Bruins Notes: Boston Gets Redemption In Tight Battle With Senators
The Boston Bruins needed to respond after being blown out by the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday night.
The Black and Gold did just that by showing what type of team they can be, thanks to a Morgan Geeekie goal, the airtight goaltending of Joonas Korpisalo, and outstanding penalty killing, shutting out Ottawa at TD Garden.
“I thought it was a really solid game from our group defensively,” Bruins interim head coach Joe Sacco told reporters after the game, per team-provided video. “… Korpi made some big saves for us, some timely saves for us, which you need. Good for him, he played an outstanding game.
“I thought overall our compete was excellent, and that was the thing we were really focusing on. We knew this was going to be a competitive, hard-fought game, and I really thought our guys did a good job by responding tonight.”
The Bruins held a lead over the Senators in Saturday’s disappointing shootout loss in Ottawa. Josh Norris tied the game with just 12 seconds remaining in regulation. This time, Boston didn’t collapse with an extra attacker on the ice.
“It’s gratifying,” Sacco said. “Our guys really dug in there at the end. We had better execution as far as what we wanted to do tonight and their opportunities.”
David Pastrnak had a great dish coming out from behind the Ottawa net to feed Geekie, who was driving toward the crease and beat Senators goaltender Anton Forsberg with the tip.
“What happened is exactly what I was trying to do,” Pastrnak told reporters about the feed to Geekie, as seen on NESN’s postgame coverage. “I knew he was going to move to the far post low and those are high chances to in the skates. If you have chemistry with the player, he’s probably going from that high slot to the backdoor there, the chances of going in are high.”
Pastrnak scored an empty-net goal to secure the win, extending his scoring streak to six games with six goals and seven assists. He not only helped the team offensively but also recognized how well the Bruins played across all three periods.
“I think we were focused,” he said. “We were dialed in for the whole game and focused on the details, and you could see it in the game. We were focused on the details, taking care of our house. Korpi was outstanding for us, made important saves and we limited their chances. That’s what we haven’t done in the last couple of games. … The focus and determination were there today.”
In a season that finds the Bruins teetering in and out of a playoff spot, points are at a premium when Boston plays division rivals. The win over the Senators not only resulted in a four-point swing, but the Bruins also catapulted to third in the Atlantic Division behind the Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panther — for now.
More Bruins
Here are more notes from Thursday’s Bruins-Senators game:
— Joonas Korpisalo made 30 saves for his ninth win and third shutout of the season against his former club.
“You just got to play the game and take care of the fundamentals,” Korpisalo said, per team-provided video. “You have to see the puck and just enjoy the moment. Those are the times that you enjoy, and you’re supposed to thrive.”
— After allowing three power-play goals to the Devils on Wednesday, the Bruins were a perfect 4-for-4 on the penalty kill against the Senators.
— The Bruins improved to 5-0-1 in the second game of back-to-backs this season, 15-7-3 at home and 9-2-1 when Geekie scores a goal.
— The Bruins get back to work on Saturday afternoon when they host the Colorado Avalanche. Puck drop from TD Garden is scheduled at 1 p.m. ET, and you can catch all the action on NESN, following an hour of pregame coverage.