Bruins Notes: How Bruce Cassidy Felt About Third-Period Response

The Bruins finally got one to go their way in the final minute Thursday night as Boston earned a 4-3 victory against the Chicago Blackhawks after a game-winning goal in the final minute from David Pastrnak.

It certainly served as a much-appreciated change of pace for the Bruins after they had allowed the game-tying goal in the final 30 seconds during three of their previous four games. Boston lost Monday to the Los Angeles Kings in overtime after allowing the game-tying goal with 25 seconds left in regulation.

“We kept after it offensively and for us to score one late, all the ones we’ve given up late, yeah, that’s a nice turn of events for us,” Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy said referencing Pastrnak’s tally at 19:42, per a team-provided video.

Jack Ahcan added, as seen on NESN’s postgame coverage: “Yeah, it’s kind of been going the other way for the past few games the final 30 seconds. Ended up getting a bounce there for us. It’s just all about staying positive, you know, we finally got a bounce at home and it was a great feeling.”

Cassidy acknowledged how he liked Boston’s response in the period despite allowing a game-tying goal on the power play earlier in the third.

“Well, I think we had an attack mentality. I thought Taylor Hall’s line really picked it up in the third, he got skating more, attacked through the middle of the ice,” Cassidy said. “We were playing to win the hockey game, which I like.”

Bruins Wrap: David Pastrnak’s Big Game Carries Boston Past Blackhawks

Mar 10, 2022

Here are more notes from Bruins-Blackhawks:

— Pastrnak finished with a pair of goals including the game winner, which marked his 33rd of the season.

“Yeah, obviously, they are a high-skilled team so it was a big bounce back for us,” Pastrnak said, per team-provided video. “I think overall (Jeremy Swayman) made some huge saves (22) there even after they scored so obviously kept us in the game and the last minute, that was huge.”

— The Bruins went 2-for-3 on the power play including Pastrnak’s first goal after a slick feed from Charlie McAvoy to give Boston a 3-2 lead in the second.

— Ahcan scored the first goal of his NHL career Thursday after an impressive individual effort, tying the game 2-all for the Bruins.

“Yeah, I was down low, which is not probably where I should have been, but I went down for the puck and (Brad Marchand), gave it to Marchy, and it kind of bounced and I chipped it over the defenseman’s stick and got in the slot and just kind of shot it in on it. Went in,” Ahcan said on NESN’s postgame coverage.

And what is Ahcan going to do with the puck?

“My mom probably wants it so I’ll give it to her,” he said.

— The Bruins received yet another strong performance from their third line of Trent Frederic-Charlie Coyle-Craig Smith. Coyle scored game-opening goal after a great play through the neutral zone and Frederic, specifically, continued to stick out.

“Yeah, I mean, I think especially Coyle’s line been giving us great starts consistently the last five to 10 games. They’ve been playing really good and that’s huge,” Pastrnak said of the third group.

— The Bruins, who now are 8-1-1 in their last 10 games, return to action Saturday at TD Garden against the Arizona Coyotes. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. ET, after a full hour of pregame coverage on NESN.