For the first time since the 2001-02 season, the Boston Bruins are 3-0-0 to start the season.
But it didn’t come without some scares for the Black and Gold.
It began in the first period of Tuesday’s game against the Vegas Golden Knights when Matt Grzelcyk played just 35 seconds before blocking a shot and needing help down the tunnel. Luckily for the Bruins, the defenseman returned to the bench to begin the second of Boston’s eventual 4-3 win at T-Mobile Arena.
Goalie Tuukka Rask, however, appeared to come up a bit lame once the final horn sounded. He tried to get up before falling to the crease. Rask was assisted off the ice by his teammates. After the game, head coach Bruce Cassidy offered up an encouraging update on the netminder.
“I don’t know if he pulled a muscle or got dehydrated a little bit. I think he’s going to be fine,” Cassidy told NESN’s Jack Edwards and Andy Brickley on NESN’s Bruins postgame coverage. “I don’t think there’s any major issue there. Just I guess the stress of the game, the heat in the building, I don’t know. But he battled through it and he’ll be fine, I assume. I haven’t heard any different.”
Rask has stopped 59 of the 63 total shots he’s faced in two games this season. He likely will get some added rest during Thursday’s game, as Jaroslav Halak is expected to be between the pipes when the B’s wrap up their road trip against the Colorado Avalanche.
Here are some other notes from Tuesday’s Bruins-Golden Knights game:
— Brad Marchand scored two of Boston’s four goals.
The first tally tied the game in the opening period while the second came just 33 seconds after the puck dropped to begin the middle 20 minutes.
Torey Krug and David Pastrnak accounted for the other two goals.
— Despite falling behind 2-0 early, Cassidy still liked what he saw from the Black and Gold.
“I liked our start, to be honest with you,” he said on NESN’s Bruins postgame coverage. “We came out and I thought we played well and then hit a low there. (Vegas) got on the power play, scored and took us a while to find our game. But battled back, there was no panic, just kept pushing and our power play came through for us. … At the end of the day, third period was solid, played the right way. … I liked the way we closed out the game.”
— Boston has outscored its opponents 7-4 in its first three games.
“… I thought our offensive zone play generated some good look second-chances,” Cassidy said on NESN’s Bruins postgame coverage. “… At the end of the day that part of our game, on the offensive side of the puck, is good to see come along.”
— The top line of Marchand, Pastrnak and Patrice Bergeron looked strong Tuesday night after being held pointless in the Bruins’ opening game against the Dallas Stars.
The trio combined for seven points (three goals, four assists) in the win.
