Linus Ullmark recorded his second shutout of the season, making 31 saves for Boston in his shutout when they visited the Nashville Predators on Tuesday, April 2nd. It was the Bruins’ second straight win following a 3-1 loss against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday, March 27th, and this was the Predators’ third straight loss. The scoring only began in the third period when Charlie Coyle scored the first goal, and it had only continued on from there. Boston will play against the Hurricanes in Carolina to hopefully extend their win streak to three.
Bruins lineup against the Predators:
Marchand – Coyle – DeBrusk
Heinen – Zacha – Pastrnak
van Riemsdyk – Geekie – Frederic
Beecher – Boqvist – Brazeau
Lindholm – McAvoy
Lohrei – Carlo
Shattenkirk – Peeke
Ullmark
Swayman
Predators lineup against the Bruins:
Forsberg – O’Reilly – Nyquist
Zucker – Sissons – Glass
Jankowski – Novak – Evangelista
Smith – McCarron – Sherwood
Josi – McDonagh
Stastney – Schenn
Lauzon – Carrier
Saros
Lankinen
Through both the first and second periods, the Bruins and Predators had an entirely scoreless 40 minutes of play. However, the Bruins were on a roll in the third to fight for the 3-0 final when Charlie Coyle started the scoring to help the team blank the Predators.
Justin Brazeau left in the first period after sustaining an upper-body injury. Coach Jim Montgomery had said there would be more information on the length of his injury in the coming days.
Charlie Coyle opened the scoring late into the third at 6:42 for his 24th goal of the season and for a 1-0 lead. He scored on a breakaway, beating Juuse Saros with a backhand-to-forehand deke shorthanded goal. The play had begun when Linus Ullmark sent the puck up the ice to Brad Marchand, who found Coyle entering the zone. At 2:42, Pavel Zacha finished the tic-tac-toe passing play on the rush with David Pastrnak and Danton Heinen. It had been Zacha’s 19th goal of the season, extending his point streak to four games (two goals, four assists). Pastrnak struck the empty net with 1:24 left in regulation for the 3-0 final. This was Pastrnak’s 35th multi-point game of the season, this being marked as the most by a Bruins player since Adam Oates (46) in the 1992-93 season.
Linus Ullmark on the Bruins’ shutout victory and looking at this stretch at the end as an addition for him to be in the playoffs: “It’s not just good vibes from me – you got to look at the team game we had in front of me as well. We played a full 60 minutes and showed that we don’t get frustrated easily. We stuck with it and we did a great job penalty-killing as well,” – “It’s all about winning games and trying to help out the team as much as possible whenever you get the opportunity to play. We back each other up every single night, every single day during practice trying to get better. It’s up to the coaches to decide who does that, but for me, it’s all about the next one. Now we cherish this win, maybe get some peace afterward, I don’t know. Then again, onward to the next one.”
Notes:
– This had not only been Linus Ullmark’s second shutout of the season, it was also the eighth of his NHL career.
– Both David Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha recorded a goal and an assist.
– The Bruins moved four points ahead of the Florida Panthers for first in the Atlantic Division.
– Juuse Saros made a total of 29 saves for Nashville.
– The Nashville Predators remain three points ahead of the Los Angeles Kings for the first wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the Western Conference.
– The Predators lost in regulation in Nashville for the first time since the 15th of February when they lost 9-2 to the Dallas Stars.
– Alexandre Carrier made a return to the lineup after he had previously missed three games due to an upper-body injury. In 19:22 of ice time, he was minus-1.
