Let’s be real: Perspective can be a reeeeeeeeal bitch.

And perspective is one of those things that nobody, especially when the ears are hot and the blood is boiling, wants to have in the heat of the moment. Sometimes we just want to be pissed off, stomp around, and maybe even throw a snowball or two. Maybe even torch a car, or at the very least fire off a tweet you delete approximately 14 seconds after pressing send. I get it. Been there. Done that.

But if I told at 9:55 p.m. on Thursday night that the Bruins were going to grab a point against the defending Stanley Cup champions (and in their building) with a Jesper Boqvist in their top six, Parker Wotherspoon in their top four, and just one goal of support for netminder Jeremy Swayman, would you have taken that deal? 100 percent. Not even 99, but 100. You don’t need Aldo Raine and Smithson Utivich to convince you that that’s a good deal.

Yes, even after a miscommunication in overtime gave the Golden Knights the easiest-looking 2-on-1 you’ll see this year, you’d take that deal. (Again, I’m offering you this deal before the puck dropped. Perspective, you see.)

• So while Boston’s third straight ‘OTL’ may have led to some snowballs (good luck finding one) and deleted tweets, the Black and Gold’s ability to grab a point in this one is worth noting. It not only kept them in first place in the Atlantic Division over those surging Florida Panthers (winners of nine in a row), but it also pushed the Bruins to 0-0-3 on this road trip, giving the Bruins three of a possible six points on this trip so far. That .500 mark was always a possibility (or likely outcome) given it was a 3-in-4 with stops in both Colorado and Vegas, and if anything, the Bruins are simply following the most likely script.

  Of course, if there’s one thing to take away from this game, it came before the overtime frame, as this was a night where the Bruins failed to generate enough against a stout Vegas defense. And that, coupled with a parade to the penalty box for entirely-too-many stick infractions, was a recipe for disaster.

  A disaster that somehow led to a point for the Bruins, mind you. Perspective, baby.

  Here are the 98.5 The Sports Hub (dot com) 3 Stars from a loss in Vegas…

• No. 3 Star: Matt Grzelcyk

  

  Jan 11, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Boston Bruins defenseman Matt Grzelcyk (48) warms up before a game against the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena. (Stephen R. Sylvanie/USA TODAY Sports)

• Finally, Bruins defenseman Matt Grzelcyk has something to feel good about.

  Listen, even the most ardent Grzelcyk supporter you know has had a tough time of late, with the 5-foot-9 defenseman simply not looking like himself for large stretches this year, and especially since returning from injury. There’s been too many nights where Grzelcyk’s transition game hasn’t been where it needs to be for the Bruins to maximize his skill set. Even his reunions with longtime pairing partner Charlie McAvoy have struggled to click at their usual rate at various points this season.

  But Thursday night in Vegas featured one of Grzelcyk’s best performances to date, as it was Grzelcyk who scored Boston’s lone goal in this contest, and off a quick release that was good for his second goal of the campaign and his first goal in 19 games.

  Matt Grzelcyk 🚨 pic.twitter.com/HgPqxMEmHc

  — Spoked Z (@SpokedZ) January 12, 2024

  And in addition to the goal, Grzelcyk also had the analytics working in his favor, as the Black and Gold outshot Vegas by a 15-5 margin during No. 48’s five-on-five, on-ice sample (15:21 of time on ice).

  With Derek Forbort out, Mason Lohrei in a true first-year situation, and Hampus Lindholm going through some high highs and low lows, getting Grzelcyk rolling would provide a huge lift to Boston’s left side.

• No. 2 Star: Logan Thompson

  

  Jan 11, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo (7) celebrates with Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Logan Thompson (36) after scoring a goal against the Boston Bruins in overtime to give the Golden Knights a 2-1 victory at T-Mobile Arena. (Stephen R. Sylvanie/USA TODAY Sports)

• Dealing with an illness and with the Golden Knights’ goaltending depth chart absolutely ravaged by injuries, Logan Thompson decided to go full Michael Jordan flu game in this one, with a 32-of-33 effort.

  Cotter almost gave Boston a goal but Logan Thompson stood tall and made a huge stop on Geekie#VegasBorn pic.twitter.com/03I9unsUpz

  — Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) January 12, 2024

  Thompson was especially lethal in high-danger situations, too, with the 26-year-old credited with a perfect 8-for-8 line on high-danger shots at all-situational play, according to Natural Stat Trick.

• No. 1 Star: Jack Eichel

  

  Jan 11, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel (9) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal against the Boston Bruins at T-Mobile Arena. (Stephen R. Sylvanie/USA TODAY Sports)

• Another Vegas talent that had to battle through it tonight, Jack Eichel scored the power-play goal that put Vegas up in the third period and came through with the secondary assist on the Knights’ overtime winner for a two-point effort against his hometown team.

  THAT'S ALL-STAR JACK EICHEL, TO YOU 🎰 pic.twitter.com/Q1FE9CoVsI

  — x-Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) January 12, 2024

  The North Chelmsford, Mass. native is up to seven goals and 16 points in 18 career head-to-heads against the Bruins.

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