Now that’s more like it.
After trying — and, more often than not, failing — to chase the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames all around the rink in the first two games of their western Canadian tour, the Boston Bruins opted for a return to their physical, defensive-minded roots in Saturday’s finale.
The result: One of their most satisfying victories of the season.
“That’s the winning style of hockey we’re used to playing,” goalie Tuukka Rask told Sportsnet after the Bruins blew out the Vancouver Canucks 4-0 at Rogers Arena. “We know it’s successful for us, and (Saturday), we showed it again. Too bad lately that hasn’t been the case, but (Saturday) was a great effort.”
Rask faced a season-low 17 shots in the win and hardly was tested as the Bruins buckled down in the defensive zone.
“There’s never an easy night for a goalie, but they kept everything outside and blocked a lot of shots,” he said. “I probably had more puck touches and puck plays with my stick than saves, so (it was) a great effort.”
That effort came despite the Bruins playing the majority of the game without three of their usual top six defensemen. Second-pairing partners Dennis Seidenberg and Colin Miller were surprise scratches, and third-pairing regular Adam McQuaid left during the first period and did not return after blocking a shot with his wrist.
That forced Kevan Miller and Joe Morrow — who had not played in the previous seven and 12 games, respectively — to step up, and they delivered. Each tallied an assist, and Miller’s effort (four blocked shots, plus-2, season-high 25:01 of ice time) was particularly impressive.
“Part of it is (about putting the best team on the ice),” Bruins head coach Claude Julien said in a postgame interview with NESN’s Jack Edwards and Andy Brickley. “But at the same time, we’ve got some guys that were deemed maintenance, and with that three (games) in four nights, it was important to have as healthy a squad as we could. So, Seidenberg and Colin Miller were kind of maintenance as well, but at the same time, we really felt that those other guys were ready to come in our lineup there and help us out.”
Julien’s lineup shakeup also involved struggling winger Jimmy Hayes sitting out as a healthy scratch and Zac Rinaldo making his return after a one-game absence. Rinaldo’s game is well-suited to the feistiness of the Bruins-Canucks rivalry, and he did not disappoint, finishing with an assist, a fight and three blocked shots in just 9:29 of ice time.
Ten different players tallied at least a point in the win, with four scoring goals and Landon Ferraro (goal, assist) turning in the lone multi-point performance. Ferraro, who joined the Bruins two games into their recent five-game win streak, said Saturday’s showing was the best he’s seen yet.
“We didn’t have two good efforts in Calgary and Edmonton, and we needed to make sure we got back to winning and winning the right way,” Ferraro told NESN rinkside reporter Sarah Davis. “We had a couple in the five games (the Bruins won before the road trip) where we kind of got lucky, and (Saturday) was, since I’ve been here, our first full 60.”
Thumbnail photo via Jonathan Hayward/The Canadian Press via AP
