Bruins Survive Florida Push, Cruise to Another Home Win

BOSTON - Jim Montgomery acknowledged that if the makeup of his team was different, he likely would have pushed the pause button.
With the Bruins cruising to a four-goal lead less than two minutes into the second period, it appeared it was going to be an easy night for the Black & Gold.
But Florida had other ideas, striking for three consecutive tallies over a five-minute span to pull within a goal. With the wheels, seemingly, falling off, it was then that Montgomery could have easily called his timeout.
This Bruins team, however, has earned the trust of their bench boss.

"It's different from any other team I've coached before, just because they are great leaders and they know how to win," said Montgomery. "All the different ways we've won, it shows, so I've developed the ability to let them control a lot of what's going on. I let them play through things more than I would other teams. Before, I would either get on them verbally or maybe call a timeout. You know the things that you can control as a coach.
"I think from the second goal through the third goal I thought about [a timeout]…but the guys were saying the right things on the bench. There wasn't a sense of panic by the players and our bench - more myself. But there wasn't a sense of urgency with our play either. But we managed to get out of it and again, found a way. We're a resilient group."
Boston proved that, once again, on Monday night.
After Florida cut the Bruins' lead to one, the Black & Gold scored three consecutive goals of their own to secure a 7-3 victory over the Panthers at TD Garden.
"I think it's a great show of confidence there just for him to say that," said Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron, who tallied four points, including two goals in the third period to put the game away. I think for us, we try to reset. I think that's the biggest thing on the bench. And realize you're still up by a goal. But right now, we're not playing good hockey, and we gotta get back.
"We said it on the bench. We just need one shift to kind of get yourself back. So, simplify is always the easy word. It's easy to squeeze and panic, but I think when you take a breath, and you realize that we're still up, but we gotta be better."
Bergeron made sure to set the tone in that regard as he scored twice within a span of 4:26 of the third period (8:52 and 13:18 on the power play) to extend the Bruins' lead to 7-3.
"They are important [goals] because they give us breathing room and the air came out of the intensity of the game, just because when you go 6-3, it's hard," said Montgomery. "They already fought back - it reminded me of the game we played in Ottawa [in October]. We're down 3-0, we tie at 3-3, and all the sudden we are down 5-3. It's hard to keep chasing, it's a lot of energy you waste trying to catch up."

Clifton Gets It Going

Montgomery was blunt: he doesn't like the Cliffy Hockey nickname.
"First of all, I want to say this: I do not like the term Cliffy Hockey," the coach said postgame. "Not from you guys [the media] using it, but within our room. It's funny, I actually spoke to him about it, I said 'I think the way it's brought up in the room and how it was born, it was born out of maybe him being too reckless. And Cliffy hockey going on his own page.'
"The player that I see is someone that knows very much how the team is playing, is always supporting the structure of the play, and has the ability because of his instincts to make high risk reward plays. Tonight, is the best game he's had in a while and I'm happy for him."
Clifton picked up a goal and an assist in 18:09 of ice time, including the game's opening tally at 10:51 of the first when he collected a loose puck in the neutral zone, sailed into the Florida end, threw a puck toward the crease, circled the net, found his rebound, and ripped a wrister by Panthers goalie Spencer Knight.
"I think it was just a good D-zone play, I had some speed after that turnover they had in the neutral zone, I tried to get it to net front to Hallsy, but it came right back to me at the other side of the net, so that worked out," said Clifton, whose goal was his third of the season, setting a career-high.
Cliffy Hockey? For those watching - yes. But not for Clifton himself.
"We talked about it the other day. We both hate it," Clifton, who also tied his career high of 10 points, said with a chuckle when asked about Montgomery not liking the Cliffy Hockey moniker. "I never really liked it, honestly. It is what it is. Sometimes you get a nickname, and it sticks. It's kinda what happened."

Carlo Breaks Through

Just over three minutes after Clifton's marker, Brandon Carlo doubled the Bruins' lead with his first goal of the season. The blue liner joined the rush through the neutral zone and surged into the Florida end where he collected a feed from Brad Marchand just inside the blue line.
Carlo crept into the slot and fired a wrister from the tops of the circles that beat Knight glove-side to make it 2-0 with 5:56 left in the first period.
"Very good. Something that I haven't tried to focus on too much of like not having a goal yet throughout this year. I feel like I was just focusing on getting my opportunities each game. I knew it would hopefully come soon and I'm glad it did tonight," said Carlo, who hadn't scored since April 5 in Detroit.
Carlo, who played 18:40 with 4:02 of it coming shorthanded, moments later picked up an assist on Charlie Coyle's goal that put Boston ahead, 3-0, with 3:53 to go in the first period.
"I feel like there's been a lot of opportunities in the offensive zone for all of us defensemen," Carlo said of how he's adjusted to Montgomery's system. "It's a matter of putting it in the back of the net, but I think with our transition game and things like that, you've seen some very good spurts. I feel like it's faltered a little bit as of late, but that's something we can continue to grow on. It's great how we keep finding ways to win."
Montgomery praised Carlo for his game at both ends of the ice.
"I think he's been jumping into the right holes offensively, coming out of D-zone, through the neutral zone, and in the offensive zone, especially," said Montgomery. "And he's had a lot of opportunities and it was great to see him get rewarded…great pass by Brad Marchand."
"I think he's been awesome [defensively]," added Montgomery. "I think in the last 10-15 games, Brandon Carlo has been playing great hockey. He unfortunately got hurt there early in the year and it took him a couple games to get back into rhythm, but, man, he's been really, really good for us."
Carlo said that over the last 15 games or so, "there's been a big mental reset for me."
"I would say the biggest thing for me is just enjoying the game as much as I possibly can," he said. "I've kind of come into this here with a gratitude-type mindset of just enjoying this experience and being very happy and it's an honor to wear this crest on my chest.
"I'm just enjoying it. I think that's kind of where it's going…with the joy comes confidence and calm as well that I've definitely felt in my game."

Wait, There's More

• Linus Ullmark made 36 saves to improve to 11-0-1 at TD Garden this season and become the fifth Bruins goalie to have a point streak of 12 or more games to start a campaign, per NHL Stats (Tuukka Rask 20 GP in 2019-20), Gilles Gilbert (17 GP in 1973-74), Gerry Cheevers 13GP in 1976-77), and Frank Brimsek (12 GP in 1941-42).
• Ullmark's save of the night came in the third period with the Bruins up, 5-3. After a scramble in front, the puck popped out to Gustav Forsling at the point, but Ullmark stretched out to make a glorious glove save and end the threat. "That was great. He's been doing that all year for us. A timely save as well," said Carlo. "Those are big opportunities for us to feed off of his energy and the way that he has been playing…Linus is obviously holding us in there. That was a big one."
• David Krejci scored with 9:10 remaining in the second to give the Bruins some breathing room with a 5-3 advantage. The marker was his 10th goal of the season, making him the eighth player in Bruins history with 12 or more 10-goal campaigns (Ray Bourque, 21), Johnny Bucyk (20), Patrice Bergeron (17), Milt Schmidt (13), Wayne Cashman (12), Rick Middleton (12), and Brad Marchand (12).
• David Pastrnak's power-play goal just 1:38 into the second put the Bruins up, 4-0, and extended his point streak to nine games (7 goals, 4 assists), his second nine-game streak this season, joining Edmonton's Connor McDavid as the only NHL players to have multiple such streaks.
• Marchand registered three assists and has now factored on the same goal with Bergeron 392 times (three times on Monday night), per NHL Stats. That ranks second in Bruins history behind Phil Esposito and Ken Hodge (406) and second among active NHLers behind Washington's Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom (499). ""I thought he was our best player in the first period," Montgomery said of Marchand. "I thought he was all over the place, I thought he was building momentum."