As they’ve done on many occasions this season, the Boston Bruins found a way to get back in the win column — defeating the Devils for the second time in three games. It didn’t come as easy as the 3-1 final score may seem, however.
Boston and New Jersey battled it out for the better part of three regulation periods on Thursday night. And with the contest knotted at 1-1 in the third period, Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron came through to close the door. Bergeron heroically tipped a shot attempt from Hampus Lindholm to put Boston ahead with 4:09 left in the game.
As they’ve shown all season, the Bruins are a team far from content, despite their NHL-best 28-4-3 record. Bergeron emphasized that message postgame.
“I think as a team we’re not satisfied,” Bergeron said, as seen on TNT’s postgame coverage. “You see guys that want to get better, want to improve our game, collectively, individually. And I think it speaks volumes for the type of team that we have.”
Entering the night, the odds were in Boston’s favor. Before puck drop, the Bruins had an NHL-leading 18 wins when leading after the first two periods. Well, the Bruins extended that despite being tied in the final period at Prudential Center.
Once again, and as Bergeron mentioned, the Bruins found a way despite not showing their ‘A-game’ to end their three-game road trip.
“I think it’s finding ways to win hockey games,” Bergeron said. “You know you’re not gonna have your A-game all the time. Tonight was one of those nights. Sticking with it, playing for each other and finding ways to win games.
Bergeron added: “I’ve been part of many successful teams and this is definitely up there. We gotta keep that going, obviously.”
Here are more notes from Wednesday’s Bruins-Devils game:
— Bergeron netted his 14th goal of the season through his game-winner. In his last five games, Bergeron has scored five goals while also totaling three assists. Meanwhile, the Bruins have gone 4-1 through that span.
— Linus Ullmark did his part for the Bruins, saving 27-of-28 shots from the Devils’ offense. Doing so, Ullmark recorded his 39th win through a calendar year. He tied Tuukka Rask (2013) for the most by a Bruins goalie, as noted by NHL Public Relations.
— Pavel Zacha delivered an empty netter to put the nail in the coffin and record his fifth goal of the season. He is now on pace to hit a career-high 52 points, according to Ty Anderson of 98.5 The Sports Hub.
— Against the Metropolitan division, the Bruins improved to a perfect 10-0-0. Through that stretch, Boston has outscored opponents 21-11.
— After being on the road for their last three, the Bruins return to TD Garden on Saturday. Puck drop against the Buffalo Sabres is set for 1 p.m. ET, and you can watch the game, plus with a full hour of pregame coverage, live on NESN.
