Last year, Chris Kelly and the Boston Bruins began their season with a home ice victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning, the headline of the night coming with Kelly’s penalty-shot goal against Anders Lindback. A year later, Kelly topped that marker, this time scoring the go-ahead goal with under two minutes to play in the Bruins’ season-opening victory over the Philadelphia Flyers, a 2-1 final.
You could call it a flair for the dramatic or a greasy goal. But for Kelly, it’s a return to normalcy.
“I just wanted to go out there and feel good and enjoy it,… Kelly said of his first game back. “Last year was taken away from me and made me realize how much I missed the game and want to be out there playing. I just tried to enjoy the whole night and tried to play my game. For sure there’s no better feeling.…
In his first game since Apr. 8, when a back injury (an injury that turned out to be a season-ender) took the veteran centerman out of a shootout loss against the Minnesota Wild, the 33-year-old’s goal undoubtedly came as a deserved finish given the way his line, with Loui Eriksson on the right side and Carl Soderberg at center, torched Philadelphia in the attacking zone throughout the evening affair.
“I think we try to read off one another and support each other in all three zones which is key,… Kelly said of his line. “The days of a guy trying to beat two guys and then you just try to get open are no longer there, we want to defend so well. I think it’s important to support one another and have communication.…
The Bruins opened up their scoring when a Zac Rinaldo penalty put the B’s on the man-advantage, and let Soderberg find the space to dish the puck up and in to a streaking Reilly Smith, snapping home his first of the season, and his seventh power-play goal since the start of last season.
It was a goal that really came together by Soderberg’s ability to win a puck-battle, separate himself from the pack, and then somehow find space to pass it through a sea of Bruin and Flyer jerseys.
“I don’t know how he sees it, so I’m just happy that he does,… Smith said of Soderberg’s dish. “I don’t really see too many lanes but for some reason he always gets the puck through, so I’m pretty fortunate about that.…
But when the puck dropped on the middle frame, the Flyers found their legs, and began to take it to the B’s..
Generating momentum behind two second period power play opportunities, Philadelphia was unable to find a goal in the middle frame. And though Tuukka Rask stood tall for much of the night (the 27-year-old was certainly sharp all game long), the equalizing marker of a series of bad bounces in the Boston end that wound up with Sean Couturier deflecting one home against the defending Vezina winner>, with Jakub Voracek and Matt Read picking up the helpers on the marker.
Their energy wouldn’t last, however, as the deeper Bruins forward corp wore a flat-footed Philly defense down, culminating with Kelly’s goal at the 18:09 mark of the third period.
For the Bruins, it was the third straight season-opening victory, and the third in a row at TD Garden.
Robins a hit in NHL debut
It’s been a long journey to the NHL for the 32-year-old Bobby Robins. Nine years, to be exact. In those nine years, Robins has played in the American Hockey League, he’s played in Northern Ireland, and he’s even played in Austria. But after three years with the Providence Bruins, the Wisconsin-born forward finally made his Big Bruins debut, skating on Boston’s fourth-line as the line’s energetic forechecker. And though he only logged 6:58 of time on ice, boy did he make ‘em count. Five hits, seven penalty minutes.
“I definitely want to keep going. I don’t want to just play one game – I want to keep stringing together games and stringing together good games and make that a season, make that two seasons, and make that a career and keep going. So, I’ve definitely got the itch now – I want to stay in this league.…
A game against Philadelphia is the perfect team for Robins to make his debut against, but the matchups may not always be friendly to the physicality-based Robins, so it’s on No. 64 to prove his worth in the Hub.
“Right now he’s looking after himself. He wants to stay here and he’s playing hard. That’s what you saw from him tonight,… B’s coach Claude Julien said after the win. “He’s a great example for guys that have been toying around in the minors for a long time and to know that there’s still some hope at the end of the tunnel, and it’s not over just because you’re 30 years old. He’s done a good job of keeping himself in shape.
“Tonight he came out there excited to play and the energy that we were looking for he gave us some of it…
Up next
The Bruins have a quick turnaround, as they visit Detroit for a Thursday night battle against the Red Wings. This will be Detroit’s first game of the year, and first crack at the Bruins since the Black-and-Gold eliminated ‘em in five games last spring. On an injury front, the Wings will be without superstar center Pavel Datsyuk, who is still not ready to play after injuring his shoulder early into training camp.