After Thanksgiving, the NHL-leading Boston Bruins get back to work on Friday when they play the Detroit Red Wings in a matinee.After blowing many leads in their 5-4 overtime loss to Tampa Bay on Monday, the Bruins (14-1-3, 31 points) defeated the Florida Panthers 3-1 on Wednesday to wrap off their two-game trip.
With the win, Boston moved up to the top of the NHL overall standings, passing Vegas, and becoming the fourth team in thirty years to lead the league in points at the start of the US Thanksgiving tournament for two or more years running.
Goalie Linus Ullmark of Boston stated, “You want to be in a winning culture, you want to create a winning culture.” “You wish to preserve a successful culture. After several years of doing that, Boston has been excellent. It is now our responsibility to take up the torch and maintain the flame’s brightness.”
The Boston team’s goals against the Panthers came from Charlie Coyle, John Beecher, and Jake DeBrusk. Coach Jim Montgomery referred to Ullmark as “the star of the game” because of his 27 saves.
Coyle and rookie Beecher both scored goals in consecutive games.
“I have no idea what’s going on in the world. Regarding his recent scoring, Beecher remarked, “It is kind of uncharted territory.” It’s thrilling. I’m doing everything I can to support the team in winning, and if it includes getting on the scoresheet, then so be it.”
With six goals in November, Coyle leads the club in scoring and is second only to David Pastrnak with 10 points in the last nine games.
After Ullmark needed “maintenance” on Monday, Jeremy Swayman became the first Boston goalie to earn back-to-back starts this season, according to Montgomery.
During the first period on Wednesday, Ullmark stopped all 15 shots.
The layered defense of Montgomery’s team pleased him. “The start of the game, obviously, was (all) Ullmark,” Montgomery said.
Following up last week’s 2023 NHL Global Series Sweden, Detroit played well in their opening game, defeating New Jersey 4-0 on Wednesday behind a 16-save shutout from Alex Lyon.
Coach Derek Lalonde of Detroit said, “Obviously, I’m thrilled with the way we played defensively, and Alex was great when we needed him.” “We had great energy coming home from a long road trip.”
A goal and an assist from Robby Fabbri and two assists from Daniel Sprong led Detroit, which lost one-goal contests in overtime against Toronto and Ottawa while in Sweden.
In just his second start of the season, Detroit provided strong support for Lyon, who scored three goals in a minute and twelve seconds late in the opening frame.
With his fourth goal in as many games, Lucas Raymond got things started. In the last 40 years, only four different Red Wings players have recorded a goal streak of that length when they were 21 years of age or younger.
Only two shots were made by New Jersey in the third period.
“We have been highlighting our beginnings. We must score early goals in order to win the games,” Fabbri stated. “Today we did that and played a full 60 minutes.”
Detroit is feeling more confident going into a matchup against the best team in the league after their impressive pre-Thanksgiving performance.
“As it is, it’s a daunting task,” Lalonde remarked. “We’ve played them how many times? It’s the only team, naturally, that hasn’t lost all season. Those seem like really difficult challenges to me. It’s incredible that they have only suffered one regulation loss thus far in the season.
“I will say, as tough as some of these games have been for us, I think it hardens us.”
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