Bruins forward Trent Frederic has tallied two goals in three games in Boston’s Stanley Cup playoffs opening-round matchup against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
His second tally came late in the second period of Boston’s 4-2 win on Wednesday night, but because Brad Marchand and Tyler Bertuzzi were exchanging pleasantries with their sticks, no one in Scotiabank Arena saw Frederic come off the bench, collect the puck and beat Toronto goaltender Ilya Samsonov on the short side to knot the game at one.
“It was really weird. I was trying to tell the guys we scored to remind them because I don’t think anyone really knew,” Frederic told reporters on Thursday, per team-provided video. “It was kind of a weird play. I’m glad it all unraveled like that.
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“Normally, you get a reaction from your teammates and the crowd, but I don’t think anyone was watching so it was kind of funny.”
It wasn’t the first time Frederic had a quiet goal like the one Wednesday. The first time he scored for the Bruins was during the 2020-21 season, which played without fans due to the COVID pandemic.
“My first NHL goal was in Lake Tahoe, so we didn’t have fans,” Frederic recalled. “It was kind if similar to that. I was like, that went in but nobody reacted. Pretty similar.”
Chances are Marchand and Bertuzzi will continue to battle on the ice for the remainder of the Bruins-Maple Leafs series, but hopefully, it won’t outshine more Bruins goals like Frederic’s.
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The Bruins hold the 2-1 series lead in the best-of-seven matchup, with Game 4 from Toronto on Saturday night. Puck drop from Scotiabank Arena is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET. NESN has you covered with all the action starting with a half-hour pregame show.
Featured image via John E. Sokolowski/USA TODAY Sports Images
