Bruins Cap Perfect Trip, Equal Best Start in Franchise History

CHICAGO – Jeremy Swayman said it best.

There were plenty of excuses built in for the Bruins ahead of their first road trip of the season: a bevy of new faces, cross-country travel, different time zones, a back-to-back, and three games in four nights at each end of the trip.

Alas, none of those challenges seemed to be much of an issue for the Black & Gold.

Instead of a trying opening roadie, the Bruins cruised through the four-game swing, capping the perfect trip with a 3-0 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday night at United Center. Overall, the Bruins improved to 6-0-0, equaling the best six-game start in franchise history (1937-38).

“We knew that we had a challenge in front us, coming to the West Coast, time change, everything you could find excuses for. But I think we used it to our advantage, and it gives us a lot of momentum going forward,” said Swayman, who made 23 saves against the Blackhawks for his 10^th career shutout.

Coach Jim Montgomery saw his team begin to mold into its identity across the road trip, during which Boston surrendered just four goals.

“Loved the results, loved our goaltending,” said Montgomery. “And starting to see our team identity build because the L.A. game and this game tonight, you’re starting to see us become a heavy, grinding team, which is what I think we’re gonna have to be.”

Swayman had high praise for his teammates for the way in which they bought into the Bruins’ structure against the Blackhawks.

“That’s important, last game of a road trip, longer road trip. These guys took close attention to detail, played the game plan perfectly. That’s special to see as a goalie, to see these guys work their butts off to get on the backcheck, taking away lanes, blocking shots, and scoring some goals in a timely manner,” said Swayman, whose 10 career shutouts are the third most by a Bruins goaltender before age 25, behind Frank Brimsek (16) and Tuukka Rask (11).

“Huge momentum win for us and I think we’re gonna take a lot from this moving forward.”

Boston’s netminder also made sure to give a well-deserved shoutout to Bruins video coaches Mat Myers and Dan Darrow for their work on a successful offside challenge midway through the first period that negated a power-play blast from Connor Bedard and kept the game scoreless.

“First and foremost, special shoutout to Maty Myers and Dan the Man, the two eyes in the sky,” said Swayman. “Those guys are the best at what they do. That’s a huge reason that was a donut. Thanks to those boys. This one definitely goes to them.”

Poitras Pots Another

The kid was at it again.

With Boston ahead, 1-0, early in the third, Matt Poitras doubled the Bruins’ lead when he, along with Morgan Geekie, disrupted a play at the B’s blue line, forcing Chicago forward Corey Perry to lose control of the puck into the neutral zone.

Poitras turned on the jets and sailed past Perry to collect the loose puck and finish off a breakaway past Chicago goalie Petr Mrazek at 4:06 of the final frame for his third goal in the past two games.

“I was coming up high in the zone because they had three up high,” said Poitras. “Geeks made a hard play and it kind of squirted out. I saw a lot of open ice so just skate as fast as I can. I was fortunate to pull away and find the back of the net.”

Per NHL Stats, Poitras (3-1—4) is the eighth teenager in franchise history with three goals through his first six career NHL games, joining Bep Guidolin (3-3—6), Normand Leveille (3-1—4), Glen Murray (3-1—4), Russ Kopak (3-4—7), Luc Dufour (3-0—3), Bill Shill (3-0—3), and Petr Kalus (3-0—3).

“I felt like I just got better and better as [the road trip] went on,” said Poitras. “That’s a good sign. It makes me feel better on the ice and shift by shift. Confidence level is pretty high…just getting used to the system, more comfortable game in and game out.

“As I gel into that, it makes everything a little more simpler knowing where people are and being able to come up the ice, and once we get into the O-zone, I can use my hockey IQ and try to make some plays."

When asked if Poitras had solidified his spot on the roster past the nine-game threshold in which he could be sent back to Guelph, Montgomery said the centerman is “making it hard on us, isn’t he?”

“He’s doing a terrific job,” added Montgomery. “He did it at the goal line. That’s what got him the goal, how he came back. He’s doing it at both ends of the ice…you see a guy that believes that not only is he in the NHL, but he can play and play well.”

As evidenced by his goal against the Blackhawks, Poitras is buying into the need to embrace his responsibilities at the Bruins’ end of the ice.

“There’s been a few plays where I’m hard on the puck in the D-zone, I’m in the right spots and you see you get rewarded going the other way and you get some rush offense and some sustained O-time,” said Poitras. “I think, for me, everything starts in the D-zone and I want to just keep working on my complete game every day.”

Montgomery also expressed the value in the energy both Poitras and fellow rookie Johnny Beecher are injecting into the team. Just 56 seconds after Poitras’ tally, Trent Frederic banged home his second of the year from the top of the crease off feeds from James van Riemsdyk and Charlie Coyle to make it 3-0.

“It brings energy to the bench,” said Montgomery. “And he has such good energy, same thing with Beecher. Young guys being in the league, they’re kind of bright-eyed, bushy-tailed and they bring a positive innocence with them.”

Wait, There’s More

• Jakub Lauko left the game in the third period after a frightening play in which he took a skate to the area around his left eye. The winger rushed off the ice and was met by Bruins trainer Dustin Stuck. After the game, Montgomery said that Lauko is “good thankfully. Scary with the skate. He got it in the corner of the eye, the eye is good. Nothing touched the eye.”
• Pavel Zacha opened the scoring when he tallied his first goal of the year off a tip of a Kevin Shattenkirk point shot at 3:50 of the second. “It was good, just keep working, stick with it,” said Zacha. “Try to do the right things and hoping it’s gonna go there. In today’s game especially, trying to start the team up there…it was a great, great shot from Shattenkirk too, he saw me there. Just shot it for me and it was an easy tip.”
• Montgomery praised Shattenkirk for the shot and said the B’s defense corps, overall, did a better job of being active in the offensive zone. “We got a lot of shots we were looking for,” said Montgomery. “Our defensemen were very active, sliding to the middle. That guy was getting it and he was looking to shoot it right away which I thought caused a lot of net traffic for us.”