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Boston Bruins

Boston Bruins

3 Stars: Bruins get some much-needed secondary scoring in win

By Ty Anderson
Dec 27, 2023; Buffalo, New York, USA; Boston Bruins defenseman Mason Lohrei (6) celebrates his goal with teammates during the first period against the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports

As a general rule of thumb, a Dec. 27 contest probably shouldn’t carry a ton of weight.

It shouldn’t even carry a pound of weight, to be honest.

But for the Bruins, Wednesday’s showdown in Buffalo felt like it meant a bit more than most late-December trips to Buffalo would or have in the past.  See, the Bruins entered this contest with defeats in four straight games (0-2-2). Another loss and it would’ve been their longest losing streak in over four years.

The Bruins also entered this contest in danger of dropping two straight to the Sabres, a team they have by all means owned for half a decade, for the first time since Feb. 2018.

And most of all, the Bruins found themselves in desperate need of a game that just made you feel a little bit better about their game.

  • The Bruins got that at KeyBank Center, too, as the team blitzed birthday boy Devon Levi four goals on 25 shots, and refused to give the Sabres anything to feel good about throughout the night. Until an Erik Johnson garbage-time goal in the third period and with the Sabres down by four.

    Here are the 98.5 The Sports Hub (dot com) 3 Stars from a slump-busting win in Buffalo…

  • No. 3 Star: Jeremy Swayman

    Dec 27, 2023; Buffalo, New York, USA; Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy (73) watches as goaltender Jeremy Swayman (1) makes a save during the second period against the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports

    Dec 27, 2023; Buffalo, New York, USA; Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy (73) watches as goaltender Jeremy Swayman (1) makes a save during the second period against the Sabres at KeyBank Center. (Timothy T. Ludwig/USA TODAY Sports)

  • The Bruins made sure that they provided goaltender Jeremy Swayman with multiple goals of support early on in this contest (the B’s took a 2-0 lead with 6:18 remaining in the first period, and later carried a 4-0 lead into the second intermission thanks to two more power-play strikes in the middle frame.

    Considering the fact that Swayman entered this contest with three straight games of just one goal of offensive support, that was probably enough to get him tap dancing in the Boston crease.

    But Swayman made sure that he didn’t give the Sabres any life, either, and finished with a strong 26-of-27 line in goal for his 10th victory of the season.

    He even got some help from Charlie McAvoy and his hand-eye coordination.

  • No. 2 Star: Jake DeBrusk

    Oct 22, 2023; Anaheim, California, USA; Boston Bruins left wing Jake DeBrusk (74) shoots the puck during the NHL game against the Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports

    Oct 22, 2023; Anaheim, California, USA; Boston Bruins left wing Jake DeBrusk (74) shoots the puck during the NHL game against the Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center. (Kiyoshi Mio/USA TODAY Sports)

  • If there’s one thing I’ve learned about any sort of extended time off for a hockey player, it’s to, well, never undersell its value on the mind. And sure, the NHL’s holiday break ran for just three full days before teams got back to work on the 27th, but the three-day breather seemed to allow Bruins winger Jake DeBrusk to get his legs and hands working in unison to the tune of two pretty assists in this one.

    In addition to the helpers, DeBrusk added a hit, three shots on goal, and logged 2:48 of shorthanded time on ice for a Black and Gold penalty kill that went a perfect 6-for-6 in the win.

    The two-assist night ended what was a six-game pointless stretch for DeBrusk, and was also his first multi-point night of the 2023-24 season.

  • No. 1 Star: Charlie Coyle

    Dec 27, 2023; Buffalo, New York, USA; Boston Bruins center Charlie Coyle (13) reacts after scoring a goal during the first period against the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports

    Dec 27, 2023; Buffalo, New York, USA; Boston Bruins center Charlie Coyle (13) reacts after scoring a goal during the first period against the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center. (Timothy T. Ludwig/USA TODAY Sports)

  • Asking Charlie Coyle to be Patrice Bergeron for an entire year was always going to be a tough ask.

    Coyle started the year as hot as could be, and looked more than capable of carrying the heavy weight of replicating Bergeron’s production and know-how as a do-it-all center.

    But the struggles have been there of late, as Coyle came into Wednesday’s game in Buffalo with just one goal and one assist in his last 12 outings. A get-right game with the Sabres was just what the doctors ordered for No. 13, though, as he scored a pair of power-play markers and finished with wins in 10 of his 17 battles at the dot in the win.

    Even with that recent slump, Coyle is still producing at what you would definitely consider a respectable clip, with the Weymouth-born center currently paced for a 30-goal and 56-point season.

Click here for 98.5 The Sports Hub’s complete coverage of the Bruins. 

Ty Anderson is a writer and columnist for 985TheSportsHub.com. He has been covering the Bruins since 2010, and has been a member of the Boston chapter of the PHWA since 2013. Yell at him on Twitter/X: @_TyAnderson.

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