Deadlocked in a scoreless game late in the third period of a pretty boring game, it was a play just inside the Bruins defensive zone that sparked the Bruins.
A play that started at the blue line, finished on the other end of the ice as Charlie Coyle deposited the puck past Hurricanes goalie James Reimer for the first goal of the game, and the only one the Bruins would need.
It was a play that happens hundreds of times during a hockey game as the Hurricanes cycled the puck through the offensive zone. When the puck got to the stick of old friend Jake Gardiner—seriously, this guy must HATE playing at TD Garden—Danton Heinen pressed him, causing Gardiner to turn the puck over.
Off to the races the Bruins went.
Instead of making what most would say was the safe play—chipping the puck into the corner for Charlie Coyle to grab—Heinen took advantage of the open ice surrounding Brad Marchand, firing what Heinen admitted was an unintentional pass to Marchand.
Heinen, off the boards, Marchand, Coyle, goal, game.
“That’s the part — he made the play, kind of going up through the neutral zone and the o-zone. He’s going to be able to do those with time and space, and it was a little bit of a broken play but we got up to the net eventually,” head coach Bruce Cassidy said. “But I was happy for him because we trust Danton in those situations and we don’t want him to lose that.”
Heinen plays a very underappreciated role on the Bruins. Because he’s not lightning up the scoresheet on a consistent basis, what he brings on a game-by-game basis is often overlooked.
Since the 2017-18 season—Heinen’s first full season in the NHL—of 582 skaters who have more than 1000 minutes of five-on-five ice time, only one skater in all of the National Hockey League has been on the ice for less 5-on-5 goals against per 60 minutes than Heinen, and that’s Jason Dickinson of the Dallas Stars.
Jason Dickinson 1.37 GA/60
Danton Heinen 1.46 GA/60
“I like that he stuck with it, you know what I mean? Sometimes these young guys, they’re not going to win them all, but he stayed with it. He really did. And that’s the part I like — the second effort, to win a puck in a zero-zero game, in a non-scoring situation. It was more of a defensive play than anything, and he stuck with it,” Cassidy added. “Who knows how it would have went if we didn’t win that battle?”
Heinen started the game to the right of Coyle and Jake DeBrusk, but after the Bruins top two lines couldn’t get much going, DeBrusk jumped up to the top line, swapping spots with Marchand.
The change did not produce immediate results. But hey, better late than never.
Right?
“We weren’t generating much,” Cassidy said. “So it was just one of those in-game switches we’ve done in the past. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t.”
Regardless of who has been on the other wing, when Coyle and Heinen have been together, things have gone well for the Bruins.
In 168:57 of five-on-five ice time together, Coyle and Heinen have the edge in Corsi For %, (53.13) goals for, (6-4) scoring chances for, (79-67) and high-danger goals for (5-2).
I thought Coyle was the Bruins best skater Tuesday night. He had a game-high six shots and was a force in all three zones.
A pair of milestones
Playing in his 500th career game Tuesday night, Jaroslav Halak couldn’t have dialed up a better one. Not only was he the Bruins best player, he notched his 49th career shutout.
“Might as well get it with a shutout, right? Good for him. He battles hard in there. In my opinion, he’s a number one goalie in this league, he’s proven that,” Cassidy said. “He plays great for us, gives us a chance to win every night.”
Shortly after Coyle’s opening tally, the Bruins added an insurance goal after David Krejci tipped a Charlie McAvoy point shot past Reimer.
The goal was the 200th of Krejci’s career.
“You know what, I thought — I know he’s a pass-first guy, but I always assumed he had more than that to be honest with you. I don’t mean that in the wrong way, it seems like he’s been playing in this league as long as I can remember,” Cassidy said.
“I’m happy for him.”
A strange moment
The Hurricanes thought they had the game’s first goal in the second period as Jacob Slavin sent a backhander towards Halak. The puck ended up in the back of the net, but in one of the stranger ways we’ve seen.
Up next
The Bruins will continue their five-game homestand Thursday night when they host the Chicago Blackhawks as they look for their ninth straight win.
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