BOSTON — Perfect would not be the best way to describe the Bruins’ overall game right now. But their record through three games? Yes, it is indeed just that.
The B’s improved to 3-0 with a 5-3 victory over the defending Presidents Trophy-winning Florida Panthers at the Garden on Monday.
Neither team was at full strength, but it was fun, competitive game between two of the top Atlantic Division teams that saw Jake DeBrusk notched a goal and a pretty assist in the victory.
While still hamstrung on the back end with injuries to Brandon Carlo, Matt Grzelcyk and Charlie McAvoy, the B’s did get a nice surprise up front when DeBrusk was ready to go. He had suffered an apparent hand/wrist injury in the season opener and, as of Sunday, it appeared he’d be out for at least another game.
But not only was DeBrusk in the lineup (rookie Jakub Lauko was scratched), but he decided not to wait till post-game to celebrate his 26th birthday. On the first shift of the game, he deflected a low-to-high pass intended for Gustav Forsling out of the zone. As Forlsing fumbled with the puck just outside the Boston blue line, DeBrusk poked it away and he was off on a breakaway. He then ripped a wrister past goalie Sergei Bobrovsky for his first of the year just 21 seconds into the game.
It was a fun first period as both teams took their turns making a push. The B’s found themselves in some peril when they took consecutive penalties, resulting in a 23 second 5-on-3. But the B’s penalty kill was sharp and the best scoring chance of the situation came on a Boston shorthanded bid when Pavel Zacha fed DeBrusk on a 2-on-1 but DeBrusk could not slide a backhander past Bobrovsky.
Shots on net were 11-11 in the first period, with the B’s holding a 22-15 total shot lead.
But the B’s did have some ongoing issues on their breakouts in the first period and, in the second, it came back to bite them.
The B’s started the period on the power-play and came within inches of taking a two-goal lead when Patrice Bergeron’s deflection of a Mike Reilly hit the post.
Then at 4:32, the Panthers evened it up. Zacha was attempting a cross-ice diagonal pas that was picked off by Mathew Tkachuk and Florida went on the counter-attack. Eventually, Tkachuk made a terrific pass from high on he right wing to Sam Bennett down low for a tap-in on the left side of the crease.
Disaster nearly struck again on the breakout when a Charlie Coyle backahnd pass in th neutral zone went off a skate and went back the other way, giving Sam Reinhart a clean breakaway but Linus Ullmark came up with a terrific glove save.
Off the ensuing faceoff, DeBrusk’s jets paid off yet again. The Panthers won the draw but Aaron Eckblad could not control it. DeBrusk churned his legs and almost had a breakaway but Forsling was at least able to cut that off. DeBrusk stuck with the play, however, and made a brilliant backhand pass to Bergeron for the goal 12:35.
The B’s weren’t the only team playing at below full strength. The Panthers started the game with five defensemen when Brandon Montour was a late scratch and, after Bergeron’s goal, Eckblad left the game.
And the B’s did indeed surge in the third period. Their attack induced an early power-play on which they could not cash in. But shortly after the Panthers got their man back, David Pastrnak stretched the lead to two goals on a pretty play, turning Marc Staal inside out before beating Bobrovsky at 4:52.
Trent Frederic then made it a three-goal lead at 7:29 left with a wraparound, the B’s 12th goalscoeer in three games.
But it wasn’t over. Twenty-seven seconds later, the Panthers got one back when a Forsling pea from the blue line beat Ullmark over the glove.
Then after Pastrnak took an offensive zone penalty, the Panthers pulled Bobrovsky. They did’ score on the power-play but, with 1:37 left, Colin White got behind Ullmark to jam home a loose puck.
But DeBrusk finally ended with an empty-netter with 1:03 remaining.
