[TheJoker12]

Bruins Beat: Bruins start making their move in the Atlantic Division as season crosses halfway mark (January 3rd - January 16th)


David Pastrnak scores the winning goal in the shootout against the Winnipeg Jets.

Results
WIN 3-2 (SO) vs Winnipeg Jets
WIN 4-3 @ New York Rangers
LOSE 3-1 @ Calgary Flames
WIN 3-2 vs Los Angeles Kings
LOSE 4-3 vs Buffalo Sabres
WIN 4-1 vs Arizona Coyotes
WIN 4-1 vs San Jose Sharks
Record: 5-2-0 (Overall - 27-14-4, 58 points), 4th in Atlantic (tied for 2nd)

Spotlight Game - 3-2 (SO) win vs Winnipeg Jets

Winnipeg Jets at Boston Bruins
Jan 3, 2022 1 2 3 SO F WPG (22-13-3) 1 1 0 0/1 2 BOS (22-12-4) 2 0 0 0/2 3 Three Stars T. Rask 1.85 GAA, 30 Saves, .938% C. Hellebuyck 1.85 GAA, 31 Saves, .939% P. Laine 1 G, 1 A, 2 Hits	Team Stats Comparison WPG BOS Shots on Goal 32 33 Hits 14 20 Faceoffs Won-Lost 12 28 Penalty Minutes 9:00 9:00 Power Plays Converted 1 0 Power Play Opportunities 2 2 Time on Attack 7:54 6:34
Scoring Summary FIRST PERIOD BOS 2:31 A. Bjork (6) (Unassisted) BOS 5:13 J. Studnicka (10) (Unassisted) WPG 10:09 M. Scheifele (17) (P. Laine, J. Oleksiak) SECOND PERIOD WPG 11:21 P. Laine (14) (M. Scheifele, B. Wheeler) SHOOTOUT WPG P. Laine BOS B. Marchand BOS D. Pastrnak

A strong 5-2-0 stretch has pushed the Bruins into a three-way tie for second place in the Atlantic Division. Of course - that also means they are tied for fourth, and they are just one point ahead of the Panthers for fifth. It should be a terrific battle for the rest of the year.

It started with an impressive 3-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets, a team that has notoriously given the B's trouble over the last few years. It was yet another physical battle, with the teams combining for 34 hits and 18 penalty minutes.

The Bruins jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead thanks to goals from Anders Bjork and Jack Studnicka, both of which were unassisted and outstanding individual efforts. The Jets came flying back, however, with Mark Scheifele cutting the lead to just one heading into the first intermission, and Patrick Laine tying the game on the power play mid-way through the second period.

A back-and-forth third period saw both goaltenders make several outstanding saves, including Connor Hellebuyck robbing Jake DeBrusk on a breakaway. Overtime was more of the same - great hockey, but no goals, which meant the game would have to be decided in a shootout.

Laine gave the Jets an early lead on his first attempt, but Brad Marchand quickly responded to tie the shootout at one all. After a big save from Tuukka Rask on Scheifele, David Pastrnak scored a beautiful goal to give the B's a lead. Another Rask save and the game was done - 3-2 Bruins victory.


The Bruins elected to wear jerseys from the mid-2000s against the Flames and it may have backfired, as the team played like the mid-2000s Bruins in a frustrating 3-1 loss.

Other Notes...
- Charlie McAvoy continued his outstanding season with a three point performance in the Bruins 4-3 win over the Rangers, including the game-winning goal. McAvoy has a great chance to set a career high in goals and points this season while he continues to play excellent defensive and physical hockey.

- The first line really struggled against the Flames, with Bergy, Marchand, and Bjork all ending up -3 in the 3-1 loss. While that line has been asked to do more defensively than in recent years, they have had their issues in their own end at times, and Bjork especially has struggled against the more physical teams. Charlie Coyle scored his 19th goal of the year, the lone tally for the Bruins.

- If Tyler Toffoli could play all of his games against the Kings, he'd break Wayne Gretzky's scoring record. Toffoli again scored against his former club in the B's 3-2 win. Chris Wagner also scored, just his second goal of the year, and the game-winner.

- A disappointing loss against the Sabres, who continue to linger just below the Bruins in the Atlantic. Wagner scored once again, but the club was badly outplayed for most of the night, with Rask making 38 saves to keep the score close.

- Two solid wins against two mediocre at best teams to end the two-week stretch. Charlie Coyle scored three goals in the back-to-back 4-1 victories over the Coyotes and Sharks. Kyle Clifford even got in on the action, picking up first goal in over 10 games. Bad news on the injury front, however - Sean Kuraly went down against the Sharks with an MCL injury and will be out until at least April. Peter Cehlarik was called up to replace him on the roster. It appears rookie Jack Studnicka will get the chance at the third-line centre role, with Karson Kuhlman sliding in beside him on the wing, and Paul Stastny remaining on the fourth line.

Who's Hot
Charlie McAvoy - McAvoy's outstanding season continued during this seven-game stretch. He tallied a goal and five assists, including the game-winning goal against the Rangers. He now has 27 points on the year and is averaging over 24 minutes of ice-time a game.

Chris Wagner - Wagner's struggles from last year have carried over to this year, as he is a -8 in 30 games of action and has almost as many giveaways (20) as hits (21). He had a pretty good two-game stretch with back-to-back goals, however, and remains a fan favourite in Boston.

Who's Not
Sean Kuraly - Kuraly's move to the fourth line hadn't been a spark as the club had hoped. He found his game playing alongside Jack Studnicka and Tyler Toffoli, however, while Paul Stastny was out of the lineup. Bruce Cassidy had decided to put that line back together just three games before Kuraly's injury. There is a chance Kuraly will return for the playoffs, but it is unclear how effective he will be after a pretty serious knee injury.

What's on tap?
A quiet stretch for the Bruins that sees them play just four games in the next two weeks. The last two are big, however - matchups against the Flyers and Red Wings, both in the Garden.


Jake DeBrusk continued his strong season with a one-timer goal against the San Jose Sharks.