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Four line effort pushes Bruins past Predators

January 8, 2020, 1:05 PM ET [8 Comments]
Anthony Travalgia
Boston Bruins Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
Entering Nashville Tuesday night on a three-game losing streak and playing uninspiring hockey for the better part of the last two weeks, the Bruins finally got a 60-minute effort and scoring from up and down the lineup against a struggling Predators squad.

En route to a 6-2 victory at Bridgestone Arena on Tuesday, the Bruins got goals from six different forwards, including one from each line.

It was arguably their most balanced attack of the 2019-20 season.

"I don't think we've ever considered ourselves a one-line team. We've always felt like we're a group of 20 guys that have to pull their weight every night and if not, we're not gonna win every night,” said head coach Bruce Cassidy. “That was a good example of it tonight."

To accompany six goals by six different forwards, 14 different Bruins skaters earned at least a point.

It took just 1:16 for David Pastrnak—playing with his usual linemates of Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand—to kick the scoring off. His third goal in as many games, and third consecutive game where Pastrnak’s tally was the first of the game.

But unlike the Bruins previous two contests, Pastrnak’s tally would not be the lone tally of the game.

“It's been a while since we've played as a team like that. Assertive, on the puck throughout the game for 60 minutes non-stop," said Bergeron who scored the Bruins third goal of the game.

"There was going to be some breakdowns, we're playing some good teams, it's a great league, obviously. But I thought the way we competed, the way we played, good things will happen if we do that."

Danton Heinen, Chris Wagner, David Krejci and Charlie Coyle also found the back of the net against a Predators team that was playing in their first game under new head coach John Hynes. Nashville fired long time head coach Peter Laviolette on Monday.

“It’s huge, you need it” Heinen, who finished with a two-point night said of the balanced attack. “The top guys are going to do their thing but you can’t rely on them every night. We put pressure on ourselves to chip in, so we’ve got to keep working and try to do that as much as possible.”

The Bruins two middle lines have been a revolving door of forwards lately. Cassidy has thrown his forwards into a blender and ran with what it’s produced of late.

But with Tuesday’s efforts from the second and third lines, traction was created and the effort was certainly enough to give the newly designed set of trios another look, especially the third line of Heinen, Coyle and Brett Ritchie.

"I thought Ritchie went in there and banged with a purpose. He wanted to be physical, but you want to win pucks, get to good ice, create turnovers,” said Cassidy. “We were able to do that more than once tonight. That was good to see. We need that. We saw the playoff run we had last year, even two years ago, we had a third line that contributed every game.”

In 4:58 of five-on-five time together, Heinen, Coyle and Ritchie produced seven shots on goal, five scoring chances and two goals for.

The advance stats will paint a different story, but I also liked when Jake DeBrusk, Krejci and Anders Bjork brought to the table.

In 7:31 of five-on-five ice time together, Krejci’s line was outshot 9-4, and out-chanced 7-2.

With all four lines rolling, the Bruins were able to put forth the type of effort they’ve been searching for of late, but did so in front of a very special group of women, their Mothers.

Bringing their Mothers along for their trip through Nashville, the Bruins were able to reward the ones who have sacrificed so much in order to allow their sons to do what they love: play hockey.

“All the sacrifices and everything they’ve done over the years has been tremendous. Sometimes you don’t have the chance to thank them for everything they’ve done,” said Bergeron. “It’s a nice opportunity for us to spend a couple of days with them, they’re obviously excited as you can hear. It’s been a great few days.”

With their best effort since mid-December, maybe the Bruins need to keep their Mothers around a little bit longer.
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