Hayes' Goal Enough for Bruins in Win Over Kings

BOSTON- Jimmy Hayes knows where his bread and butter are located. His 6-foot-5, 215-pound frame is made for the front of the opposing team's net.
No goalie finds it a pleasant experience trying to search for pucks with such an obstruction standing in his way.
Hayes has scored the majority of his goals in that area and it was no different on Sunday afternoon. The winger planted himself in front of the Los Angeles net and tipped home a Colin Miller shot early in the first period for the lone goal in a 1-0 Bruins victory over the Kings at TD Garden.

"Just got to continue to find ways to get on the inside and bang them home," said Hayes, whose marker was his second of the season. "You try to help the team whenever you can and today I got the opportunity, so it's nice to cash in on one."
Boston was playing its first game without leading goal scorer David Pastrnak, who is likely to be sidelined through at least Tuesday after having surgery to remove the olecranon bursa from his right elbow on Friday.
With Pastrnak's scoring touch absent, the Bruins know receiving a balanced attack from all four lines will be vital to their success.
"It's going to be huge - especially a guy like that whose been scoring for us, scoring some big-time goals for us and on a regular basis," said Hayes. "You're going to need other guys to step up and that's going to have to be the mentality going forward."

Hayes' tally came just 4:20 into the game and was the only offense either team could generate for the rest of the afternoon.
After jarring loose the puck following a Dominic Moore face-off win, Hayes delivered a pass to Colin Miller at the point. Miller sidestepped Andy Andreoff and fired a wrister from the top of the left circle.
Hayes set a perfect screen in front of Los Angeles goalie Peter Budaj and was able to get his stick on Miller's shot.
"He should be good in front of the net, tipping pucks and finding those loose pucks and I thought tonight, not just that, but he forechecked well, he had a good stick," said Bruins coach Claude Julien, whose team snapped a two-game skid.
"He resembled probably the older Hayes that we had at times last year than the one we've seen this year.
"Hopefully it's a confidence-builder for him and he gets to become a better player moving forward."

Julien also complimented the team's defensive play. Boston allowed just 18 shots and kept Los Angeles to the perimeter, not allowing the Kings much breathing room for any robust scoring opportunities.
"I think we did a great job defensively, which was probably the key there this afternoon to this win," said Julien.
It made for somewhat of an easy day for Tuukka Rask, who notched his fourth shutout of the season and was required to make only a handful of critical stops.
"They try to grind it out and put the pucks deep and try to hit you but our D did a really good job getting in there, grabbing the puck and getting it out of the zone," said Rask.
"That was a very big difference today. Also, we blocked a lot of shots. We didn't let their size intimidate us, which is a great sign."

Miller Finding His Game

Colin Miller has been in and out of the Bruins lineup throughout the season. But after playing in back-to-back games, the defenseman appears to be finding his stride.
Miller's puck-moving ability was on full display Sunday afternoon, as was his ability to pepper pucks on goal from the point. The blue liner landed three shots on net and had another attempt deflected by Hayes for the B's lone goal of the afternoon.
"I really thought Colin played some of his best hockey in the last couple games," said Julien. "It's nice to see that and we're hoping that's what is to come because he's been really good playing the way he has.
"He's assertive, he's moving the puck, skating the puck well, he's got a good shot. It's just a matter of making sure that he builds on that and continues to develop in that area and we will be happy with him."

Miller said shortening the backswing on his shot has helped him get more pucks to the net.
"Maybe a little shorter backswing," said Miller, who was playing against the team that drafted him in the first round of the 2012 NHL Draft. "But I've also been on the power play the last two games, so you're going to get your opportunities there and I think our power play right now you kind of need those shots, just kind of simplify and that's what we're trying to do."
Finding consistency in his game, said Miller, will be key to him being a steady cog in the Bruins' lineup.
"I mean, we have eight solid defensemen on this team so that's going to happen, especially with Joe [Morrow] and I being the younger guys it's going to happen," said Miller.
"But just try to be consistent as you can. I don't think that's something I've done as often lately, but hopefully more continually here."