How Jake DeBrusk Elevated His Game In 5-1 Bruins Win
Jake DeBrusk had three points — two goals, one assist – in the Bruins’ 5-1 Game 1 win over the Maple Leafs Saturday night at TD Garden.
How Jake DeBrusk Elevated His Game In 5-1 Bruins WinJake DeBrusk has caught a lot of flak this season.
Whether it be inconsistency or lack of scoring, the forward has felt the pressure in his contract year. However, DeBrusk showed how effective he can be as a top-six winger Saturday night at TD Garden in the Boston Bruins’ 5-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs which secured a 1-0 series lead.
The 27-year-old posted three points – two goals, one assist – through 17:46 of total ice time. To end the regular season, DeBrusk had just one point in the last 10 games.
“I think that I obviously didn’t like my season. It was pretty disappointing for myself,” DeBrusk said Saturday. “But at this point and time of the year, we have a chance to go for the ultimate goal and that’s all that really matters.”
A Bruins’ power play that slumped at the end of the regular season caught fire in the middle frame, potting two tallies, both from DeBrusk.
DeBrusk sniped it from the high right side for the 3-0 lead at 15:02 before cashing in for his third point of the night just over two minutes later. Charlie McAvoy released the initial shot from the point, and Brad Marchand popped the rebound over to a net-front DeBrusk to knock in at 17:34, securing the 4-0 lift ahead of the third period.
“I thought Jake was terrific,” Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said Saturday. “That third goal, that shot, that’s a goal-scorer’s goal. It’s nice to see him get rewarded for a lot of the hard work he’s done.”
Johnny Beecher gave the Bruins an early 1-0 lead in the first period while on a 2-on-1 rush with linemate Jesper Boqvist who found the rookie crashing the net on the left side. Beecher tapped the puck past Ilya Samsonov at 2:26, logging his first postseason goal in his first career NHL playoff game.
“Blacked out a little bit. I was just kind of in the corner, hit the glass and I was just kind of screaming,” Beecher said Saturday. “The boys were all jumping on me. It’s one I’ll never forget, and I was just happy to get the boys going there.”
Beecher, who was recalled from AHL Providence earlier this week, skated on the fourth line with Boqvist and Pat Maroon. The trio was flying from puck drop, and the Bruins got energy from their whole bottom six through 60 minutes.
Brandon Carlo doubled Boston’s advantage in the second period with a one-timer from above the right circle, dished to him by DeBrusk who was behind the Leaf’s net. The play made it 2-0 Bruins at 5:47, and marked Carlo’s first goal since March 7 – which was also against Toronto.
“I think we did a good job paying attention to the little details tonight,” Carlo said Saturday. “There were times where they had little pushes, but overall we didn’t get overzealous with anything and I’m happy with the way we controlled most of that game.”
David Kampf got Toronto on the board at 1:39 of the final stanza with a wrister from the slot following DeBrusk’s two power-play goals, but Trent Frederic’s empty-net tally at 17:52 sealed the 5-1 victory.
The way Boston won feels like somewhat of a microcosm for how it got to this point of the season – players embracing heightened opportunity, and making the most of it in big moments. Danton Heinen went from a PTO to top-six winger, Morgan Geekie committed to a bottom-six pivot role, Jesper Boqvist worked his way up from the AHL to nightly slotting. Saturday, it was Beecher, Carlo and DeBrusk who saw the playoff stage and ran with it while Jeremy Swayman backstopped the group with 35 saves.
“I really liked our team discipline, I liked our execution, I liked the emotion we played with,” Montgomery said. “I thought the physicality of our group was very evident.”
The Bruins got top-tier performances out of a bulk of its lineup Saturday. Now, they’ll see if it can carry over into Game 2 on Monday night at TD Garden – especially from the players who got a boost of confidence from their production.
“Obviously it went well tonight – it’s exactly what I wanted to do in that sense,” DeBrusk said. “But playing against these guys before, we know it’s going to be a long series…I think it’s just a matter of playing the right way.”
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