Unexpected milestones
Though Boston failed to end The Washington Capitals’ 11 games winning streak, Thursday, the Bruins top-two forwards still managed to make the night historic.
Bergeron
The Bruins’ “all-time goals scored” leaderboard gained a new member, Thursday night in Boston. Alternate captain Patrice Bergeron scored his 265th career goal as a Bruin, moving into 8th place on the leaderboard and surpassing Bruins legend, Bobby Orr.
Bergeron tied the game 1-1 on the powerplay, evening out the score early on in the second period. He acknowledged to The Hockey News.com that he couldn’t have done it without the help of his linemate Brad Marchand, who hit a milestone of his own, shortly after.
With special teams playing a large role on the ice, scoring opportunities were less feasible than Boston hoped, though this didn’t hold the team back from feeding the puck to Marchand any chance they could.
“It’s a [heck] of an honor for Patrice [Bergeron]. Just shows you the longevity and the ability to finish he’s had here. Other than that, it’s a nice milestone for him. Who is next after that?” Bruins Head Coach Bruce Cassidy told NHL.com.
What’s next for Bergeron? He (266) currently sits 11 goals behind Wayne Cashman (277) for 7th place all-time. The center will keep 7th place in his sights, though he is not the only current Bruin on the leaderboard. Bruins President Cam Neely (344) currently holds a spot at 5th, remaining 78 goals out of Bergeron’s grasp.
“That’s the next thing for Patrice and hopefully he catches him,” Cassidy said to NHL.com. “You know I love my old Bruins, Bobby Orr the most, but good for Pat. The more he scores the more he helps us win.”
Marchand
Bruins center Brad Marchand joined in on the fun, Thursday night, by racking up his 400th career point against Washington. This continued his career high seven-game point streak, adding one more to his collection of seven assists and four goals over the last few weeks.
Injury report
McQuaid
Bruins Defender Adam McQuaid has been skating with the team and is near complete recovery after suffering from a broken fibula on October 19th.
“I’m excited about where I’m at and about the possibility here going forward,” McQuaid told NHL.com. “Hopefully when I get back in the lineup, whenever that is, I’ll be ready to go. It’s been fun to watch the guys and I want to get back in and be a part of a winning hockey team again.”
Krejci
David Krejci has been on and off the ice throughout the entirety of this season. After returning just a week prior, Krejci sat out Monday against Buffalo due to a new, upper body injury.
“It’s an upper-body injury; he didn’t feel good after he got off the ice and talked to the trainers about it. So, he’s going to deal with that, he’ll be out – he won’t travel with us – he’ll be out [Tuesday] but it will be a day-to-day.” Cassidy told NHL.com
The Bruins anxiously await the center’s return, keeping Ryan Spooner in his spot indefinitely.
Weekly recap
Brad Marchand scored 35 seconds into overtime in Detroit, taking a 3-2 win over the Red Wings, Wednesday. Alex Ovechkin and the Washinton Capitals continued their 11-game winning streak against Boston by taking a 5-3 win, at TD Garden, Thursday. The Bruins many opportunities on goal were left unanswered, leaving New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist with a 33-save game and a 3-2 win over Boston, Saturday at TD Garden. Bruins Jake DeBrusk and Danton Heinen led the team, with three points each Monday, winning 7-2 against the Blue Jackets. Bruins Goalie Anton Khudobin earned his first shutout, Tuesday at home, leading the team to 3-0 victory over Buffalo.
Next 7 Days at a Glance
Thursday, Dec 21 at 7 p.m. vs. Winnipeg Jets
Saturday, Dec 23 at 1 p.m. vs. Detroit Red Wings
Wednesday, Dec 27 at 7 p.m. vs. Ottawa Senators
