Live stream will be available after this brief ad from our sponsors
  • Listen Live

DELIVERED BY NETA BROOKLINE   Download on the Google Play

Boston Bruins

Boston Bruins

Perhaps the Bruins should consider bringing their siblings on every road trip.

Fresh off a thrilling overtime win over the West-best Stars on Tuesday night, the Bruins took their show to Nashville, where the team downright dominated the Predators to a 5-0 final at Bridgestone Arena.

Boston’s latest victory of the season, which sounded like a home game throughout the night and brought them to 41 wins through 54 games, came with goals from five different scorers, as well a shutout at the other end of the rink.

It also pushed Boston’s point streak over the Predators to six games (5-0-1), with the Bruins having last lost in regulation to the Preds all the way back in Nov. 2018.

Here are the 98.5 The Sports Hub (dot com) 3 Stars of the game from a win in Nashville

  • (Click here to subscribe to the Sports Hub Underground podcast.)

  • No. 3 Star: Brad Marchand

    Feb 16, 2023; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Boston Bruins left wing Brad Marchand (63) and center Patrice Bergeron (37) celebrate with center Craig Smith (12) after his goal during the second period against the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel/USA TODAY Sports

    Feb 16, 2023; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Boston Bruins left wing Brad Marchand (63) and center Patrice Bergeron (37) celebrate with center Craig Smith (12) after his goal during the second period against the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena. (Christopher Hanewinckel/USA TODAY Sports)

  • The goal came just 2:54 into the game, but it was absolutely gigantic that Bruins winger Brad Marchand made sure the Bruins had something to show for an 18-shot first period.

    Jumping on an offensive-zone activation gone wrong by ex-Bruins defenseman Jeremy Lauzon, Marchand helped lead a three-on-one rush the other way. Marchand dished the puck to Patrice Bergeron, and Bergeron held onto it just long enough to dish it back to No. 63, who rifled it through Juuse Saros for a 1-0 lead.

  • Marchand also drove towards the net and played a major hand in Lauzon deflecting the puck through Saros for the Craig Smith goal that made it 2-0, and even had a third-period shorthanded rush with Trent Frederic that nearly beat Saros to make it 5-0. (Frederic would get his goal later in the period, anyway.)

    On the ice for a forward-high 17:38, Marchand also added three shots, three hits, and two takeaways.

  • No. 2 Star: Patrice Bergeron

    Feb 16, 2023; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Boston Bruins center Patrice Bergeron (37) reacts after a goal during the second period against the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel/USA TODAY Sports

    Feb 16, 2023; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Boston Bruins center Patrice Bergeron (37) reacts after a goal during the second period against the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena. (Christopher Hanewinckel/USA TODAY Sports)

  • The Bruins needed to pull themselves out of their power-play struggle. Even if it was just for the confidence boost that it’d give the team mired in an 0-for-21 drought after a first-period miss with Roman Josi in the box.

    And who better to get the Bruins back on the board than Patrice Bergeron?

    Hit with a tremendous feed from Hampus Lindholm and into the Nashville zone, Bergeron sniped a goal through Saros at the 8:06 mark of the middle frame.

    It was Bergeron’s second point of the evening, but as always, Bergeron’s impact went beyond the point totals. And a bounce-back game in the faceoff department — especially after the worst faceoff game ever by the B’s in Dallas, with a franchise-low 19.4 percent success rate at the dot in the victory —  was led by Bergeron, who went 13-for-18 at the dot in Thursday’s victory.

  • Bergeron’s two-point night also pushed Bergeron’s career line against Nashville to 23 points in 22 games.

    Bergeron leads the B’s in all-time points against the Predators (Brad Marchand is the closest to Bergeron, with 17 points), and the Preds are the third-most torched West-based team in Bergeron’s career, trailing only the Calgary Flames and Chicago Blackhawks. (Note: I’m not including once-West and once-East teams like the Red Wings and Atlanta Thrashers/Winnipeg Jets in this list because then it all gets real muddy.)

  • No. 1 Star: Jeremy Swayman

    Feb 16, 2023; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman (1) makes a save during the third period against the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel/USA TODAY Sports

    Feb 16, 2023; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman (1) makes a save during the third period against the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena. (Christopher Hanewinckel/USA TODAY Sports)

  • There’s something about Cumberland River water that really speaks to Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman.

    In what was his second start in Nashville’s barn, Swayman turned aside all 29 shots faced, making it two shutouts in as many career starts at Bridgestone Arena. And though the Bruins gave him a five-goal edge in this contest, Swayman’s played was highlighted by Bruins coach Jim Montgomery in his postgame interview with NESN, with Montgomery noting that the Bruins gave up way too many odd-man rushes and that they would’ve been in trouble had it not been for Swayman’s performance in this game.

    The victory also continued what’s been a two-month heater for Swayman, who has compiled a 8-1-3 record since his disastrous outing in Arizona. Swayman has also posted a .937 save percentage over that span, which is tied for first among a group of 46 goalies with at least 10 appearances over that span, which his 1.81 goals against average is second (and by just 0.01).

Get The 98.5 The Sports Hub Newsletter Delivered To Your Inbox

Stay up to date with the latest Boston sports news and analysis, local events, exclusive contests, and more.

*
By clicking "Subscribe" I agree to the website's terms of Service and Privacy Policy. I understand I can unsubscribe at any time.