streak, Boston increased its effort and went back to playing in a physical manner to start a new direction.
“It was very significant,” Montgomery continued. “Three games and seventeen goals surrendered. We didn’t appear to be very alive. It was pleasing to observe that we appeared like ourselves in all three zones without the puck.
More observations from the Bruins vs. Sharks game on Thursday:
For the third consecutive game, Boston scored two goals in the first period and two more in the second.
— Heinen had only one point in his first six games, but after Thursday’s goal, he has six points in his last eight games.
— Throughout the game, San Jose and Boston combined to commit 15 penalties.
— Against the Sharks, the Bruins successfully killed all eight of their penalties. Boston had the NHL’s fifth-best penalty-kill percentage (87.7) going into the contest.
“We’re very confident in our kill,” Montgomery remarked. Even in a 3-on-5 deficit. In my opinion, Charlie Coyle and Pavel Zacha performed admirably at the top. (Brando Carlo) and (Derek Forbort) are outstanding. They had excellent reads.
— Boston wins its 13th straight game against San Jose, dating back to February 9, 2017.— The Bruins play the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday when they travel north of the border to begin December. 7 p.m. ET is when the puck drops. NESN will broadcast the game along with an hour of pregame coverage.
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