After a tough loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Nov. 4, the Boston Bruins looked to get back into the win column against the Dallas Stars on Nov. 6. They certainly had a big test in front of them, as the Stars are at the top of the Central Division standings and one of the best teams in the NHL. However, the Bruins passed the test, defeating the Stars by a 3-2 final score. With this win, they improved to a 10-1-1 record. Let’s discuss three main takeaways from the contest now.
Beecher & Lohrei Score First NHL Goals
After an offseason that saw the Bruins lose several notable players, the Original Six club made it a point to give their younger players a chance. So far, it has been working out for them quite nicely, and this only continued against the Stars. Forward Johnny Beecher and defenseman Mason Lohrei both potted their first career NHL goals in this one and played a huge role in their win because of it.
So far in his young NHL career, Beecher has not made too much of an impact offensively. However, he has instead made his mark with his solid defensive play and physicality. However, he finally broke the ice against the Stars with his excellent goal. The young center showed great confidence while with the puck before roofing it past Jake Oettinger. He also had three shots on net, so it was a strong night for him from an offensive standpoint.
Lohrei, on the other hand, is continuing to show the Bruins that he looks ready to be a full-time NHL defenseman. After receiving a perfect feed from Danton Heinen, the 6-foot-5 defenseman scored with a beautifully placed wrist shot from the point. His first three games as a Bruin have been excellent, and this goal only adds to his strong start.
Swayman Continuing to Dominate
Although the Bruins got the win in this one, the game could have gone in an entirely different direction if it was not for Jeremy Swayman. The Alaska native continued his dominant start to the season, saving an impressive 35 out of 37 shots on goal.
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What also made things difficult for Swayman was that the Bruins’ energy completely fell off during the third period. The Bruins had only four shots on goals, including a Brad Marchand goal, while the Stars had the majority of momentum and posted 16 shots. Wyatt Johnston and Joe Pavelski both scored on Swayman in the third, but he shut the door after to help get the Bruins two points.
With this win, Swayman now sports a perfect 6-0-0 record, a 1.49 goals-against average (GAA), and a .952 save percentage (SV%) in six appearances. It is hard not to love what we are seeing from the young star, and we will need to see how long he keeps this marvelous run going.
Bruins Lose Steam as Game Rolls On
As noted above, besides Marchand‘s third-period goal, the Bruins noticeably lost momentum as the contest carried on. The Stars were extremely hungry, and they created far more scoring chances. The Bruins, on the other hand, started to look quite flat, and it ultimately almost cost them this game. In fact, it seemed quite possible that the Bruins would blow another multi-goal lead in the third period, as Pavelski scored with 28 seconds left, and the Stars kept charging after. However, as noted above, Swayman bailed the Bruins out.
While it is impossible to be discontent about the Bruins’ wonderful start to the season, the one pattern that they need to work is their play in the third period. Had Swayman not played so well, this game could have gone in a different direction, and we could have had another Florida Panthers/Anaheim Ducks situation.
Nevertheless, this was still a very good win for the Bruins, and it was great to see Lohrei and Beecher get their first career goals. Now, the Bruins will look to get another win on Nov. 9 against the New York Islanders. We will need to wait and see if they do just that.