Your opinion of Tuesday’s head-to-head between the Boston Bruins and Los Angeles Kings almost certainly came back down to how the end result benefited your team.
A Bruins loss and that would’ve been one of the uglier contests, and more maddening end results, of the year. From the undeniable low-event hockey in the opening 40 to countless missed shots, you’d probably wake up on Wednesday still hearing the echoing of all the shots that slammed into the glass behind the net, as opposed to the net itself. (More so if you’re a Kings fan.)
But with a 2-1 overtime win over the Kings, sealed by a bloody Charlie McAvoy less than two minutes in, the Bruins instead kept pace in an Eastern Conference playoff race that refuses to let up. And for the Bruins, who allowed a season-low 15 shots on the way to victory, it was an eye-opening reminder as to how they have to play down the stretch.
“That’s the way we have to play,” B’s head coach Marco Sturm said following the victory. “I’ve tried to explain to the guys, this is playoff hockey right here. From now on, it’s just gonna be that for the whole month. And it’s good for us to see it, how you have to play those kind of games. And if you look at the goal we scored, it’s a shitty goal. But they’re not pretty anymore. It’s more shots going to the net, have a good screen, stick with the structure and details. That, for me, is playoff hockey. And the guys today did an outstanding job.”
McAvoy’s blood alone made it feel like a playoff game, though he wished it didn’t have to be that way, as Boston’s top defenseman took yet another knock to the face that required emergency dental care.
“I wish the hits would stop coming, honestly,” McAvoy, spitting blood while answering questions, admitted. “It’s tiring. My mouth honestly can’t even feel worse, but I’ll get some work [done]. We got a really good dentist here who’s great.
“I just need to get some rest and be better for Thursday.”
McAvoy sounded like a simple broken man. Since returning to play, McAvoy has had plenty of close calls. An elbow to the face from the Panthers’ Sandis Vilmanis puffed McAvoys’ face back out for the Olympics, and since ditching the bubble, McAvoy has taken a puck to the face and then had last night’s run in with the boards, which messed his mouth up some more.
Behind McAvoy, Bruins netminder Jeremy Swayman was a weird bounce off a skate away from a 15-save shutout in this contest.
And even though Drew Doughty’s seeing-eye shot denied Swayman what would’ve been his second shutout of the season, the 27-year-old Swayman still provided plenty of big-time stops for the B’s.
As the Kings jammed and jammed away in front of the Boston net all game long, Swayman certainly looked at his best from LA’s countless in-tight looks, and was even chatting the Kings up as they stormed his crease. In addition to some big-time stops on Artemi Panarin in the third period, Swayman also had a fantastic save on a Scott Laughton shorthanded breakaway in the middle frame.
“He’s been there at the key moments, and that’s what I love about him,” Sturm said of Swayman. “Very happy with his performance all year long.”
The Bruins will look to keep it rolling Thursday against the Sharks.
