Bruins Grind Out Win in Arizona

GLENDALE, Ariz. - Brad Marchand did not enjoy much of his Friday night in Dallas. On top of the Bruins' overtime loss to the Stars, Boston's No. 1 left winger exited American Airlines Center frustrated by the 18 minutes in penalties he racked up along the way.
Not to mention, his long-time partner in crime, Patrice Bergeron, came away from the contest battered and bruised, the result of hard crunch into the boards in the second period.
So when news came down late Saturday afternoon that the Bruins would be without Bergeron - on top of Boston's already depleted defense corps - it was only natural for the team to turn to one of its longest-tenured players to lead the way.

Marchand did not disappoint. The 30-year-old - who donned one of the three A's along with David Krejci and David Backes - took the reins on the ice, on the bench, and in the dressing room.
And while it only resulted in one assist on the scoresheet, his leadership was vital in helping to pace the Bruins to a gutsy 2-1 victory over the Arizona Coyotes at Gila River Arena.
"Love Marchy's leadership on the bench, his chatter in the room," said Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy. "Contributed to a big goal, big penalty-killing job at the end, buzzing up there at the end, disrupting the flow, not giving them any chances to get in our end, and really limiting it.
"Really pleased with his effort after last night - he was frustrated. I think tonight he was real focused on just being the best player on the ice."

After Matt Grzelcyk was called for hooking with 1:46 to play, Marchand helped stifle Arizona's power play - which included an extra attacker with goalie Darcy Keumper on the bench - and nearly put the game away with a spirited shorthanded bid.
And it was that same energy on the puck that led to what was the eventual winning goal, which came 2:45 into the first period to cap the Bruins' relentless surge to open the game. Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson notched his first career goal only 1:12 into the contest after potting a rebound off a Noel Acciari (first point of the season) wrap-around attempt.
Just 1:33 later, Marchand charged hard to the net and shook off a defender, leading to the puck squirting towards the crease. New linemate Jake DeBrusk was there to tap it home and give the Bruins a 2-1 lead.
"I think he took it upon himself to be a leader today," said DeBrusk, who has three goals on the trip. "Obviously him and Bergy are pretty close, so anytime Bergy's missing, I think Marchy takes it upon himself to bring it to another level.
"I thought that every time he was on the ice and had the puck he was dangerous tonight. Played a smart game and kept guys in check as well. I think he was being very local in the dressing room and on the ice."

Arizona pushed hard in the second period, cutting the lead in half at 9:10 on Brad Richardon's tally from the doorstep. But Boston buckled down in the third and grinded out a vital 2 points - no easy task with Bergeron, Zdeno Chara, and a host of others remaining out of the lineup.
"It was nice getting the point in Dallas, but they kind of took it to us," said Matt Grzelcyk. "We were on our heels too much, but I thought we came out and had a great start [in Arizona] - left our foot off the gas peddle a little in the second, but really liked our third period. Competing on the ice and trying to make the right plays. I think we were rewarded for a good effort tonight."
That reward will continue on Sunday. With their next contest not until Wednesday in Detroit, Cassidy was more than pleased to let his group enjoy a day off in Arizona.
"I want the guys to go sit in the sun and enjoy themselves and get some Vitamin D or whatever it is. I think it's good for you soul," Cassidy quipped. "Guys have played a lot of hockey lately, so I'd like them to relax and bond a little, get to know each other.
"We've got some new players. I think they've earned the respect of the older guys, [Jeremy] Lauzon, [Connor] Clifton, [Jakub] Zboril was better today. JFK was better. To truly feel part of the group, I think it helps if you get those opportunities to bond. Hopefully they take advantage."

More notes and observations from the B's win over Arizona:

Kicking off the Campaign

JFK couldn't stop smiling during his postgame media availability. He hopes his first career goal can allow him to settle in even more as he continues to adjust to the rigors of the National Hockey League.
"It's difficult to describe. It's a great feeling," said Forsbacka Karlsson. "Noel made a great play, so credit to him. And then I just tried to get it in. There's a lot of emotions going on, but just try to take it in…I think it's always nice to get the first one so you don't think about it as the games go on. It was nice to get that out of the way and hopefully can keep going."

Halak Rebounds

After allowing six goals during Boston's 6-3 loss to the Avalanche in his last start on Wednesday, Jaroslav Halak bounced back with a terrific 32-save performance against the Coyotes. The highlight was his shut down of Michael Grabner on a 2-on-0 shorthanded attempt in the second period.
"I'm trying to get out there and make the saves, help the guys and they do the same for me," said Halak, who improved to 7-2-2 this season. "They're blocking shots, they're making plays out there. I think coming in from last night's game we had a great start. We scored two goals…second period wasn't the cleanest. We made some turnovers and they spent extra time in our zone, but I think third period we came out and skated hard again and had a really good response."

Quick Hand

Halak had some help in the closing seconds. With Arizona on a power play and the goalie pulled for a two-man advantage, the Coyotes were swarming. After Halak made an initial save, the puck skirted through the crease, but Jeremy Lauzon was there to bat it away with his hand.
"I was just ready for the rebound," said Lauzon. "I knew that there were two guys in front. I turned around and the puck was right there…I was kind of tied up a little bit to one of the guys, but I just used my arm and my hand to clear the puck."