The Boston Bruins had five different goal-scorers and ten players on the scoresheet in their 5-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday night at KeyBank Center.
The Boston Bruins won the game in the first period against the Buffalo Sabres, but didn’t let up until the final buzzer.
In the B’s 5-2 victory at KeyBank Center Tuesday night, they hung three goals on Sabres netminder Devon Levi in the opening 20 minutes, setting the tone for the rest of the competition as their much-discussed 5-on-5 offense began to click.
“The way we started the game, we started on time. I liked how physical we were and how we were able to get to our identity of being a puck possession team,” Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said to reporters postgame.
David Pastrnak tacked on a three-point performance with a goal and two assists – bringing his point total to 24 through 15 games played – but it was the Bruins’ depth scoring that differentiated Tuesday’s win from others this season.
Danton Heinen, Brandon Carlo, Oskar Steen and Hampus Lindholm all netted their first goals of the 2023-24 campaign against the Sabres, giving the entire bench a boost as an eventual 10 players marked up the scoresheet.
“Especially guys who do a lot of good things for us and work every single game,” Pastrnak said to reporters postgame. “It’s always hard to get the first one so nice that they got it.”
Heinen, who has been skating on the third line with Matt Poitras and Jake DeBrusk in the absence of Morgan Geekie (upper-body), opened scoring for the Bruins at 3:01 of the first period. The tally no doubt meant a little extra for the 28-year-old winger who signed with the Bruins on Oct. 30 after coming into training camp on a PTO.
It was a similar sentiment for Steen who was called up from Providence (AHL) in late October and has been grinding it out on the fourth line with Johnny Beecher and Jakub Lauko. Steen came close to scoring his first of the season on Saturday against the Montreal Canadiens, but the goal was ultimately overturned for goaltender interference.
Steen made sure Tuesday’s tuck counted, though, and snapped it high glove side on Levi more the 4-0 lead at 4:07 of the second period. Following Lindholm’s power play goal to make it 5-0 at 12:23, Levi was replaced between the pipes by Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen – the rookie allowed five goals on 18 shots.
Lindholm’s 5-on-4 goal was big for the defenseman who hadn’t potted one since March 19 in the Bruins’ 7-0 win against Sabres on the road. Something about Buffalo, I guess. In all seriousness, Lindholm had two assists through 14 games coming into Tuesday’s matchup and it seemed he – and the team – were just waiting for his offensive upside to jump start.
“I think it’s going to allow him to relax and just simplify offensively because he knows it’s coming now,” Montgomery said of Lindholm. “It’s just a matter of time when you’re that good of a player.”
While Montgomery didn’t love how his team defended off the rush – especially in the last 30 minutes – Tuesday’s all-around performance was closer to the type of hockey the club wants to be playing, especially following the 3-2 overtime loss to Montreal.
“We always talk about never losing two in a row, that’s the mantra, that’s always what we’re going to try to do,” Ullmark said to reporters postgame. “We came out hot in the first and really showed that we’re a dangerous team when we’re firing on all cylinders.”
The stars shined for the Bruins against the Sabres; Pastrnak was Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy and Pavel Zacha had two assists a piece and Linus Ullmark posted 31 saves. What’s more, it rubbed off on players up and down the lineup, resulting in one of the more complete games the B’s have put together through 15 games.
“He allows you to have a lot of success as a team because he’s a difference maker. He makes the people around him better. As good a goal scorer he is, he’s as equal a passer,” Montgomery said of Pastrnak. “As a leader on our team and our most skilled player, it shows everybody that you have to work to have success.”
Tuesday’s type of full-lineup win is something the Bruins must rely on for long term success this season. Montgomery preaches playing a “team game,” and while it can sometimes sound like cliche, Boston is starting to do exactly that.
The Bruins will be back in action Saturday at TD Garden as they host the Montreal Canadiens for a 7 p.m. puck drop.