A strong PK and a tight defensive game helped propel the Bruins’ to top the Senators.
The Boston Bruins blanked the Ottawa Senators, 2-0, as they tightened up their defensive game and penalty kill at the TD Garden on Thursday night.
Joonas Korpisalo recorded his third shutout of the season with 29 saves.
“The way we handled today was superb,” Korpisalo said as the Bruins needed a response after traveling home with a loss from the night before. “It was a big game for everyone.”
After allowing three power-play goals the night before, the Bruins’ penalty kill went for 4-for-4 to shut down the Senators on their advantages.
“Some nights it’s not going to go your way, and some nights it will,” Interim head coach Joe Sacco said. “There was a strong focus tonight for us, making sure that we were trying to cut off the top, trying to keep it to the outside.”
The line of Morgan Geekie, David Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha continued to be a difference maker in the win. Morgan Geekie scored the Bruins’ lone even-strength goal of the night off a wrap-around feed from David Pastrnak who later added an empty netter — and extended his point streak to six games.
“You see the plays he makes out there, so you just try to get open,” Geekie said about Pastrnak and his assist. “I know there’s always a chance the pucks coming.”
Sacco said his team’s compete level was excellent and while the Bruins were outshot, he felt they could have easily had a few more on the scoresheet.
Here are the highlights!
First period:
Scoreless
Second period:
David Pastrnak threw a wrap-around pass out front for Morgan Geekie to get a quick release off at the far post past Anton Forsberg at 2:06 of the second period. 1-0 Bruins.
Third period:
Pastrnak capitalized on a turnover in the Bruins’ zone to poke the puck loose and score an empty-net goal at 19:55 of the third period. Final score: 2-0 Bruins.
Game notes
- With the wild card race as tight as it is, the divisional win against the Senators was an important two points for the Bruins. Sacco said they look at the standings and knew only a few points had separated many teams. He also felt the way the Bruins executed their game plan with solid defense and protecting the slot gave them the chance to win. Sacco said he felt on Jan 18 that they gave the game away to the Senators.
- The penalty kill turned its game around from the previous night. Sacco said they didn’t do a good job in New Jersey to keep the puck to the outside, which was a strong suit of the PK tonight. He felt the forecheck was good on the kill, they denied the blue line and clean entries and Korpisalo’s performance on it made the difference. A poor 5-on-3 PK also could have changed the tune of the game, but the Bruins successfully made the kill in the third period when it was still a one-goal game.
- Korpisalo got the start due to Jeremy Swayman dealing with an upper-body injury. Korpisalo said he didn’t see many odd-man rushes or grade-A chances allowed by his defense. “We kept them outside, stayed contained and we were patient in our end.”
- Geekie talked postgame about how his line has built chemistry and how he’s tried to anticipate what Pastrnak may do with the puck: “I mean, he fakes me out sometimes, but I’m starting to know a little bit as to when he’s going to do stuff like that…I think Pav (Zacha) doesn’t get enough credit for the plays he makes too. We just try to feed off each other and we’ll just keep growing on the line.”
- Geekie now has four goals in his last six games.
- The Bruins are back in action for another home game on Saturday at 1 p.m. against the Colorado Avalanche.