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With Bruce Cassidy in the building, Bruins home streak comes to an end |
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Vegas Golden Knights’ head coach Bruce Cassidy knows all too well how quickly the Boston Bruins can get themselves back into a hockey game.
He didn’t need to see them erase a 3-0 deficit Monday night to learn it. That education came during the six years he spent behind the Bruins bench.
Cassidy returned to TD Garden Monday night for the first time since he was fired by the organization over the summer. With him, Cassidy brought his Western conference leading Golden Knights.
In what was an emotional night for Cassidy, the emotions quickly turned to joy as his Knights dominated the Bruins in the first period, jumping out to a 2-0 lead. 51 seconds into the second period, it became 3-0, the Bruins record setting home winning streak now in severe jeopardy.
The Bruins honored Cassidy with a tribute video during the first TV timeout of the first period—Cassidy seen fighting back tears.
“That’s something I’ll get choked up about, obviously. Probably in about three seconds, I appreciate it,” Cassidy said. “It’s that simple. I appreciate it. I did what I could here to help the team win. Now it’s on to Vegas and do what I can do there.”
The Bruins recovered from their sloppy start, clawing their way back into the contest with goals by Brad Marchand, David Pastrnak and Taylor Hall.
The Bruins second period resurgence flipped the game from a boring, sloppy effort by the Bruins, to two periods of fast-paced entertaining hockey between two of the National Hockey League’s better teams.
"I am really proud of the group. I mean, this is a great group of players to coach. They never quit, they never stop playing, they never stop believing. Down 3-0, we did not start on time,” head coach Jim Montgomery said.
“That's unfortunate. We got beat through the middle of the ice too often tonight. That usually does not happen to us.”
In overtime the Bruins had chances to earn the win, earning themselves a key power play in the extra frame. Despite several scoring chances, the Bruins couldn’t get the game winner they needed before the contest was sent to the shootout.
Former Bruin Reilly Smith was the lone scorer in the shootout to give the Knights the extra point, ending the Bruins 14-game home winning streak.
"To fight our way out was great, but I think we were exhausted by the end of the game from playing so hard and working to get our game back,” said Hall whose power play tally tied the game at three.
"The start killed us. I mean, it was great that we battled back, but three goals are a huge hole and it's not something that we can rely on every time out. But it's good to face a little bit of adversity and to have moments during your season and in games that don't look great and look bleak.”
The Bruins’ streak was going to come to an end eventually. Given the way Cassidy’s tenure ended in Boston, he being the scapegoat for general manager Don Sweeney and team president Cam Neely’s failures.
Cassidy’s Golden Knights ending the Bruins’ streak is a bit of poetic justice.
The Bruins and Cassidy will meet again in Vegas on Dec. 11. Cassidy hopes that he gets to bring his Golden Knights back to Boston later in the season.
“I would like to be here in the spring,” Cassidy said. “Wouldn’t that be nice, eh?”
Boston Bruins Blogger • 
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