Monday was Trent Frederic’s game.
The Bruins forward didn’t amass a point, but his fight with Tom Wilson in the third period helped lead to three more goals en route to a 5-3 Boston win over the Washington Capitals.
It’s been looking like Frederic has wanted to drop the gloves throughout the season, and tried to Saturday against Washington. But he finally got his chance, and it helped spark the B’s comeback.
“Freddy had a lot to do with it,” head coach Bruce Cassidy said after the game. “The scrap with Wilson got everyone’s attention on the bench …Freddy stood in there and gave us a boost. He’s drawn penalties, he’s annoyed people. … He’s recognizing what he has to do to spark us.”
And spark the Bruins he did.
The Bruins scored five unanswered goals in the third, three coming after Frederic’s kerfuffle. And it earned him high praise from his teammates.
“He’s a young kid that wants to get in there and be physical,” Craig Smith said. “That’s a tough job to do. That fires our bench up. He plays with no fear. It’s impressive because he has other attributes to his game that’s valuable.”
Brandon Carlo added: “He really got that whole thing jump-started with the comeback. He’s fearless. He was a big reason why we won tonight.”
David Pastrnak echoed those sentiments: “Unbelievable job by (Frederic). Gave huge energy to our bench. He did a lot for our win today.”
As for Frederic, he spent a majority of Boston’s comeback in the penalty box, but he had a great time watching it all unfold.
“In the box, I was like a little kid in there just jumping around,” he said. “It felt good to watch that. I had a really good angle. … It was fun to watch.”
Here are some other notes from Monday’s Bruins-Capitals game:
— Pastrnak potted two goals in the win. It was the first time the forward found the back of the net since making his debut Saturday.
— Charlie McAvoy picked up his 100th point of his career with an assist on Pastrnak’s second goal.
— Craig Smith, who’s been known to shoot the puck whenever he gets the chance, scored his first as a member of the Black and Gold. He’s also happy to be part of a team like Boston.
“These guys show up to the rink like they have something to prove,” he said. “I want to be a part of that.”
— Carlo also amassed a goal in the win and noted he wants to add more to the team when it comes to offense.
“I want to be part of the offense,” he said. “It’s definitely a work in progress still.”
The defenseman also noted he has been watching film in order to find more offense in his game,
— The Bruins now turn their attention to the Philadelphia Flyers, who they’ll take on Wednesday night at 8 p.m. ET.
