DeBrusk, Power Play Clicking to Start Playoffs

TORONTO – Jake DeBrusk is a goal scorer.

So, when he gets the chance to take the ice for a power play, he’s licking his chops – no matter how much the Bruins have been struggling on the man advantage.

“I’m always excited,” he said. “It’s always a chance to score. At the same time, you try to use it as momentum…just seeing one fall helps with that, knowing that we can break the dam and not get scored on. In saying that, every game is different.”

Despite a difficult stretch to end the regular season that saw the Bruins near the bottom of the league in power-play success rate over the course of the final month-plus, the club’s man advantage has gotten off to a sizzling start through three games of their first-round series against Toronto.

And DeBrusk has been a huge reason why, as the winger has potted three power-play goals, including two in Game 1 last Saturday night. Overall, Boston is 5 for 10 in the series and has scored on the power play in each of the three contests.

“As a net-front guy, I just try to find spots to be open,” said DeBrusk, who gave the Bruins a 2-1 lead in the third period of Game 3 with his third power-play goal of the series. “Sometimes it just takes one to fall. But at the same time, it’s waves and flows of the season. I think it happens with every group, even the best power plays in the league. Could be a month where it struggles and then finds its tune.

“Obviously, it’s been a big focus for the first three games. Their power play has gotten better as the series has gone on. Even though we killed a lot today, I think they were starting to get their touches. We’ve got to be very conscious of that.”

Coach Jim Montgomery believes that the shuffling of the two power-play units toward the end of the regular season that separated Brad Marchand, Charlie McAvoy, and David Pastrnak has helped tremendously.

“I just think the pace with which we’re playing with. The pucks are moving, people are moving off the puck,” said Montgomery. “It’s what we were trying to do for those [games at the end of the regular season]. I just think splitting up the units, it created inner-competition and it also freed people’s minds of, ‘Oh, I gotta get the puck to Pasta, I gotta get the puck to Marchy.’ It was the same old, same old. Now it was fresh.”

On the other side of the special teams battle, the Bruins went a perfect 5 for 5 in Game 3 and are 10 for 11 in the series.

“Overall, we’re not trying to do anything extravagant out there, we’re just trying to do our jobs as well as we can as long as all four guys are focusing on that on the ice,” said Brandon Carlo. “There has been times where we’re trying to make better pressure reads to kind of push the puck out of their hands. At times, it’s worked, other times I think they’ve made some plays and Sway’s come up huge for us…we were lucky enough to get them all killed off last night.”

Swayman Stays Sharp

Jeremy Swayman put forth another stellar performance in Boston’s Game 3 victory, making 28 saves on 30 shots to improve to 2-0 in the series with a .955 save percentage and 1.51 goals against average. Montgomery compared the netminder’s intensity to that of Brad Marchand.

“Ultra-competitive. If anyone’s as close to Marchy on our team as competitive fire, it’s him,” said Montgomery. “He’s been terrific. I just love his compete level and his quickness. When it went 3-2, right after that there was a barrage of rebounds…he was just square to the puck and he was fighting and he finds it. It inspires the bench.”

Montgomery said that it will not be easy to decide which goalie to call upon for Game 4 on Saturday night.

“We’re gonna have more rest,” he said. “The rotation has been so good for us, it’s a hard decision.”

Swayman said following Game 3 that he is staying prepared for whenever he gets the call.

“Any time I get a chance to play, I’m gonna do whatever I can to help the team win, whether it’s back-to-back or every other game. I’m really grateful every time I do get a chance. That’s all I worry about,” said Swayman.

“I’m excited. All the experience from this year and past years have accumulated but I’ve still got a lot more to learn, that’s for sure. I’m looking forward to that.”

The backstop did acknowledge that he is not concerned with needing any added respite.

“For me personally, I don’t want rest,” said Swayman. “I just want to keep playing. No matter when I get the call, whether it’s back-to-back or every other game, I want to make sure my body’s ready and I’m ready to perform at my best.”

Swayman was also not getting caught up in his “collision” with Toronto forward Max Domi during a TV timeout in the second period of Game 3.

“He was just skating. I was skating,” said Swayman. “I told [ESPN], I have to do more pushups, so I’m gonna go work on that tonight.”

Despite everything going on around him, including a number of furious net-front flurries, Swayman has managed to stay calm through it all.

“He’s incredible,” said Brandon Carlo. “To combine that competitiveness with calmness and the fun that he has on the ice. I think it was like seven minutes left in the third and he’s coming back to the bench, high-stress time, and he’s kind of dancing to the music a little bit. He keeps it light.

“I love how much he enjoys the game. It reminds us all to have fun and play the game as well. When you have a guy like that behind you, it gives you more confidence knowing he’s as confident as he is. We’re thankful for that.”

Frederic Buries One

While in the record books, his first career postseason goal will go down as an empty-netter in Boston’s 5-1 win over Toronto in Game 1 last Saturday night, Trent Frederic’s second-period tally in Game 3 may end up being a bit more memorable.

As Marchand and Tyler Bertuzzi tussled in the neutral zone, distracting just about everyone inside Scotiabank Arena, Frederic skated down the left wing and fired a wrister under the blocker of Toronto goalie Ilya Samsonov to tie the game, 1-1, late in the middle frame.

“It was really weird. I was trying to tell the guys that we scored to remind them because I don’t think anyone really knew. It was kind of a weird play. I’m glad it all kind of unraveled like that,” said Frederic.

“Normally, you get a reaction from your teammates and the crowd, but I don’t think anyone was watching so it was kind of funny.”

Frederic said the tally reminded him of his first NHL goal which came during the COVID-shortened 2020-21 campaign.

“My first NHL goal was in Lake Tahoe, so we didn’t have fans,” said Frederic. “It was kind of similar to that. I was like, that went in but nobody reacted. Pretty similar.”

Wait, There’s More

• Montgomery was impressed by the showings of blue liners Mason Lohrei and Parker Wotherspoon, both of whom were not only making their series debuts in Game 3, but their NHL postseason debuts as well. Lohrei, who took two penalties, played 14:19 with two hits and a shot on goal, while Wotherspoon – who was awarded the team jacket postgame for his efforts – played 19:10 and delivered three hits, as well a memorable blocked shot in the opening minutes that initially felled him. “Very good,” said Montgomery. “They were not overwhelmed by the moment, they wanted the moment. That’s the biggest thing. Are there areas of their game that they can improve up on, yeah. That’s good, we’re gonna be able to teach that. But they did a lot of good things. Their battle level, play with the puck for both guys was good.”
• James van Riemsdyk also made his series debut in Game 3 and had two shots on goal, including two breakaway chances, in 10:46 of ice time. “He had two excellent scoring chances himself, set up a third,” said Montgomery. “And was getting to the spots that he has been when he’s playing well. It was a real good game for him.”
• The Bruins held Auston Matthews to three shots on goal in 23:16 of ice time in Game 3. “It’s all five guys on the ice,” said McAvoy. “He’s a very gifted player. For us, collectively, it’s team defense, it’s not one guy that’s gonna be able to do it. It’s breaking pucks out and trying to limit his zone time really.”
• Montgomery said that Derek Forbort continues to improve after missing the last two months following multiple surgeries. “He’s step by step getting closer,” said Montgomery. “I don’t know if he’s an option…as far as if we were playing today, he’s not an option.”
• With two days off between games, the Bruins stayed away from the rink on Thursday and were planning for some bonding time at the team hotel. “I don’t mind it,” said Frederic. “We get to hang out here a little bit at the hotel with the guys. A little bit different than being at home where everybody has their family and stuff. Try to use that to hang out with them.”
• Carlo complimented Marchand for his leadership during the series, but also singled out Pat Maroon for the impact he’s made on the B’s dressing room. “I think [Marchand’s] done a great job, especially through these playoffs, of leading, being vocal, being loud,” said Carlo. “Another guy that I’ve noticed as well is Pat Maroon, his energy has been fantastic for us and kind of brought us up and given us some more confidence. Both those guys have been doing really well.”
• Montgomery joked that he’s well aware of how big a sports week it is in Boston with the Celtics also in the playoffs, the Patriots picking third overall in Thursday’s NHL Draft, and Lionel Messi visiting Foxborough to play against the Revolution. “I am aware because I’m getting a lot of text messages if I can get tickets for all those things and I’m like, ‘I can’t go!’” Montgomery said with a smile. “Yes, I am [staying in tune] and I love being in Boston. It’s the greatest sports town.”