The Boston Bruins got back in the win column Saturday afternoon with a 5-2 win over the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center with help from a pair of goals from Brad Marchand.
The B’s moved to 7-5-0 with the win, while the Devils fell to 7-4-2.
Check out the full box score here.
ONE BIG TAKEAWAY
The Bruins still are having a problem with letting opponents answer back almost immediately. The Devils scored twice in the second to make it a 3-2 game in favor of the B’s. Head coach Bruce Cassidy clearly is frustrated with this defense as showcased by sitting Mike Reilly for Jakub Zboril. But the defense has been sloppy all season. The defense seems to disappear once the Bruins score and they often look lost in front of their net. Ugly defense contributed to the Bruins’ loss against the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday night, but fortunately they didn’t have the same fate against New Jersey thanks to a 27-save performance from Jeremy Swayman.
Save for Erik Haula’s goal in the first period, secondary scoring remains to be a problem, but Boston first needs to focus on the defense before addressing the offense.
STARS OF THE GAME
— Swayman kept the Bruins in the game when the defense left him out to dry. The rookie goalie made 27 saves on 29 shots and continued to prove to be a force for Boston.
— Marchand looks like someone who’s out for vengeance. The forward scored two goals Saturday and now has eight on the season. He continued to be one of the most consistent players on the Bruins through their first 12 games.
— Patrice Bergeron gave Boston some much-needed insurance midway through the third period with a goal of his own to make it 4-2. The captain had the rebound bounce right back to him before potting it past Jonathan Bernier.
WAGER WATCH
If you bet Brad Marchand (+165 on DraftKings Sportsbook) to score at any point during the game, you would have hit in the second period. However, if you were feeling a bit riskier and bet Haula (+425) to score, you’d be a little bit richer. For what it’s worth, Bergeron also was +165 to light the lamp.
NEXT UP ON NESN
The Bruins get right back to it Sunday night when they welcome the rival Montreal Canadiens to TD Garden. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. ET with a full hour of pregame coverage beginning at 6 p.m. on NESN.
