The Bruins achieved the desired result in Winnipeg to get themselves in a better frame of mind on Thursday. The details on how they arrived at their preferred destination are still a work in progress.
The B’s scored twice in the first period, survived an iffy second period and then put together a solid third period to nail down a 3-0 victory over a Jets team that is fighting for a Western Conference wildcard.
When the B’s needed it most, Jeremy Swayman came up with an excellent and timely performance, stopping all 35 Winnipeg shots for his third shutout of the season.
The B’s came into the game as losers of three of their previous four, including a loss to Chicago, one of the worst teams in the league, on Tuesday. In his pregame remarks to reporters in Winnipeg, coach Jim Montgomery referred to the mini-funk that the B’s were in as a “malaise.”
A quick strike got some more positive vibes going immediately.
The B’s had allowed the first goal in their previous three games. But they didn’t wait long to change that trend. Charlie Coyle went after a dump-in in the right corner, shoveled it over to Tyler Bertuzzi behind the net and he made a pretty pass to Trent Frederic, who scored his 15th of the year just 50 seconds into the game.
They would eventually take a 2-0 lead later in the period, but they needed Jeremy Swayman to come up big on the multiple power plays that they handed to the Jets. His best stop came on Kyle Connor on a backdoor play, then he got fortunate when Mark Scheifele’s shot that seemed destined for the back of the net was stopped by Charlie McAvoy’s stick.
Brando Carlo, who sat out the Chicago game, then came up with a strong penalty kill later in the period to create the next goal. He first shut down a Winnipeg rush to give a shorthanded chance to Garnet Hathaway, who hit the post. Then, as the time on the kill was running out, he sent Pavel Zacha the other way. On a 2-on-1, Zacha kept it for himself and sizzled a wrist shot past past Connor Hellebuyck for his career high 18th goal of the season at 13:22.
Thanks to the B’s taking four minors in the period, the B’s were outshot 13-7 in the first while they did not manage a shot on net on their only full two minute PP. They had a second PP wiped out after 20 seconds when Hampus Lindholm had to haul Mason Appleton to prevent a breakaway.
The B’s maintained their two-goal lead through the second period, but it wasn’t pretty. They did a good job of shutting down plays in their own zone, but they had repeated troubles breaking the puck out, leading to more needless time in their own end. The Jets also pinged a couple of posts.
One aborted breakout led to Lindholm needing to take a hooking penalty, but the B’s were able to kill that off, thanks in part to to a painful block by Derek Forbort. Forbort gutted out the rest of the shift but did not return for the third.
Swayman, meanwhile, continued his strong play, turning away 11 shots in the period.
Through two periods, the B’s were credited with 13 blocks, including six by Charlie McAvoy.
The B’s controlled much of the play in the third but couldn’t put it away until Tomas Nosek scored an empty netter with 5.7 seconds left.
