Recap: Bruins soar past Flyers 6-1

The Boston Bruins offense came out in full force tonight for a 6-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers at the TD Garden. Power-play goals, multi-point nights, first NHL points, you name it, the Bruins delivered on it.

The first period got off to a slow start. The Bruins carried the play, but shots were few early on. The Bs did a good job eliminating Philly’s chances to get through to Jaroslav Halak by blocking shots and taking away shooting lanes. Shots picked up with the team’s first power play of the night.

The Bruins took the lead with a power-play goal at 8:09 in the first period. Bergeron gained possession off the face-off to win the initial puck to Ritchie to set-up the play. From the left point, David Krejci sent the puck to the slot where Bergeron picked up Nick Ritchie’s rebound and backhanded the puck under Carter Hart’s pad, to make the score, 1-0. The goal came 14 seconds into the man advantage.

The Flyers tied the game at 1:14 in the second period. Gaining the blue line, Kevin Hayes passed to Jakub Voracek along the right boards who sent a wrist shot at the net. Driving to the net, Hayes tipped in the puck through Jaroslav Halak’s five-hole, to tie the game at 1-1.

Although the Flyers got on the board, it would be the Bruins’ third line to set the tone for the second period and subsequently rest of the evening.

The Bruins regained the lead shortly after at 2:30 in the second period. After a breakout play from Jeremy Lauzon and Charlie Coyle through the neutral zone, Coyle slid the puck back to Smith who fired a wrist shot at Hart. With Hart on the ice, Coyle picked up the loose puck and sent it to Smith driving into the slot where he had a wide-open net and picked up the loose puck for the go-ahead goal and his first as a Bruins, to make the score, 2-1.

Another full line effort gave the Bruins to take a two-goal cushion at 17:50 in the second period. Smith bounced a pass off the boards to Trent Frederic found Coyle in the low slot where he just got his stick on the puck to tip it in top shelf over Hart’s glove, to make the score, 3-1.

Coyle and Smith have found their groove together. Trent Frederic had a strong night and made an impact on the line being its newest addition.

The Bruins’ top line exploded in the third period and capitalized on power-play opportunities. The chemistry between Marchand and Bergeron is always fun to watch and it really came to fruition in the final frame.

The Bruins extended their lead with a goal from Brad Marchand at 4:13 in the third period. After Marchand missed an opportunity off a feed from Lauzon, Bergeron picked the puck off Erik Gustafsson and found Marchand in the low slot for a one-timer low past Hart’s stick, to make the score, 4-1.

Marchand netted his second goal of the night and the Bruins’ second power-play goal of the game at 7:59 in the third period. Jakub Zboril starts the play with a pass to Ritchie who finds Marchand inside the right face-off circle where he sent a wrist shot over Hart’s glove, to make the score, 5-1.

And why not score one more to close out the night? Bergeron potted his second goal of the game, which was also his second power-play goal tonight, at 13:33 in the third period. Charlie McAvoy fed Marchand the puck inside the right circle for a one-timer. Bergeron picked up the rebound on the backhand low past Hart’s stick, to make the final score, 6-1.

Notables!:

• Zboril and Frederic recorded their first NHL points tonight! Both were assists.
• The goal Craig Smith scored today was his first goal as a Bruin!
• At 5-on-5, the Bruins leading TOI getters? Jakub Zboril and Kevan Miller, believe it or not! Both played over 18 minutes.
• Multiple players are on a two-game point streak, up to and including Nick Ritchie! As we all suspected!
• The First QUOTA of the year!
• The Bruins’ special teams play remains a complete powerhouse: their power play is now 35.3% and penalty kill at 90%.
• Bergeron and Marchand led the team with five SOG each tonight.
• Bruins outshot the Flyers 26-17
• The Bruins have scored ten goals since the tracking pucks were eliminated, just saying.

The Bruins next game is on Tuesday, where they will be facing the Pittsburgh Penguins. Puckdrop is at 7pm EST.

We’ll see you then!