Trent Frederic Scores Twice En Route to Boston Bruins’ 5-3 Win Over Detroit Red Wings

The Bruins closed out 2023 by extending their win streak to three games Sunday night at Little Caesars Arena.

The Boston Bruins are heading into 2024 on a three-game win streak after taking the Detroit Red Wings down 5-3 Sunday night at Little Caesars Arena.

Their 32 regular season road wins in 2023 set the NHL record for most road wins in a calendar year.

In the teams’ fourth meeting of the season, Trent Frederic logged three points with two goals and an assist, and Jeremy Swayman made 25 saves on 28 shots.

Oskar Steen reentered the lineup after getting scratched the last two games. He skated on the fourth line with Johnny Beecher and Jakub Lauko while Danton Heinen moved up to the third line in the absence of James van Riemsdyk who sat due to load management, Montgomery said.

Matt Grzelcyk, who returned Saturday against the New Jersey Devils after missing three games with an upper-body injury, also came out due to soreness. Parker Wotherspoon took his place on the third pair with Kevin Shattenkirk.

Frederic put the Bruins up at 19:08 of the first period off a flip pass from David Pastrnak in the defensive end. Frederic settled the puck by the right face-off circle and backhanded it past Detroit goaltender Alex Lyon while crashing the net for the 1-0 lead and his eighth goal of the season.

The 25-year-old forward netted his second goal of the night at 4:25 of the middle frame. Fredric’s right-side wrister off the rush gave Boston a 2-0 advantage and notched his ninth tally of the year.

Sunday marked Frederic’s second two-goal performance of the season – he potted two on Nov. 18 against the Montreal Canadiens in the 5-2 Bruins win.

Detroit defenseman Jake Walman cut the deficit to one at 13:01 of the second period after the Bruins turned the puck over in the neutral zone. Walman trailed into the O-zone, picked up a pass from Dylan Larkin and ripped it home to make it 2-1 from the left side.

The Red Wings then found the equalizer thanks to a Ben Chiarot lazer from the slot at 16:42, tying things 2-2.

Charlie Coyle regained the lead for the Bruins at 3:52 of the final stanza. Charlie McAvoy carried the puck down low along the left boards before dishing it up to Coyle in the slot who found twine on his 13th goal of the season.

Despite a last-effort tally from Detroit forward J.T. Compher at 18:38, Jake DeBrusk and Pavel Zacha sealed the win with empty-net goals in the last three minutes of regulation. DeBrusk – who had a goal and an assist Saturday – now has five points in three games.

The Bruins will be back in action Tuesday when they face the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena for a 7 p.m. puck drop.