Bruins showcase resolve, composure on way to top of East standings

EDMONTON -- The Boston Bruins displayed an impressive ability of maintaining their composure through adversity against the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place on Wednesday. 

Despite surrendering a three-goal lead, the Bruins recollected themselves to pull out a 6-5 overtime victory, showcasing a strong mental resolve. 

"I think that's an identity of ours," Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman said. "It was not exactly how we drew it up, but it was really special to get those two points and the way we did it through adversity and their push, I think that's really something special for our group moving forward."
 
The win lifted the Bruins (34-12-11) back into the top spot in the Eastern Conference, one point ahead of the Florida Panthers and two up on the New York Rangers. Boston, which plays at the Calgary Flames on Thursday (9 p.m. ET; SN1, SNW, NESN), is looking to make amends after being eliminated in the Stanley Cup Playoffs First Round last season despite setting NHL records for wins (65) and points (135). 

Boston lost captain Patrice Bergeron and forward David Krejci to retirement but remain a top team in the League and hope to learn from its playoff disappointment last season. 

"I think the biggest thing is the culture here," Bruins defenseman Mason Lohrei said. "[Brad Marchand] is our captain and these guys just know how to win; they've done it so much that you're never out of it, no matter what's going on."

The Bruins still have a strong leadership group led by forwards Marchand, David Pastrnak and Charlie Coyle, and defenseman Charlie McAvoy, who scored in overtime against the Oilers. McAvoy leads a hard-working blue line, which had to rely on five defensemen early against Edmonton with an injury to Matt Grzelcyk 65 seconds into the game. 

Despite playing a defenseman short, Boston controlled the first half of the game against Edmonton, which has had a resurgence since coach Kris Knoblauch took over for Jay Woodcroft on Nov. 12. The Oilers are 30-9-1 under Knoblauch.

"I just loved the way we kept forging ahead," Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said. "We didn't worry about what happened positively or negatively. I thought we continued to play. Obviously, they had a great push by a great team in the third period, and it kind of snowballed, but we went right back to work afterwards."

Boston has been consistent most of the season but has gone through its share of adversity. It lost four straight (0-2-2) before defeating the Dallas Stars (4-3 in a shootout on Monday) in the finale of a six-game homestand, prior to their current four-game road trip.

"[The Bruins have] done such a good job year after year just building a culture, a winning culture, and it shows" Oilers captain Connor McDavid said prior to the game. "They lose a big part of their team, in those two centerman (Bergeron, Krejci) and they bring in guys and continue to roll along. It's really, really impressive." 

Backstopped by one of the best goalie tandems in the League, the Bruins will again be a formidable opponent in the playoffs. Swayman improved to 18-6-7 with the win against Edmonton, and has a 2.47 goals-against-average and .920 save percentage in 32 games (31 starts). Linus Ullmark, who won the Vezina Trophy as the top goalie in the NHL last season, is 16-6-4 with a 2.72 GAA and .914 save percentage in 27 games (26 starts). 

After a shaky spell in which Edmonton fought back Wednesday, Swayman made two outstanding saves on Leon Draisaitl on the penalty kill in overtime to extend the game before McAvoy won it. 

"His game was kind of like our team's game, playing really well and then things go not the way you want it," Montgomery said of Swayman. "But his mental makeup is unreal. He just thinks he's going to stop every puck, so he didn't worry about what just happened, he just moves forward, and that's why he just keeps making saves." 

Although they were unable to get out of the first round last season, the Bruins have confidence in Swayman and Ullmark heading toward the playoffs.

"The mentality our group has is just do whatever you need to do to win, no matter whether it's a 1-0 game or a 6-5 game, we're going to whatever it takes to win," Swayman said. "We know how valuable every point in this league is, especially at this stage in the year and it's really special to see our group come together even when we give up a lead and fight through no matter what comes our way."

It's the mental makeup and the resiliency of the Bruins this season which makes them a favorite to go on a long playoff run. Boston has not won the Stanley Cup since 2011, but has been to the Final twice since (2013, 2019). The past two seasons, the Bruins have been eliminated in the first round, upset by the Florida Panthers in seven games last season and losing to the Carolina Hurricanes in seven games in 2022.

"Everyone talks about leadership and the quality and standard, when you're inside the room it's more so about consistency," Bruins forward Jake DeBrusk said before the game Wednesday. "Whether things are going well [or] whether they aren't, we try to keep the same intensity in practice, same intensity doing different things. I think that's a huge reason why the Bruins have been successful."