The Boston Bruins snapped their four-game losing streak in a profound manner Wednesday night with a 4-1 road win over the Buffalo Sabres.
The Bruins took control of the game early with two first-period goals and never let the Sabres have a chance at mounting a comeback.
The B's improved to 20-7-6, which is the second-best record in the Eastern Conference and puts them four points ahead of the Florida Panthers for first place in the Atlantic Division.
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Here are three positive trends from the Bruins' victory in Buffalo.
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Stellar special teams
The Bruins' penalty kill had a 63.2 percent success rate over the previous five games, which was the fifth-worst rate in the league during that span.
This unit showed massive improvement against the Sabres with a perfect 6-for-6 showing. The Bruins gave up just five scoring chances in 7:31 of 4-on-5 penalty kill time, including a double-minor for Brad Marchand in the first period.
They also tightened up defensively in front of their own net, evidenced by the Sabres failing to generate a single high-danger scoring chance on their six power plays. The low slot has been an area of concern defensively for Boston in recent games due to a lack of awareness and losing too many 1-on-1 battles.
The Bruins' power play also woke up in a major way Wednesday night with three goals on four opportunities. Charlie Coyle scored twice with the man advantage -- once in the first period and again in the second frame.
The Bruins have the league's fourth-best power play at 26.5 percent. It's been a huge help for this team when you consider their 5-on-5 scoring (64 goals) ranks 25th out of 32 teams. It would be greatly beneficial for the B's if the power play can continue to provide much-needed scoring while the Bruins figure out their optimal 5-on-5 lines and strategy.
Jake DeBrusk shows improvement
This season has mostly been a struggle for DeBrusk. He has scored only four goals in 32 games, and entering Wednesday he had gone six consecutive games without a point. He ended that drought with primary assists on both of Coyle's power-play goals.
"I thought Jake was our best forward tonight," Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery told reporters postgame. "I thought his habits (were good), I thought his speed was noticeable, his checking, hanging on the puck and making real good decisions. It makes a big difference when he's the player we know he can be."
DeBrusk was engaged against the Sabres, playing physical and confident with the puck. When he's moving his feet and playing that power forward-style of hockey, he has the ability to be a very effective player.
Consistency has always been a challenge for DeBrusk. He's too hot and cold offensively, and he hasn't scored a goal in 11 straight games. But the goals should start to come if he continues to play with the pace and aggressiveness we saw Wednesday.
Morgan Geekie providing important scoring depth
The Bruins needed a veteran forward to step up and provide valuable scoring depth, especially with the team ranking 21st in total goals scored this season. Geekie has answered the call in December while playing center and on the wing. He was the No. 1 center versus the Sabres and scored Boston's fourth goal.
Geekie now has eight points (four goals, four assists) in 11 games in December. The only Bruins players with more this month are David Pastrnak (12 points) and Brad Marchand (11 points). Geekie's four goals in December are the third-most on the team, behind only Pastrnak (seven) and Marchand (six).
It took a while for Geekie to hit his stride offensively in Boston, and some of that might have been moving around to different lines. But there's no question he has been one of the team's best players over the last two weeks.
- First 20 games: Two goals, five assists
- Last seven games: Four goals, two assists
Geekie was the first-line center with Zacha and Pastrnak on his wings Wednesday. Based on how he's playing right now, it makes sense to keep that trio together. Zacha can always slide over to the center spot if needed.
"It was good. It's easy when it's interchangeable," Geekie told reporters Wednesday night when asked about his line. "(Zacha) plays center all the time, so it's good when you can rely on somebody like that. He's got the experience. It doesn't change a whole lot, makes it a little easier to play a little more free knowing that you have a safety valve out there."