As soon as once more, the Boston Bruins have shaken off a quick bout of adversity and began a successful streak.
After a disappointing 6-3 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks, the third-worst crew within the NHL, the Bruins reeled off wins over the Winnipeg Jets, Minnesota Wild, and Buffalo Sabres.
The Bruins at the moment are within the midst of their ninth win streak of three or extra video games – six of these three-game successful streaks have change into streaks of 4 or longer.
The crew’s ascension out of a disappointing stretch of video games comes courtesy of robust performances from a number of Bruins.
A very powerful got here from Jeremy Swayman, who bounced again from a foul recreation in opposition to the Detroit Crimson Wings final week to dominate this week.
Not Swaying This Week
Swayman’s participant of the week honor might be described in a single quick stat line: Two wins in two begins, 62 photographs in opposition to, and 62 saves.
However it was a lot greater than that. The clutch timing of Swayman’s performances helped raise the crew out of a funk and ease fears that this crew had “peaked too early.”
He performed so nicely in his shutout in opposition to the Winnipeg Jets that coach Jim Montgomery stated of his efficiency, “Which may have been his greatest recreation of the 12 months and he’s had loads of good ones.”
This week wasn’t a type of weeks the place Swayman loved a shutout due to the staunch protection in entrance of him, the place he confronted a low variety of photographs, principally from low-danger areas with full sight of the puck. Swayman needed to cowl for some weak protection.
The Jets outshot the Bruins by 12 photographs, 36-24, and in keeping with naturalstattrick.com, out-possessed the Bruins in each interval however the second, the place their Corsi-for proportion was tied at 50 at 5-on-5.
The Jets had extra high-quality scoring probabilities and stretches of play the place they dominated. Swayman’s excellence allowed the Bruins’ environment friendly offense to do its factor and slowly construct to a 3-0 victory (with one empty netter).
Although the Bruins completely dominated the Buffalo Sabres on the scoreboard, the Sabres weren’t with out their probabilities in that recreation. The Sabres outshot Boston in that recreation and had 5 extra high-danger scoring probabilities (15-10) than the Bruins did.
Most individuals who watched the sport wouldn’t have really stated, “whoa that recreation was nearer than it regarded on the scoreboard.” The Bruins took management early, however as soon as once more, Swayman’s play allowed his crew to tighten the noose slowly.
One underrated side of Swayman’s play in Buffalo was his play with the puck. Although Linus Ullmark leads the goalie scoring contest 1-0 over Swayman, Swayman confirmed he has change into very snug with the puck. On a number of events, he caught a puck and elected to play it to considered one of his teammates and even cleared a puck throughout a penalty kill.
Listed here are a few of Swayman’s many highlights this week. This save maintained the 1-0 Bruins lead on the tail finish of a Winnipeg energy play (with some assist from McAvoy).
Right here Swayman maintains his shutout over Buffalo with two lightning-quick saves earlier than freezing the puck.
Although he’s extra positionally sound, Swayman is beginning to appear to be our period’s model of Mike Richter, together with his penchant for going into the splits as he goes side-to-side in his internet, with the occasional flashy glove save combined in.
Honorable Point out: Patrice Bergeron
As has usually been the case this season, honorable point out might have been a number of gamers.
The primary line of Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and Jake DeBrusk circled its fortunes after Chicago and had a dominant end to the week to the tune of 16 factors in 4 video games.
Marchand had a refined however robust week with six assists, whereas DeBrusk and Bergeron performed to their strengths, with DeBrusk utilizing his velocity and ability in entrance of the online and Bergeron taking part in his regular model of two-way hockey. In the end, the sting goes to Bergeron.
His two targets had been prime examples of why he’s known as a “two-way participant,” approaching performs that started with Bergeron tending to his defensive duty within the offensive zone solely to make use of that to his offensive benefit (I do know it sounds complicated).
In each conditions, Bergeron skated to the purpose to assist his defensemen defend the opposing crew’s breakout. When the Bruins regained the puck, Bergeron’s positioning and timing helped him elude protection and rating on passes from behind the online, each from Marchand.
His game-opening aim in Buffalo was almost equivalent.
Bergeron additionally helped the Bruins’ floundering energy play regain some confidence with a brief go to David Pastrnak that he deposited within the internet in opposition to the Sabres.
However maybe essentially the most “Bergeron” factor Bergeron did this week was win faceoffs. He completed the week having received almost 70% of his faceoffs, a full 10% higher than Charlie Coyle, who was second amongst facilities in faceoff proportion final week. (For the report Bergeron’s profession faceoff proportion is 58.9 p.c.)
His worst efficiency got here in opposition to Minnesota, the place he nonetheless received 57% of his faceoffs. It goes with out saying {that a} crew that makes use of its excessive ability stage to generate high quality probabilities over a bigger amount of photographs nonetheless must have the puck in its possession to do this. Bergeron’s success on the faceoff dot this week helped the Bruins to be as environment friendly as they had been.
Season standings
Connor Clifton – 1
Taylor Corridor – 1
Garnet Hathaway – 1
Charlie McAvoy – 1
David Pastrnak – 1
Jeremy Swayman – 2
Linus Ullmark – 2
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