Frederic, Defense Spark Comeback In Washington

Washington D.C -After trailing by three goals midway through the second period, the Bruins stormed back in a big way against the Capitals to win 5-3 on Monday night in Washington.
David Pastrnak was the first to find the back of the net from the high slot with 7:23 remaining in the second period after a clean seam pass from Brad Marchand. Although this marked Pastrnak's first goal of the season, it was quickly overshadowed by his second goal of the night, bringing the B's within one goal of the Caps 6:08 into the third period.
At the midpoint of the third period, winger Trent Frederic went toe-to-toe with Tom Wilson, looking to instill some life into the Bruins bench. Not long after their tussle, defenseman Jeremy Lauzon kept the play alive at the blue line and drove the puck wide along the boards, sending a beautiful pass to Craig Smith who buried the opportunity to make it 3-3.
With reflections of Saturday night's loss starting to sink in, overtime seemed to be inevitable until Brandon Carlo put an exclamation point on Monday night's revenge matchup by sending a blast over the left shoulder of Washington's net minder.

"We started attacking better, getting to the net. We talked about it after the second period, we were just turning down too many shots," Head Coach Bruce Cassidy said after Monday night's comeback win. "As a team we've tried to make a conscious effort this year of being a little more straight forward and plays will open up when you see them. That was part of it."
Cassidy spoke highly of his blue liners and forward Trent Frederic, who helped give the team the extra boost they needed.
"I would say that was it, the [defense] got a little more active and Freddy woke us up a little bit," Cassidy said after the game. "It takes all 20 guys. It can't just be Pasta hoping he gets a hat trick on the power play…that was the message and they came through. It doesn't mean you're always going to finish, but we did and good for them."

The Turning Point

Bruins' forward Trent Frederic took the game into his own fists, taking on one of the toughest guys in the National Hockey League.
When asked about the shift in momentum during Monday's game, Cassidy believed that Frederic deserved the credit.
"It has a lot to do with his scrap with Wilson. Kind of got everyone's attention on the bench. Freddy stood in there and gave us a bit a boost…That's part of his game in the American League, he knows it's in him…he tried with Wilson the other night. He's recognizing what he has to do to spark us," said Cassidy.
"We're trying to build our club so that we're a little bit more abrasive, but still having the speed and skill. That's good for Freddy, something that if he can bring it when it's needed without being a goof and taking bad, undisciplined penalties, then we are going to relish that. Tonight was perfect timing."
Craig Smith and Brandon Carlo spoke with reporters after the game about how important Frederic's courageous effort was to the team's comeback.
"It's huge. First of all, he's a young kid who wants to get in there and be physical. That's a tough job to do and he can certainly handle himself. It's impressive, too because he's got other attributes to his game that are available, too," Smith explained. "So when he can jump in and do that, too it fires out bench right up. He plays with no fear and that's a big part of his game."
"That was huge tonight. He did a fantastic job. To go up against that guy is not an easy task and Freddy is just fearless in that regard," said Carlo. "He really got that whole thing jumpstarted with the comeback and I think he's a big reason why we won tonight."
When asked about watching the comeback win, Frederic saw the magic unfold from behind the dirty glass in the penalty box.
"I was like a little kid in there just jumping around when we scored. It felt good to watch that. I had a really good angle of Brandon's slapshot top shelf, so it was fun to watch that," Frederic said. "It's tough with the no fans, sometimes you need a spark."

Blue Line Scoring

Between Jeremy Lauzon's game-tying assist and Brandon Carlo's game winning goal in the third period, the Bruins defenseman were crucial in the offensive zone.
"That was great….The defensive guys got involved in the O-zone and that's obviously a huge help, as much as they can help us by doing that, we will help them in the D-zone," said Pastrnak. "They have the energy and the strength to do it in the O-zone. We got some big goals and big points by our defensemen, so hopefully it will keep going like that."
Cassidy was very encouraged by the way his defenseman stepped up and took offensive control of the game.
"We know it's in [Charlie McAvoy] . Carlo had 6 his rookie year, so there was a little more there and Lauzon and Zboril have the ability to pitch in, so we' want to make sure we are getting that out of them. They're trying to defend well, do all the right things, play against good players every night, so it's a big ask…they came through in the third and a big part of why we got two points."
Brandon Carlo, who spoke with media members following the comeback win, expressed his interest in building on his offensive game.
"Obviously I want to be a part of the offense. I think it all starts with trying to get pucks towards the net," Carlo said. "There have been decisions I've made as well when there are other options available, just trying to gain more comfort throughout that offensive zone. Find my spots, find the right time to jump in and be available. It's definitely a work in progress still."
"Tonight was a resilient effort by the team. The energy was rising in the third period. We weren't playing the way would have liked to in the first couple periods, but since I've been here as a Bruin we've never been out of a game, so it's a great comeback."