Halak Solid In Net As Bruins Blank Coyotes

If you hadn't watched the Boston Bruins' victory over the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday night, the final score would conjure thoughts that the game was a defensive struggle filled with big hits, frustration-borne tussles and solid goaltending.

But those who did witness the match were treated to a turnover-filled track meet that saw both teams in constant transition, chasing each other up and down the ice sheet and leading to many potential quality scoring chances...

Halak against the Coyotes

..."Potential" being the operative word, as breakaways out of the neutral zone were thwarted by terrific back-checking on both sides and both defenses pinning their opponents to the side boards - the only tally a pirouetting backhander from Brad Marchand late in the first period that Bruins' goalie Jaroslav Halak made stand up as Boston stole a 1-0 victory from the Coyotes at Gila River Arena.

Halak was sensational in his 2019 season debut, stopping all 35 of the Coyotes' shots on goal, while Arizona stopper Darcy Keumper matched Halak's performance stop-for-stop, his only gaffe coming on Marchand's ballet-worthy goal with just over a minute remaining in the opening stanza - and that was more of a terrific effort from the Bruins' top line than any error on Kuemper's part.

The Bruins' top line enjoyed their best performance in several months going back to the Stanley Cup finals in June when they disappeared against the eventual champions St. Louis Blues, and were also a no-show against the Dallas Stars in Thursday night's season opener. But Bergeron, Pasternak and Marchand were fully engaged in this contest from the first shift on.

As was the case all evening, the Coyotes had control of the middle of the ice, forcing the action to the wings where, with time running down in the first period, Patrice Bergeron and David Pasternak were engaged in a four-man scrum along the low boards to the right of Keumper - when Bergeron somehow emerged from the pack with the puck.

Pasternak disengaged from the scrum and floated into the left circle, drawing the Arizona defensemen to his position, who were unaware of Marchand sneaking in behind them. Bergeron fired a pass which Pasternak let slide past him directly to the wide open Marchand, who twirled and fired his backhanded gem that beat Keumper low.

A designed play off the dashers, Pasternak sold the illusion by faking a shot as the puck slid past him, drawing the scrambling Coyotes' defensemen to play the fake, opening a shooting lane for Marchand and causing Keumper to flinch for a split-second - and that was all the room Marchand needed to pot his first goal of the young season.

Once again, defenseman Charlie McAvoy led the Bruins in minutes on ice with 22:28, centerman Charlie Coyle leading the forwards with exactly twenty minutes on the sheet. The win elevated the Bruins' season record to a perfect 2-0-0, good for second place in the Atlantic Division behind Toronto, who sports a 2-0-1 record.

Boston now moves on to Las Vegas to take on the Golden Knights on Tuesday night, then travel to Colorado before returning home on Saturday to host the New Jersey Devils in the Bruins' home opener.

Rask, Bruins Top Speedy Stars In Season Opener

The familiar refrain from last season taught us that if the Boston Bruins got off to an early lead, chances were very good that they would prevail in the end - and while it was rarely easy, the sharp goaltending of Tuukka Rask made it seem that way...

...so it can be said with some certainty that the Bruins have picked up right where they left off in their 2019-2020 season opener, newbie Brett Ritchie and Danton Heinen potting early goals and Rask making it hold up as Boston ruined the Dallas Stars' home opener with a 2-1 victory on Thursday night.

Ritchie being congratulated on his first goal as a Bruin

The Bruins jumped out on the Stars like a Jack-in-the-box, hustling to keep the puck in their offensive zone to counter the speed skating of the Stars to take a two goal lead, then Rask stopped 28 of 29 Dallas offerings, his only miscue zigging while Dallas forward Roppe Hintz zagged on a second period breakaway that turned out to be the game's final score.

The book on Dallas net minder Ben Bishop was apparently to attack his stick side from the left wing, and that's where both Boston goals arrived on net from.

Ritchie, who played for the Stars last season, took advantage of a Charlie Coyle diving blue line theft, taking control of the loose puck along the left wing dashers and smoking a wrister past Bishop just over one minute into the match to give the Bruins a quick lead...

...then Heinen blew one by Bishop four minutes later on the Bruins' first man-advantage of the season, the second-line power play forward snapping a wrister from the left circle - Coyle again figuring in the play as he set a perfect screen in front of the besieged Bishop, who never saw the puck until it found the back of the net, both Boston scores coming from identical angles, low and to the stick side of Bishop.

Dallas finally found their legs midway through the first period, at times skating circles around the Bruins' defense and putting plenty of pressure on Rask as his defensemen struggled with the speed and sharp passing of the Stars' forwards, and it seemed to be just a matter of time before that speed and precision paid off.

Sure enough, midway through the second period, Hintz took control of a wobbler in the neutral zone and blew past two Bruins' defenders like they were standing still, easily beating Rask with a left-to-right dangle in the crease to cut Boston's lead in half.

But Rask made the lead hold up the rest of the way, his Bruins attacking the blue line to counter the Stars' speed game and forcing them to set up a clunky looking cycle, the defensemen clearing out traffic in front of the net to give the Finn a clear line of sight - the only threat coming from the high slot deep into the third period, which Rask stoned with a spectacular split save to preserve the victory.

The Bruins open the season playing four straight on the road, their next effort to come on Saturday night in Phoenix, a match with the Phil Kessel-led Coyotes on tap, then travelling to Las Vegas and Colorado before returning home to take on the New Jersey Devils in next Saturday's home opener.