Backes Sets Tone in Bruins Win Over Montreal

MONTREAL - Bruce Cassidy often tells his team that winning comes at a cost.
To claim victory in the National Hockey League, bruises, bumps, and cuts - maybe even a few missing teeth - are usually required.
Such was the case on Saturday night, especially for David Backes, who was the recipient of a stick to the chops in the closing minutes of the third period, prompting a power play that led to John Moore's winner with 2:57 to play in Boston's 3-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens at Bell Centre.

Not that the veteran forward was complaining.
"I don't mind bleeding," said Backes, who also broke through with his first goal of the season in the first period. "Bleeding's better than concussions to me. I think if that's what it takes to win then I'll take blood."

The cross-check to his chin courtesy of Habs forward Jonathan Drouin - who was issued a four-minute double minor - provided the Bruins a golden opportunity to right the ship in regulation after surrendering their 2-0 lead in the third period.
And Backes made sure to help make Montreal pay.
Acting as the net-front on Boston's second power-play unit, Backes took a feed from David Krejci (two assists) and backhanded the puck off of Carey Price's blocker. The puck ricocheted out to Moore, who was creeping in from the left point and ripped home the rebound to put the Bruins back on top for good.
"What more can you say about David Backes? He takes kind of a cheap shot there and ends up making a huge play, creating that rebound, and really it's an open net for me," said Moore, whose tally was his first as a Bruin.
Backes was spared losing any teeth, but was left with a bloody lip, which was swollen and proudly on display after the game.
"Those [teeth] have been hit before and had to be replaced, so maybe them being numb was an asset for me tonight," said Backes. "We'll take the power play. Four-minute power play with five minutes left in a tie game is certainly a good thing to have."

In what was, perhaps, Backes' best game of the season, the alternate captain notched his first multi-point contest of the campaign, while landing four shots on Price and forcing two turnovers, one of which led to his goal with 6:59 to play in the first period.
A relentless neutral zone forecheck by linemates Chris Wagner and Sean Kuraly forced Montreal to circle back, opening up an opportunity for Backes to pounce. Backes continued to pressure and picked the pocket of Jesperi Kotkaniemi at the Habs' blue line, before breaking in all alone on Price and unleashing a wrister by the netminder's glove to open the scoring.
"I've quit thinking. Thinking is paralysis sometimes when you're in slumps," said Backes, who hadn't scored a regular-season goal since April 8 vs. Florida. "It was a quick play. I think it was good for me to just get it and look for a hole and shoot as hard as I could and give a little prayer behind it to find the back of the net. It was a beautiful sight in my mind to see the puck going into the net off my stick."
That beautiful sight appeared to have come a bit sooner, but twice over the last week Backes was deprived of seeing the zero wiped from his goal column. After clanking one off the post in Colorado last week, Backes had a goal wiped off the board during Boston's overtime win over Pittsburgh on Friday night.
"He needed it. There's no doubt," said Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy. "[Friday] night, one went in - it was a little too late after the whistle. He's been close. I think for his own sake - a guy that's scored in this league, a veteran player, it weighs on you. He admitted himself, he's squeezed his stick. Good for him, hopefully this opens the floodgates."

Backes - who admitted to letting out a bit of primal scream following the tally - hopes so, too.
"I think it was certainly a story of baby steps on my way to the first one this year," he said. "Trying to find my game, trying to get my legs going. I felt like I've done that the last couple weeks. My line mates have allowed me to do that by playing straight lines and getting in on the forecheck.
"Hit a post in Colorado, get one disallowed [Friday] night, and now one that counted. We'll get that monkey off the back and hopefully continue to roll down hill after this."
The uptick in Backes' game has coincided with joining forces with Kuraly and Wagner on Boston's fourth line. Backes played well with Kuraly during the Bruins' 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs series against Ottawa and has begun rekindling some of that chemistry.
"I think he's fit in well with that line," said Cassidy. "He played with Kuraly in the playoffs a few years ago. There's a certain straight-line - Sean covers a lot of ice, that helps Backs. Wags gets in there and bangs.
"I think they've found their way a little bit and spent more time in the other team's end, inflicting a little bit of damage on the other team's D with good forechecks. They're able to get a few pucks by the goalie lately."
And with Patrice Bergeron, Zdeno Chara, and a host of other defensemen out of the lineup, contributions from throughout the lineup are welcomed - whether it be with offense, defense, or a little bit of sacrifice.
"Tough one for the team he took at the end, the four minutes, bleeding there," said Cassidy. "But at the end of the day, it hurts to win. We tell our guys that all the time. If you win, you've probably got some bumps and bruises. And he has his share tonight. He was a big part of the win."