Taylor Hall put the game on ice as his third-period tally provided the Boston Bruins a three-goal lead en route to their 3-1 win over the host Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday.
But there was more to it than that as the left winger’s goal was, without a doubt, the filthiest he has scored in a Bruins sweater. (You can, and should, watch it here.)
The goal prompted a bit of a postgame reaction from linemate David Krejci and head coach Bruce Cassidy.
“He obviously made a great play. It was a big goal for our team,” Krejci said on a postgame video conference.
Krejci, who also scored, had the assist on Hall’s goal along with Mike Reilly.
“You know, I felt like it was kind of 3-on-2 and he was coming as as a late guy. Again, you get those a lot in the game, but he made a great play. He made a play happen, and good for him. Like I said, it was a big goal for our team.”
Hall received the puck, evaded a Pittsburgh defender with a beautiful move and then lifted it over the shoulder of Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry.
“Sometimes you got to beat guys one-on-one in this league. You got to pick your spots when to do it, when is the appropriate time. They both did, finished real well,” Cassidy said on a postgame video conference when asked about both goals by Krejci and Hall.
“(Krejci’s) was a big goal for us. We hadn’t scored here in five, four-and-a-half periods, whatever it was. And Hall’s, it’s nice to extend your lead… Kudos to them. Our top guys did the finishing tonight and the bottom guys did a lot of the dirty work, the grunt work, the physicality. It was a good formula for us.”
Hall has scored just two goals before being acquired before the NHL trade deadline. He now has four goals in just nine games with the Bruins.
