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Tuukka Rask and Matt Grzelcyk help Bruins snap Flyers win streak |
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The Bruins entered Philadelphia Tuesday to take on a Flyers team that was carrying a nine-game win streak into the contest.
They also entered the final game of their regular season series with the Bruins with just six regulations on home ice. Only the opposing Bruins have less (4) regulation losses on home ice.
Tuukka Rask and the Bruins didn’t care much for those stats, as the Bruins goalie stopped all 36 shots he saw for his 50th career shutout.
Rask was unaware of the milestone by the time he got to the postgame podium to meet the media.
“It’s a great milestone, didn’t realize so thanks for telling me,” Rask said of his 50th career shutout. “I’ve been around for many years so I guess it’s one of those things that when you play enough games, these milestones happen. It’s definitely a good one.”
It was definitely a good one all-around for Rask who certainly had to work hard for the shutout. The Flyers fired 12 shots on goal in each of the three periods.
After a shaky night in Boston against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday, Rask responded against the Flyers Tuesday with a bounce back performance.
“Tuukka, he didn’t have his best against Tampa, we expect him to bounce back fairly quickly and he usually does,” head coach Bruce Cassidy said. “Not surprised at all that he gave us a solid effort and a big reason as to why we won.”
The Flyers were the better team in the game’s first two periods, and it felt like the Flyers spent the entire first 40 minutes inside the Bruins zone.
Holding a 1-0 lead entering the third, the Bruins flipped the switch, getting back to their style of hockey. Thanks to a few more big saves by Rask, the Bruins were able to extend the lead on Patrice Bergeron’s tally, securing the shutout for Rask and the Bruins.
“We never found our game offensively, we killed penalties and stayed in it. On the road there is nothing wrong with that, but in the second we kind of weathered the storm a little bit. Didn’t execute very well, but the third was arguably one of our best of the year against a good club that was down a goal,” added Cassidy.
“I liked the way we stayed in attack mode. For us, that was a good response from our group after not the best second period. I think the late power play goal helped a lot obviously, gives you life, but after that I thought we were excellent.”
Of NHL goalies who have played 23 games or more, Rask leads the league with a goals-against average of 2.12, and ranks second with a .929 save percentage.
Tuesday also happened to be Rask 33rd birthday.
“He gives us a chance to win every night, he was special there,” said Matt Grzelcyk whose second period power play strike gave the Bruins the only goal they would need. “Like I said we were struggling in the first two periods and we need to do a better job breaking out pucks and it was great to see him play so well on his birthday.”
After allowing two shorthanded goals in Saturday’s loss to the Lightning, being more responsible with the puck on the power play was an area of focus for the Bruins.
The effort with the puck was much better on Tuesday, and the puck movement was much more fluid.
“Forwards did a great job down low retrieving pucks and kind of working to get pucks back which is when seams open up,” said Grzelcyk. “Krejci had a couple of good looks over to Pasta and Pasta made a nice touch pass, I tried to get one on net quick and luckily they set a good screen.”
With Torey Krug day-to-day due to an upper-body injury, it was Grzelcyk filling the void left by Krug on the Bruins top power play unit.
He did not disappoint.
“I’m trying to play with my head up, whatever I see, make the play with confidence. The guys were setting screens all night and we were trying to get pucks there and have some more offensive zone time,” added Grzelcyk. “I thought we were kind of one and done in the first too much and we kind of allowed them to get on the offense early in the game. Trying to get more pucks to the net in each game and let our forwards go to work.”
Krug, Bergeron, David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand usually make up the core four on the Bruins top power play unit, with the fifth and final spot being a rotation of Bruins forwards.
But with how well Grezelcyk gelled with Bergeron, Pastrnak and Marchand on Tuesday, you would have thought Grzelcyk was the unit’s power play QB since day 1.
In the 24:51 of power play time Grzelcyk has spent with the Bruins top three forwards this season, they’ve produced five goals, 22 shots and 10 high-danger scoring chances. Not bad in the short amount of time spent together.
It sounds like Krug will miss both Friday’s game in Buffalo Friday and Saturday’s home contest with the Maple Leafs. This will allow the Bruins to get more of a look with the Bruins top power play unit.
With Krug set for unrestricted free agency this summer, Grzelcyk—a restricted free agent this offseason—could be the one looked upon to fill Krug’s role should the veteran forward leave Boston.
With Tuesday’s win in Philadelphia the Bruins become the first team in the league to hit 100 points. It marks the third straight season the Bruins have earned at least 100 points.
“Well these days, it’s one of those things where you almost have to get 100 points to make the playoffs,” Rask said.
“The league is tighter than ever. We’re just trying to get a head start early in the season and keep that momentum going for the whole year, pretty much accomplished that this year, finish strong and go into the playoffs.”
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