Bruins Drop Road Trip Finale on Long Island

UNIONDALE, N.Y. - Entering the 2020-21 season, the Bruins' biggest questions marks were on the back end. With blue line stalwarts Zdeno Chara and Torey Krug departing via free agency, the Black & Gold were prepared for some potential growing pains as they took a look at some of their young defense prospects.
But three games into the new campaign, defense has been anything but a problem for the Bruins. They allowed just five goals on the opening road trip, as the new-look defense corps acquitted itself quite well, while Tuukka Rask and Jaroslav Halak submitted stellar performances between the pipes.
The issue for Boston, instead, has been a lackluster showing from its forward group, which has contributed to the team's sluggish offensive start.

After being kept scoreless at 5-on-5 through the first two games, the Bruins were, once again, held without an even strength goal in a 1-0 setback to the New York Islanders on Monday at Nassau Coliseum.
While it was, perhaps, their best overall effort of the young season, the Bruins - despite landing 27 shots on goal - could not break through against Islanders goalie Semyon Varlamov. Islanders centerman J.G. Pageau potted the game's lone goal when he batted a rebound past Rask with 4:09 remaining.
"We want to help out Tuukka and Jaro," said Jake DeBrusk. "They've been standing on their heads and making Grade-A saves and we want to reward them for that. It's a long year. We're focused on it. It's what everyone wants to talk about is production 5-on-5 so it's one of those things that we're very aware of, but at the same time we have confidence in our group.
"I think we're really stacked up front. Obviously with no preseason you can use any excuse you want but we know what we need to do. It's just a matter of going out and executing. Sounds easier than what it is, obviously. We have faith in this room. It obviously stings when you lose 1-0 on the first road trip of the year."

The Bruins return home on Thursday night to host the Philadelphia Flyers for the first game on Causeway Street in roughly 10 months. They bring with them a 1-1-1 record and plenty of frustration after a less than optimal opening trip.
"I suspect there will be a bit of [frustration], rightfully so," said Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy. "As long as it doesn't carry over into what we're trying to do…that's the challenge in front of us, so we'll keep harping on it. I would say there would be some frustration, but it didn't affect how we played. We didn't cheat all over the ice tonight, played a good solid defensive game, tried to win the right way. We just didn't. We've got to break through here."
Rask, who made a stellar stop on Anthony Beauvillier's semi-breakaway attempt midway through the third period to keep things scoreless, said he believes that if the Bruins continue to play stout defensively, they will put themselves in position to win plenty of games.
"It's early in the season," said Rask, who turned away 16 of 17 shots. "We play that team defense throughout the year I think we're gonna win a lot of games. I know the offense will come so we just got to stick with it and not hang our heads. I think today we could have scored one or two goals to win the game, but tough bounce again and that's just how it goes sometimes."

Penalty Kill Shines

The Bruins' strongest asset thus far has been its penalty kill. Boston has yet to surrender a goal through three games, going 5-for-5 on Monday and a perfect 13-for-13 on the season.
Jeremy Lauzon led the way with 6:04 of shorthanded ice time, teaming up with Brandon Carlo (4:29) on Boston's top PK unit.
"Brando is a really good defensive player. He is really good on the PK," said Lauzon. "Obviously, it's really easy to play with him 5-on-4. I'm just trying to read off him. We talk a lot, try to find some chemistry to close as quick as possible. I think during the three games this year we did a really good job."

DeBrusk Skates Up Top

With Ondrej Kase sidelined by an upper-body injury, Cassidy was forced to shuffle his forward lines yet again. Jack Studnicka re-entered the lineup to play alongside David Krejci and Nick Ritchie (game-high six shots on goal), while DeBrusk got the call to skate with Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron.
DeBrusk landed just one shot in 15:10 but appeared to have his best jump of the young season, particularly early in the contest.
"I think our line actually did all right," said DeBrusk. "We were on the puck early on, creating some turnovers, got some looks. We even got one there in the second period late. It was a 3-on-1. [Bergeron and Marchand are] a dangerous duo together and I just wanted to get in consistently, hard on pucks, on the forecheck, just try to retrieve it for them and get to the dirty areas."

Grzelcyk Leaves Early

For the second straight game, the Bruins lost a player to injury, as Matt Grzelcyk exited early in the third period after an awkward fall that followed a puck battle with the Islanders' Jordan Eberle along the boards. Both players were penalized on the play, Grzelcyk for interference and Eberle tripping.
Cassidy did not have an update on Grzelcyk's condition following the game.