The Bruins were again a strong team with and without the puck, although they did have to rely on sensational goalie Tuukka Rask (31 saves) to make a bundle of Grade A saves, and improved to 4-0-0 on the road this season with a 3-1 victory last night against the up-and-coming Florida Panthers.
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QUOTE TO NOTE: “Tuukka was outstanding in my mind tonight, he made a few big saves and certainly made our penalty kill look even better”.
“They were definitely circled on my calendar and I think a lot of people go through the same experience”, Smith said before he had three point-blankers snuffed out by Rask.
Florida coach Gerard Gallant said Rask was the difference. If the Bruins can provide consistent goal support for their netminder, he won’t be required to post ridiculous statistics every game for his team to win, he’ll need to merely be good enough to bail out the defense from time-to-time. “When he’s seeing the puck like he is right now, it helps us cause we’re not second-guessing our decisions. We know that if we do get caught and we’re playing aggressive, he’s there to back us up, so he’s been great for us the last couple games”.
Bjugstad’s goal, which came with 11:32 elapsed in the second period, came off a scramble in front of Rask. It also included a third period in which the Panthers had more shots on net (18) than they had had in the first two periods combined (14).
The Panthers, who were 3-for-3 on the power play Tuesday, were 1-for-6, compared to Boston’s 2-for-3 success rate.
Meanwhile, the Bruins needed their potent power play to get their offense in gear as Marchand deflected in Zdeno Chara’s long wrist shot at 9:22 to give Boston a 1-0 lead after one.
Marchand made it 2-0 at 7:07 of the second period when he swept in a backhand rebound for his fourth goal in his past five games. The Bruins did have a power play opportunity early in the third, but we unable to convert on it. The Panthers had two of their own, including Brad Marchand getting a five-minute major for boarding late in the game, but Rask stood tall for the Bruins and secured the win for the black and gold.
“It was”, David Krejci said, in an understatement, “another good day for our power play”.
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Jaromir Jagr, who leads the Panthers with six goals and 10 points, missed his first game of the season with discomfort running down his ribs to his leg. The Panthers are also missing top-line center Aleksander Barkov for at least another two weeks with a broken hand. They got the first part of their goal completed on Friday. The second part – against the Lightning – comes Saturday in the back-to-back. “We’re looking to get the other half now”.
