FROM JOE HAGGERTY
A very convincing 40 minutes of evidence that the bye week and NHL All-Star Weekend did wonders for the Bruins top line, who collectively looked a little heavy-legged at the end of the first half. They looked energized in the first period tonight with both Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak scoring goals to once again power the offense. That line needs to be operating on all cylinders if the B’s are going to have sustained success and they’re showing that they’re once again up for the challenge tonight. Through two periods the trio had nine shots on net, though Brad Marchand didn’t have a single one of them despite racking up a pair of assists.
Trent Frederic doesn’t need to do anything else tonight and he’s endeared himself to the Boston Bruins fandom with his second period fight. Frederic dropped the gloves with Brandon Tanev and hammered the Winnipeg skater into the ice with a flurry of right-handed punches. Then his parents high-fived in the stands right after watching their boy kick butt on the ice. That’s what it’s all about right there and exactly the kind of brute force and toughness that the B’s could use right now. It remains to be seen if the 20-year-old Frederic can consistently hack it at the NHL level at both ends of the ice, but he certainly showed he’s tough enough in his debut.
A great hit by Kevan Miller on Brandon Tanev that started the bad blood between the two teams, and touched off a fight between Miller and Adam Lowry in its aftermath. Obviously Miller can handle himself, but isn’t that a third-man-in instigator penalty when Lowry steps up for Tanev there, though? Unfortunately for the Bruins, the Jets scored the next two goals in the third period following the two fights by Miller and Frederic. So clearly the Black and Gold weren’t able to turn that physicality into momentum for themselves.
The 2015 NHL Draft was once again part of the conversation for the Bruins in this one. Kyle Connor was one of the many good players that the B’s passed on with their three consecutive picks in the middle of the first round, and he made his presence felt in a big way against Boston on Tuesday night. Connor scored a pair of goals in the third period to get Winnipeg back into a game they trailed for most of the first two periods, and then he potted the game-winner in the shootout to ensure the Jets got the two points. The Bruins certainly must be frustrated about letting things slip away in the third period after playing well for 40 minutes, but they did salvage a point despite another banner night from a kid from the Class of 2015 NHL Draft.
HIGHLIGHTS
BERGERON WITH THE ONE-TIMER
PASTA PUTS B'S UP 2-1
FIGHT NO. 1: MILLER VS LOWRY
https://twitter.com/mkmolnar/status/1090423243406741504
FIGHT NO. 2: FREDERIC VS TANEV
JETS SCORE TWO QUICK GOALS TO TAKE 3-2 LEAD
BERGERON TIES IT AT 3
BIG SAVE BY HELLEBUYCK IN SHOOTOUT
BRUINS RECORD: 27-17-6
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