There’s no denying the key role Boston Bruins forward Nick Foligno played in a 3-2, come-from-behind win over the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday night at TD Garden.
While Foligno’s most important contribution of the night was potting the game-winner with 8:52 remaining in regulation, he provided much more than that for the Bruins.
Foligno helped get Boston on track after falling down by two goals in the first period with his veteran leadership shining through as he led by example to keep the Bruins undefeated on their home ice in regulation.
“(Foligno) had a huge part in that,” Bruins coach Jim Montgomery told NESN’s Jack Edwards and Andy Brickley of the comeback, as seen on the network’s postgame coverage. “Obviously, the game-winner, but just the way he was skating, getting pucks, dragging them wide and getting them to the goal line, which I think in the second period turned the game around for us.”
Foligno’s confidence never wavered despite the two-goal deficit the Bruins faced after the opening stanza. A respected member of Boston’s leadership group, the 35-year-old didn’t have to say much but his self-assured presence aided the rally.
“There’s such a quiet confidence in this room, so I don’t think we ever get too flustered by anything,” Foligno said as seen on NESN postgame coverage. “…In that (first) period, we weren’t executing the way we needed to, and they were. Every team is going to bring their best, especially with our record at home, and we can’t be surprised by that and expect any different.
“For us it’s disappointing to let them kind of out-execute us in the period, but we gathered ourselves like we are as a calm, collected, confident group and came out with a better second and took over.”
Montgomery ended up rewarding Foligno for his strong play in the second period — he assisted on David Pastrnak’s fluky goal to kick start things — by elevating him to the third line alongside Trent Frederic and Charlie Coyle in the final frame.
That trio meshed well and all played a hand in the decisive goal. They one battles to keep the puck in the offensive zone before Coyle found Foligno, who buried his chance from the slot.
“It’s funny, (Frederic) said it’s usually our second shift we score a goal on every time we’ve been put together, and I think it was the second shift again,” Foligno said. “We play a similar style: holding onto pucks, being heavy. When I get an opportunity to play with those guys, you just want to continue to do the same things and drive play. I think that’s the biggest thing. When he puts us out there together, it’s usually for a reason to try to get down low underneath the goal line and use our big bodies to get the momentum back. And luckily, we were able to get that one for us.”
