Bruins Notes: Boston Ends ‘Overtime Road Trip’ On Positive Note

The Boston Bruins played extra hockey for the fourth time on this road trip, but unlike the first three games, they captured the two points when Charlie McAvoy buried his second goal of the game for the win.

The Bruins didn’t exactly come buzzing out of the gate, but head coach Jim Montgomery was pleased with the overall effort of his team, capturing five of the possible eight points on the four-game road trip.

“It was really good. I thought we didn’t start on time in the first period, really loose,” Montgomery said on NESN’s postgame coverage. “Then I thought in the second and third periods, we got to Bruins’ hockey. It’s nice to get one win in the 3-on-3 overtime. It looks like this is the overtime road trip.”

Even though the Bruins captured five points on the road trip, McAvoy was excited to end the road trip with the win instead of another overtime loss.

“Five out of eight points, it sounds good. I mean points in every game … that sounds good,” McAvoy said on NESN’s postgame coverage. “But it was kind of disheartening the way we were losing these games … three overtimes in a row, and you go to overtime again tonight …, but it all worked out so it feels good right now and excited to end the trip with a win.”

Bruins captain Brad Marchand knew the team needed the win.

“We just kind of had that desperation tonight,” Marchand told NESN’s Adam Pellerin after the game. “I thought we played a great game, even when they scored to get back in it a couple of times. We kept going.

“It’s a really good way to end a road trip. Five points out of eight, we gotta be happy about that. It’s something we can build on.”

McAvoy’s game-winning goal in overtime was the sixth of his career, a new franchise record for a defenseman, passing Bruins legend Ray Bourque, who had five.

AT LONG LAST… pic.twitter.com/PVRC8HoWMN

— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) January 14, 2024

McAvoy’s game-winner wasn’t the only Bruins milestone secured during the matchup with the Blues. Marchand potted two goals in the game, his first was the 900th point of his career.

“Feels good,” Marchand said. “I don’t think when I was younger when I started (I) would have come this far. Just trying to be very grateful for the opportunity and how far we’ve come as a team. It’s a lot of fun every day.”

Here are more notes from Saturday’s Bruins-Blues game:

— With the win, the Bruins improved to 13-5-6 on the road and 5-9 in overtime. They own a 10-2-5 record against teams in the Western Conference.

— Four Bruins players registered multi-point nights. Marchand and McAvoy both lit the lamp twice in the game, while James van Riemsdyk and David Pastrnak both had two assists on Boston’s four goals.

— With the win, coupled with the Florida Panthers’ loss to the New Jersey Devils, the Bruins retained sole possession of first place in the Eastern Conference with 59 points, and Montgomery will join Winnipeg Jets’ Rick Bowness, New York Rangers’ Peter Laviolette and Vancouver Canucks’ Rick Tocchet as the All-Star coaches.

— The Bruins return to Boston for a five-game homestand when they host the Devils on Monday afternoon. Puck drop from TD Garden is slated for 1 p.m. ET, and you can catch the game, plus an hour of pregame coverage, on NESN.