The Boston Bruins cruised to a 5-2 victory in their season opener against the Washington Capitals on Wednesday. The offensive firestorm was led by a newly constructed second line made up by David Pastrnak, David Krejci and Pavel Zacha.
The chemistry that unit showed in its first NHL game was impeccable, making many wonder if there could be something that has helped it build chemistry.
Well, there is. Welcome to life with the Czech line, Bruins fans.
The unit of Pastrnak, Krejci and Zacha combined for three goals, eight points and a plus-two net rating in the Bruins win. Throughout the contest that group consistently looked like Boston’s best, though that wasn’t necessarily a guarantee headed into the game.
“I think they were good — I mean, you talk about risk versus reward,” Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery said, as seen on NESN’s postgame coverage. “That’s our line for risk, reward.”
Montgomery’s comments obviously refer to the defensive aspect of the Czech line’s game, which hasn’t always been the strongest in each member’s past. Nevertheless, they showed exactly what the reward can be, and that is offensive dominance.
Here are more notes from Wednesday’s Bruins-Capitals game:
— Derek Forbort played a bruising game for the B’s, finishing the night with six blocks and five hits in just over 23 minutes on the ice, which led the team in blocks and time on ice.
— Jake DeBrusk took a cross check in the second period that would ultimately prove to be costly for the 25-year-old. He did not return from the dressing room for the third period. Montgomery didn’t have an update postgame.
— Making his NHL debut, Jakub Lauko contributed everywhere but the box score for the Bruins. The rookie forward drew a pair of third-period penalties that halted any and all momentum Washington had built to that point.
“That’s why we want him in the lineup,” Montgomery said. “Not just his ability to draw penalties but his speed and take pucks to hard areas. I thought that fourth line got us going right away in the first shift of the game. … Really pleased.”
— The Bruins will play their home opener on Saturday when they host the Arizona Coyotes at TD Garden. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET, and you can watch the game, plus an hour of pregame and postgame coverage on NESN.
