Penalty Kill, Kevin Shattenkirk Come Up Big For Bruins In Win Vs. Capitals

The Bruins penalty kill put on a clinic in the overtime period against the Washington Capitals.

Hampus Lindholm was called for a high-sticking double minor against T.J. Oshie just 57 seconds into the extra frame.

With Lindholm in the box for four minutes, Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery rolled out Charlie Coyle, Brad Marchand and Charlie McAvoy as Boston’s first three penalty killers.

Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman came up big, making saves on Alex Ovechkin and Dylan Strome’s shots as Boston changed out penalty killers in favor of Andrew Peeke, Brandon Carlo and Danton Heinen. Swayman made two additional saves on Ovechkin and Strome before the end of the period to send the game to the shootout.

“I think we really came together in the end,” Lindholm told reporters after the Bruins win, as seen on NESN’s postgame coverage. “That was a tough minor penalty. Seeing the guys putting their body on the line like that … we’re going to need that down the stretch. It was real fun to see.”

With the penalty kill doing its job, the stage was set for Swayman and Capitals goaltender Charlie Lindgren to face shooters one-on-one.

With Jake DeBrusk and David Pastrnak getting the puck past Lindgren and Strome and Sonny Milano beating Swayman, the shootout went into the fifth round after Coyle and Marchand missed for Boston and Oshie and Ovechkin couldn’t end it for Washington.

Montgomery decided to send out Kevin Shattenkirk for the Bruins’ fifth shooter.

“Goalie (coach) Bob (Essensa) said Shatty would be a good matchup for this goalie, and he called it,” Montgomery told Andy Brickley on NESN’s postgame coverage.

Shattenkirk skated wide before moving to the center of the ice and beating Lindgren with the wrist shot glove side.

Shootout Shatttyyyyyy 🗣️🗣️ pic.twitter.com/OG894t8uXh

— x – Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) March 31, 2024

“I got a pretty good read on Jake’s when he went in with some speed and took that glove shot,” Shattenkirk told reporters, per team-provided video. “(Lindgren) seemed to drop back a little bit, so I stuck to my normal move and my route and just saw that that was open. Just tried to shoot it and make sure I beat him to that glove side.”

After Shattenkirk scored the go-ahead shootout goal, Swayman shut down Connor McMichael for the win.

Shattenkirk knows he wouldn’t have had the opportunity to be the hero had the penalty kill not come up big in overtime.

“It’s enormous. I mean, obviously the key moment in the game for us,” Shattenkirk said. “You know the other team’s gonna get chances. You need your goalie to make a big save or two, which he did and after that, we’re blocking shots.

“We’re getting pucks down the ice and the fact that we were able to roll over and get fresh bodies out there … it was just textbook. So, I think you have to give a ton of credit to those guys. The heart and soul of our team came through at a huge moment for us.”

The Bruins improved to 43-17-15 and captured their sixth straight 100-plus point season. Boston has reached the 100-point milestone 27 times in franchise history.