Seventeen games into the 2023-24 regular season, the Boston Bruins have the best record in the NHL still, but in the last seven days, it was a whirlwind of emotions for the Black and Gold. They split their two games, but it was the way that it happened that was frustrating for them.
In the latest edition of Bruins 3 Up, 3 Down, we’ll look at some players who made an impact this week and a special road trip for the players to Florida.
Plus One: David Pastrnak
Over the last seven games, David Pastrnak has at least one point a game. In the last week, the Bruins’ leading scorer came up clutch as the Black and Gold secured three out of four possible points. Against the Montreal Canadiens on Nov. 18, he picked up three assists on five goals in a 5-2 win. He left the game late in the first period with an injury but returned and picked up two more assists.
In a 5-4 overtime loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Nov. 20, the Bruins entered the third period trailing 2-1 but tied the game when Pastrnak scored on a wrist shot from inside the Tampa Bay blueline. In 17 games this season, he has 12 goals and 17 assists.
Minus One: Bruins Late Third Period Decisions With the Puck
Against Tampa Bay, the Bruins had to kill six penalties, which against the unit can be physically draining. Late in the third period and leading 4-3, John Beecher was whistled for a high sticking minor and the Lightning pulled their goalie for a 6-on-4. During the two minutes, Boston had several chances to clear the puck the length of the ice but failed.
In fact, killing a penalty, all they had to do was clear the puck 200 feet, even if they tried to seal the game with an empty-netter, it would not have been icing. Instead, they tried to make the perfect pass for the perfect play, but never got it the length of the ice. After they killed the penalty, one last clearing attempt failed to get out of the zone and kept in at the blue line, which led to the game-tying goal with 4.8 seconds left. They should have left with two points in regulation.
Plus Two: Jeremy Swayman
For the first time this season, head coach Jim Montgomery broke up the alternating goaltenders, he admitted after the Tampa Bay game that Linus Ullmark needed some maintenance, and Jeremy Swayman got two starts in a row. He was been outstanding in both games.
In the win over Montreal, he made 20 saves, and then against Tampa Bay, he stopped 42 shots and was a big reason why the Bruins left Amalie Arena with a point. Seven of his saves came on the six Lightning power play attempts and two on a pair of shorthanded attempts for Tampa Bay. He has been the best of the two netminders early in the season.
Minus Two: Bruins Overtime Struggles
Through the first 17 games, four times the Bruins have gone to overtime, winning just one of them on Oct. 30 against the Florida Panthers at home on a Pavel Zacha goal. In the other three trips to the extra session, it hasn’t worked out well for the Black and Gold.
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Two of the three overtime losses have a common theme with the Bruins giving up late third-period goals to force overtime. In the extra session, Boston has allowed goals with players spending too much time on the ice and not being able to get off. It has happened twice to Pastrnak and Tampa Bay needed just 1:10 to score the other night and they held possession the entire time before Brandon Hagel scored on a breakaway. The Bruins need all the points they can get and have left some big ones on the table early in the season.
Plus Three: Bruins Fathers on Florida Trip
Last season the Bruins did a siblings trip that went to Nashville and Dallas. On the current two-game road trip through Florida, the Bruins are doing a Fathers Trip before Thanksgiving.
It is a great trip for the fathers to get to see what their sons go through on a road trip and have close access to everything that goes on. They attend practices, meetings, and games while sitting in a suite in the arena they are playing in. It’s something that the fathers and sons will never forget.
Minus Three: Mason Lohrei
It was not the best week for the Bruins’ top defensive prospect. In Tampa Bay, Mason Lohrei had a tough first period turning the puck over and with his decision making, which forced the hand of Montgomery to move Derek Forbort to the top pairing with Charlie McAvoy. In the third period, he struggled in the defensive zone which led to a goal by Tampa Bay’s Austin Watson that tied the game.
Lohrei only played 12:32 against the Lightning and he has been showing his inexperience and youth recently. Matt Grzelcyk is slated to return against the New York Rangers on Nov. 25 and you have to think that Lohrei will be the odd man out (from ‘Injured Bruins defenseman Matt Grzelcyk closing on return to the lineup,’ Boston Globe, Nov. 15, 2023). I recently did a Buy or Sell article on whether or not Lohrei will be in Boston when they are healthy on defense and I’m starting to think it’s going to be a sell.
The Bruins return to the ice Wednesday night (Nov. 22) against Florida, then return home for a game the day after Thanksgiving against the Detroit Red Wings, and then the next day they will be at Madison Square Garden in New York to play the Rangers. It’s a tough stretch early in the season that is going to test the Black and Gold.