Saturday was an important night for the Bruins for reasons more than one.
Not only did Boston match the NHL’s single-season wins record with a home victory over the New Jersey Devils, but the club also welcomed Taylor Hall back to the lineup. Hall missed 20 games for the Black and Gold after injuring his knee in a late-February road win over the Vancouver Canucks.
Playing on the Bruins’ third line alongside Charlie Coyle and Trent Frederic, Hall logged four shots on goal across 12:12 of ice time. After Boston’s 2-1 win, the 2018 Hart Trophy winner assessed his return performance.
“I felt good,” Hall told reporters, per The Boston Globe. “I felt like the speed of the game didn’t overwhelm me. There were some plays to be made that I made. That’s what you want to do. It’s not about scoring goals, getting points. It’s about feeling like a hockey player, getting the bumps and the grinds. …When you have to make a player under the gun … that’s what you want to get back before the playoffs.”
Hall will not be in the Bruins’ lineup Sunday when the Black and Gold play the second leg of their season’s final back-to-back in Philadelphia. The 31-year-old will have two more tune-up opportunities before the Stanley Cup playoffs begin: Tuesday in Boston against the Washington Capitals and Thursday in Montreal.
