Bruins cruise past hapless Rangers

The Bruins iced what they hope will be their six-pack of defensemen for the playoffs for the first time on Thursday at the Garden. And while the B’s defenders did not get much of a test from a New York Rangers team that seemed hollowed out both physically and emotionally from the upheaval it’s undergone this week, it was certainly a promising start for them.

The B’s allowed just seven shots on net in the first two periods and cruised to a 4-0 victory, handing Jeremy Swayman the easiest shutout he’ll ever enjoy in the NHL.

For the first time since Feb. 18, the B’s had both Brandon Carlo and Kevan Miller in the lineup and it was the first time Carlo, Miller and deadline acquisition Mike Reilly were all available. It was hard not to like what they showed, even though what to make of it all is difficult to say given the Rangers’ current condition.

The B’s got first-period goals from Patrice Bergeron and Charlie McAvoy and never looked back.

With the Blueshirts’ new boss Chris Drury in attendance, taking over as team president and GM from the deposed John Davidson and Jeff Gorton, his Rangers gave him lots to think about.

The Bruins took a 2-0 lead in the first period while outshooting the Rangers 9-4. Not one of the Ranger shots was what you might call a scoring chance.

Bergeron put the B’s up 1-0 at 7:11 on a typically dominant, hard-working shift from the B’s top line. It looked like the B’s had lost the puck on an exchange between Brad Marchand and Bergeron until the captain won it back and dished it back to Marchand. He went behind the net and dished back out front to Bergeron, who buried a quick snap shot over Igor Shesterkin’s blocker-side shoulder for his 22nd of the year.

The B’s kept coming and for the second time in the first period, Jake DeBrusk drew a penalty, a tripping call on Ryan Strome. And on their second try, the B’s made the Rangers pay for the infraction. Late on the power play and with some of the B’s changing out, Bergeron tried to keep a puck in the zone and his flip-in hit Ranger Kevin Rooney in the face.

As Rooney was checking his teeth in the neutral zone, play was allowed to continue and the B’s doubled the lead. Again the primary assist went to Marchand, who set up McAvoy for a booming one-time slapper at 18:35, the defenseman’s fifth of the season.

The dominance continued in the second period, as the B’s outshot the Rangers 19-3 and pushed the lead to 3-0, tapping a welcome source of scoring power.

With the B’s in the midst of a change, David Krejci made a nice indirect pass off the boards to spring DeBrusk on a clean breakaway. With all the time in the world, DeBrusk went with one of his shootout moves, flipping a soft wrister over Shesterkin and snapping a 12-game goal-less streak.

Carlo got into the act 1:07 into the third period, taking a faceoff win in deep and then banking a pass attempt off Shesterkin’s pads.

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/3nUnzuI