Recap: Fast start propels Bruins to 2-0 win over Ottawa

The Bruins were in need of a confidence boost after Thursday’s debacle, and they got it in the form of a 2-0 afternoon win over the Senators in Ottawa.

The Bruins jumped out to a two-goal lead midway through the first period and got 30 saves from Jeremy Swayman in what ended up being a relatively smooth game.

Trent Frederic got the Bruins on the board before NESN even finished showing the full lineups, adding some hustle to a great move by Charlie McAvoy to make it 1-0 Bruins.

Things got a bit chippy after that, as Austin Watson hit Jack Ahcan late and high, only for it to end up as matching minors. Keeping headshots out of the game, etc.

The Bruins got another greasy one just a few minutes later, as Curtis Lazar crashed the net and put in an Anton Blidh rebound to make it 2-0 Bruins.

After that, it was relatively smooth sailing for the B’s — Ottawa manged just 8 shots in the second period before a (relative) flurry of 14 shots in the third.

Aside from a second period penalty by Craig Smith, there wasn’t much going on.

Blidh appeared to make it a three-goal lead in the third, but the goal was eventually called off for goalie interference after a successful Ottawa challenge.

And that was it! A 2-0 win to (hopefully) get the Bruins trending in the right direction.

Game notes

• This seemed like one of those games the Bruins needed — with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand out and the de facto top line not producing today, the B’s got gritty-type goals from the more grinder-type players on the roster. To quote Jack Edwards, “they don’t ask how, they just ask how many.”
• The Watson hit on Ahcan was pretty cheap, to say the least. You can make the “well he’s way taller!” claim for the hit being high, but there’s no excuse for how late it was. It sure looked like Watson saw a vulnerable player and decided to take a shot. Fortunately, the refs decided to take a hard line by issuing...an interference minor?
• Funnily enough, the league decided after the game that Watson’s hit merited a hearing with the Department of Player Safety. It’s not the first time something like this has happened, but it’s rarely a good look for the guys in stripes when the league wants to review a play you called a minor.
• Ideally, a game like today’s ends up being a confidence boost for Swayman, who had lost six of his last seven starts coming into today’s game. While he wasn’t exactly under siege all game, a 30-save shutout is a 30-save shutout.
• Just in case you hadn’t heard by now, Marchand is appealing his suspension. Per NHL/NHLPA rules, he’ll remain out while the appeal is processed.

The Bruins are back at it Tuesday night in Manhattan.